It is undoubtedly true that their efforts in enlisting the sympathy and support of the women of the United States not only made possible an adequate presentation and exploitation of woman’s work and woman’s sphere, but also secured the attendance of thousands upon thousands of the best people of the land who otherwise would have remained away.

It is not too much to say that the money appropriated for and expended by the board of lady managers was, from the standpoint both of national interest and financial success, one of the wisest expenditures made in connection with the exposition.

This board of lady managers was fortunate in the selection of Mrs. Daniel Manning as its president.  Mrs. Manning, in addition to her experience in public life and affairs, and her well deserved general popularity, proved herself possessed of rare executive ability, and the management of those features of the exposition coming under the supervision and direction of the board won the respect and admiration of the exposition officials and of all the representatives of our own and other governments having connection with or participating in the exposition.

It is but fair to say that this tribute of the Commission to the efficiency of the board of lady managers is given not in compliment, but in justice.

The vast amount of work performed by the lady managers and the delay in the completion by the company of authoritative reports necessary to enable the board to complete their final report to this Commission have delayed the closing and presentation of this report by the Commission beyond the period of six months from the close of the exposition.

The final report of the board of lady managers is now presented in connection with the report of the Commission, and is herewith filed, marked “Appendix No. 5.”

The Commission calls particular attention to the excellence and the interesting features of the report of the board of lady managers, and suggests that its publication and distribution as a document is especially to be desired.

GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT.

The exhibit made by the Government of the United States will long stand as monumental in the history of Government exhibits.  Not content with the exhibition of special features of governmental activity in the various departments of the exposition, Congress provided for the erection of a Government exhibition palace, which was confessedly the most striking and successful architectural triumph upon the exposition grounds.

The Government Building was located on an eminence at the eastern termination of “Louisiana Way,” the principal avenue on the exposition grounds.  From its commanding position all portions of the exposition grounds could be seen.  Within the building every department of the Government was represented by an appropriate exhibit upon a liberal scale.

This great Government exhibit was under the direction and control of a board, consisting of the following-named gentlemen: