tes, of the financial condition of the exposition, owing
to delay in receiving monthly statements from the company and the
incomplete nature of such statements when received.

From an examination of the reports furnished by the Exposition Company,
it will be observed that they were at all times deficient in that they
did not show the outstanding liabilities of the company. The Commission
assiduously endeavored to secure such amendment to the books of account
kept by the company as would secure the incorporation of a statement of
such outstanding liabilities.

The following correspondence between the Commission and the Exposition
Company shows the repeated efforts of the Commission to obtain the
information essential to the preparation of the monthly reports referred
to:

OCTOBER 3, 1902.

DEAR SIR: I am directed by the Commission to refresh your memory
as to our conversation yesterday with regard to furnishing a
statement of all outstanding liabilities of the Exposition
Company.

Section 11 of the act of Congress, approved March 3, 1901,
requires the Commission to furnish the President of the United
States a summary of the financial condition of the Exposition
Company, and this can not be done in a satisfactory manner
without a statement of outstanding liabilities under contract,
expressed or implied.

It is the desire of the Commission to furnish the President with
detailed information of the character indicated, in connection
with the report for the current month, to the end that he may
have complete data available for consideration in connection
with his message to Congress.

It will greatly oblige the Commission to have the statement
referred to furnished in duplicate.

Yours, very truly,
THOMAS H. CARTER,
_President._

Hon. D.R. FRANCIS,
_President Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, City._

ST. Louis, U.S.A., _October 15, 1902._

DEAR SIR: In reply to your letter of October 3 with respect to a
summary of the financial condition of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition Company, I desire to say that the attention of the
proper officers of the company has been called to this request
of your part, and I may assure you that the desired information
will be prepared and furnished at an early date.

Yours, truly,
D.R. FRANCIS,
_President._

Hon. THOMAS H. CARTER,