Wurster in Strong's Place

As Presiding Officer at the New York Electrical Fair.

NEW YORK’S MAYOR IN A MIX-UP

The Managers of the National Electric Show Over the River Much Affronted Because He Declined to Open the Fair Without Assigning a Reason — Mayor Wurster Fills the Breach Without Knowing All the Facts.

The announcement that Mayor Wurster will preside at the big fair of the National Exposition of Electrical Appliances, at the Grand Central Industrial building, in New York, to-night, when the governor and many other notable persons are to be present, gave rise to much conjecture as to why Mayor Strong is not to fill the place of presiding officer.

George F. Porter, secretary and treasurer of the exposition, said this morning: “Our committee invited Mayor Strong to preside, but he declined to do so. Why? He did not give any reason. He just said he wouldn’t. As far as I know the interview was pleasant enough. Frank W. Hawley, chairman of the committee, could tell you all about that. I know that a good many of the men in the fair were much piqued about the way Mayor Strong acted. You can say that Mayor Wurster of the greater New York — I think that would be a good way to put it — accepted very gracefully. It will make Strong mad to read that.”

Mr. Hawley went to Albany to-day with President Rossiter of the Brooklyn Heights road, who is a member of the reception committee of the fair, to escort Governor Morton to New York, and his version of the interview with Mayor Strong could not be obtained.

Mayor Strong himself when asked by the reporter why he had declined the invitation, said:

“I didn’t decline it.”

“But the committee say you did.”

“I said I couldn’t accept.”

“Why not, Mr. Mayor?” asked the reporter.

“Well, I had an engagement to look at 2,000 pretty girls to-night,” replied the mayor, with a twinkle in his eye. “You wouldn’t let a thing like that go just to preside at an electrical fair, would you?” he added, looking quizzically at the reporter.

The mayor said further that he had an engagement of three weeks’ standing to attend the commencement exercises of the New York Normal school.

Mayor Wurster when asked if he had been informed of the fact of Mayor Strong’s refusal to preside at the fair before an invitation was extended to him, replied in the negative.

“I was invited by Mr. Hawley, who is my personal friend,” he said. “I shall preside only long enough to introduce Joseph H. Choate, who will then assume the chair.”

The exposition is incidental to the tenth annual convention of the National Electric Light association and judging from the preparations is sure to be a big thing. The association represents 10,000 electric lighting plants, with an aggregate capital of $750,000,000. The prominent Brooklyn concerns which will figure in the fair are the Citizens’ Electric Illuminating company, the Edison Electrical company and the Municipal Electrical company. Several well known Brooklyn men are prominent in the management including E. F. Peck, Clinton L. Rossiter, W. C. Barstow, J. N. Bissell and Frank W. Hawley, chairman of the reception committee.

The marvels of electrical invention representing the work of such men as Edison, Nikola Tesla and others will be among the exhibits.

To-night’s opening ceremonies will be attended by the governors of several other states, representatives of the army and navy and men prominent in municipal affairs.

After Governor Morton has delivered his address he will turn on an electrical current generated by the Falls of Niagara, which will put the machinery of the exposition in motion. The fact that the fair has been opened will be announced in San Francisco, New Orleans, Augusta, Me., and St. Paul, through the medium of artillery discharged by an electrical current which the governor will turn on.