The matter of formulating rules and regulations for the government of the exposition was one of the first questions to be considered by the Commission.  The matter was taken up at the various meetings of the Commission, and conferences were held with the officers of the Exposition Company from time to time.  The Commission contended that in the event of a disagreement between the representative of any foreign government and the Exposition Company the representative of such foreign government should be allowed to refer the matter to the National Commission for joint consideration and adjustment with the company.  With that end in view the Commission insisted that the following provision should be incorporated in the rules and regulations governing the exposition: 

Should disagreement arise between the Exposition Company and the representative of any Government, State, Territory, or District, such representative shall have the privilege, under such rules of procedure as the National Commission may from time to time promulgate, of referring the matter in disagreement between such representative and the company to the National Commission for joint consideration and adjustment with the company.

The company objected to the insertion of this clause.

Thereupon the Commission and the company agreed to submit the matter in dispute to arbitration, in accordance with law.  The Commission notified the company that the members of the arbitration board appointed by the Commission were prepared to meet the arbitrators of the company when such last-named arbitrators should be appointed.  But owing to the fact that the arbitrators on behalf of the company had not yet been appointed, it was impossible at the time to submit the matter in controversy to arbitration.

In November, 1901, it became evident that the success of the exposition demanded the immediate promulgation of the rules and regulations for the guidance of intending competitors.  The Exposition Company communicated with the National Commission to that effect and requested that it be allowed to promulgate the rules and regulations so far as agreed upon, and that the matter in dispute should be left to subsequent arbitration.  On November 22, 1901, the Commission consented to the promulgation of the rules and regulations, so far as modified, with the understanding that the provision in dispute, hereinbefore stated, should thereafter be incorporated and given due publicity, provided it was adopted by the board of arbitration.  On December 1, 1901, the rules and regulations were published, and a copy thereof, as approved by the National Commission, is as follows: