erred to in the letter, have never
been denied nor explained.

The fact that there was a disagreement between the National Commission
and the Exposition Company regarding awards became known through the
public press, and thereupon the files of the Commission were quickly
supplied with letters from exhibitors charging fraud and favoritism, and
asking for information as to the status of the awards in the event of
certificates of award being issued without the approval of the
Commission.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that a concern known as "The
Official Ribbon Company," acting under a concession from the Exposition
Company, was disposing of ribbons certifying over the signatures of the
president and the director of exhibits of the Exposition Company that
awards had been made to the holders for the specific exhibits therein
named.

Judging from the letters received by the Commission, these ribbons were
disposed of indiscriminately and regardless of the fact as to whether or
not the purchaser was entitled to the award set forth on the ribbon.
Thus exhibitors who had been awarded silver medals by the jurors could
and (the Commission is informed in some cases) did buy and display for
advertising purposes ribbons certifying that they had received higher
awards.

The relations of the Official Ribbon Company to the Exposition Company
were based upon a contract, under the provisions of which the Exposition
Company received 60 per cent of all moneys paid by the purchasers of the
said ribbons.

The Official Ribbon Company carried on its correspondence under the
letter heads of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, bearing the
names of the president and other officers of said company.

Notwithstanding these communications, the ribbons continued to be
advertised and sold, and, at the date of writing this report, they are
prominently displayed in the place of business of a director of the
Exposition Company, who was an exhibitor at the exposition.

The ribbons were sold to a large number of exhibitors before any awards
were legally made, and bore notice that the holder thereof had received
the award shown thereon.

Litigation has arisen between the Exposition Company and various
exhibitors, seeking redress of wrongs or investigation of alleged fraud,
which is now pending in the courts.

Within a few days of the time for filing this report under the
provisions of the law, a director of the Exposition Compan