Reaffirming the motion already made on February 16, 1903, providing that the furnishing of the building of the board of lady managers be under the supervision of the president of the board, on March 4, 1904, it was moved that Mrs. Daniel Manning be made active chairman of the house-furnishing committee and select her own committee.  This motion being carried, it was also decided that the committee on house furnishing be limited to the expenditure of the sum of $20,000 for furnishing the building.  The report of this committee is as follows: 

The president of the board of lady managers having been elected active chairman of the house-furnishing committee, with power to select her own committee, named Mrs. Mary Phelps Montgomery and Mrs. John M. Holcombe as the other members.

At the same meeting of the board at which the chairman was named, the sum of $20,000 was fixed as the maximum amount that might be expended for house-furnishing purposes by the committee.  This sum was to cover all expenditures for electric wiring and fixtures, electric bells, push buttons, and annunciators; tinting of walls and staining of floors; water connections, filters, water heaters, bath tubs, sinks, etc.; all wooden partitions in dormitories; window shades, screens, and awnings; arrangements for butler’s pantry; rugs, carpets, matting, and all floor covering; furniture, glass, china, and kitchen utensils; table and bed linen, blankets—­indeed, every expenditure attending the fitting out and appointing of the building.

The committee was fortunate in arranging for part of the work, in preparing the building for occupancy, by securing the workmen that were employed by the Government on its building, and had been brought from Washington for that purpose; these men could contract for a longer stay at better rates than were obtainable in St. Louis.  The tremendous advance in the price of labor about this time led the committee to be most cautious in its expenditures, not knowing the extent of the demands that might be made upon their fund before the arranging of the building was completed.  President Francis, in his address to the board on December 15, 1903, has already given some of the difficulties experienced by the Exposition Company on the question of the cost of labor up to that date.  By the time of the opening of the exposition the members of this committee had to meet even greater prices, as, instead of time and one-half for overtime, the demands of the workmen had risen to double time for overtime.  This involved paying $1.50 per hour instead of 75 cents for certain kinds of work necessary to be completed by opening day.

Most of the furniture, rugs, carpets, curtains, glass, and china were purchased in New York City, but some interesting pieces of antique furniture were obtained by one of the committee in Connecticut, while others were secured in Albany, N.Y.

    Material and substantial aid was rendered the members of the
    committee by the generous gifts and loans which added greatly to
    the attractiveness and comfort of the building.