Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission Part 26

We have agreed the figures of receipts shown by the books of the auditor and the treasurer with those of the admissions department.

We have agreed the receipts from sales of tickets with the ticket custodian's record, and have verified the tickets appearing on that record as unsold. We have also satisfied ourselves that the system in the admissions department was such as to provide adequate safeguards for the collection by the company of the admissions receipts derived from other sources.

It would appear that the total loss of the company in this department through shortages of employees, counterfeit and mutilated coins, etc., amounted to about $1,250, about one-third of which is probably recoverable from the bonding company, so that the final loss to the exposition will be very small.

The total receipts for admissions are distributed as follows:

Exposition period: Admissions of individuals ................ $6,042,746.65 Vehicles ................................. 5,671.50 ------------- $6,048,418.15 Pre-exposition period .....................................

175,906.25 Post-exposition period ....................................

16,156.50

6,240,480.90

The details of the attendance and revenue during the exposition period are as follows:

--------------------------------------+-----------+---------------+--------- | Number. | Receipts. |Cents per | | |admission --------------------------------------+-----------+---------------+--------- Adults: | | | General admission .................. | 11,180,996| $5,589,715.50 | 50.00 Season and other commutation tickets | 961,175| 291,827.00 | 30.32 Children: +-----------+---------------+--------- General admission .................. | 621,640| 155,634.25 | 25.04 Season and other commutation tickets | 40,805| 5,569.90 | 13.65 +-----------+---------------+--------- Total paid attendance ............... | 12,804,616| 6,042.746.65 | 47.19 Free: | | | Adults ............................. | 6,480,267 | ............. | ........

Children ........................... | 409,972 | ............. | ........

+-----------+---------------+--------- Total exposition days ........... | 19,694,855| ............. | ........

Sundays (free) ...................... | 371,682| ............. | ........

+-----------+---------------+--------- Grand total ..................... | 20,066,537| ............. | ........

It may be of interest to add that the attendance by months was as follows:

-------------------------------+------------------------+---------+----------- | Exposition days. | | Date. +------------------------+ Sundays | Total.

| Paid. | Free. | (free). | -------------------------------+------------+-----------+---------+----------- April 30 and May ............. | 667,772 | 1,102,656 | 70,847 | 1,841,275 June ......................... | 1,382,865 | 1,016,281 | 49,373 | 2,448,519 July ......................... | 1,514,743 | 928,224 | 55,298 | 2,498,265 August ....................... | 1,992,248 | 1,096,498 | 45,477 | 3,134,223 September .................... | 2,683,511 | 968,262 | 52,182 | 3,703,955 October ...................... | 2,758,149 | 864,180 | 64,107 | 3,686,436 November and December 1 ...... | 1,805,328 | 914,138 | 34,398 | 2,753,864 +------------+-----------+---------+----------- Total .................... | 12,804,616 | 6,890,239 | 371,682 | 20,066,537 -------------------------------+------------+-----------+---------+-----------

Concessions.

We have agreed the amount of collections reported by the treasurer, together with the amount of bills still outstanding, with the amount of bills rendered (after deducting allowances and rebates), as reported by the concessions department.

Inasmuch as all bills originated in the concessions department and the collections were made by the treasurer, we think this reconciliation affords a satisfactory check on the receipts reported by the treasurer.

We have also looked into the system in this department, and believe that it was well calculated to secure, as far as possible, the proper collection of revenues accruing due to the exposition.

The net receipts of this department, as shown by its records, are as follows:

Pike rentals .................................. $218,187.50

Concessions revenue: Exposition period ............................ 2,812,995.59 Pre-exposition period ......................... 32,366.06 Post-exposition period ........................ 1,855.54 ------------ 3,065,404.69

The difference between this figure and the total of $3,076,958.69, shown in the inclosed accounts, consists of refunds of $15,554, which are treated in the statement as disburs.e.m.e.nts, less $4,000 rents collected by the concessions department, credited in the statement against the rent paid by the company, as the latter practically acted only as agent in the transaction.

Under the lease of the Catlin tract, on which the greater part of the concessions were built, sureties were required, and for the protection of these sureties and of sureties under other bonds it was arranged that all ground rentals received from concessions on the "Pike" should be paid into a special fund for the purpose of securing such sureties against loss in respect of the bonds given by them. Upon the books of the company, therefore, the above figure of "Pike rentals" has been credited to a separate fund account, together with an amount of $2,580.68 interest allowed on this fund.

There was withdrawn from this fund the sum of $100,000 on account of payment of rentals of the tract, and the fund now amounts to $120,768.18, as shown among the cash balances in the inclosed statement.

The total earnings accruing due to the company under concession contracts amounted to ...................

$3,803,724.53 Of this total there has been collected (as above) the sum of ..................... $3,065,404.69 There was waived by the company under various compromises the sum of .................... 434,204.36 And there still remain uncollected bills amounting to .............................. 304,115.48 ------------- 3,803,724.53

We have seen authorizations from the executive or concessions committee for all the important compromises effected.

Intramural Railway.

We have agreed the receipts shown by the general books of the company with the report of the manager of the railway. The number of pa.s.sengers carried and the amount of revenue therefrom, by months, were as follows:

Date. Pa.s.sengers Revenue.

carried

April 30 and May .......................... 295,152 $29,515.20 June ...................................... 861,409 86,140.90 July ...................................... 815,034 81,503.40 August .................................... 1,018,195 101,819.50 September ................................. 1,394,444 139,444.40 October ................................... 1,273,207 127,320.70 November and December 1 ................... 617,297 61,729.70

Total ..................................... 6,274,738 627,473.80

It is not possible to arrive at the cost of operating the railway, as the power was furnished from the general power plant, and the cost thereof can not be ascertained separately.

Service, Power, Light and Water, Transportation.

We have agreed the collections from these sources with the books of the treasurer, and as regards the princ.i.p.al items we have also agreed the accounts shown on the general books with those of the departments in which the charges originated, subject to some inconsiderable differences which are now being investigated and will be adjusted by the company as soon as possible.

Music Department.

We have agreed the receipts shown by the auditor with the report of the bureau of music.

The total receipts are made up as follows:

Music furnished German Tyrolean Alps Company .......... $67,220.25 Music furnished other parties ......................... 300.00 Receipts from admissions to Festival Hall and sales of reserved seats ...................................... 77,078.23 Total earnings ...................................... 144,598.48 Add refund on expenses credited this account .......... 1,940.00 Total as per statement .............................. 146,538.48

We have verified the receipts from the German Tyrolean Alps Company with the contract.

Premium on Souvenir Gold Coin, less Expense.

This total represents the premium of $2 per coin on $67,176.00 33,588 coins sold Less expenses ....................................... 13,506.67 Total ............................................. 53,669.33

We have agreed the number of coins sold with the difference between the number originally received and the number now certified to be on hand.

Photo-Pa.s.s Receipts.

The system in regard to the collections in this department appeared to be such as to insure the full amount of collections being received by the company.

Photographic pa.s.ses were charged in some cases at $1 and in others at $2, and many were issued without charge, and it is not therefore possible, without a very great amount of work, to check the collections against the number of pa.s.ses issued.

Interest on Deposits.

This total represents the amount of interest received on balances from time to time remaining on hand in the company's bank. We have included therein the amount of $2,580.68 received In respect of the Pike rental fund and credited on the books of the company to that fund.