FIRST RUl'ORT OF COMMISSIONERS.

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however, the wish of the Commissioners to make the Exhibition as comprehensiveas possible, they limited their exclusions to those cases only in which they appearedstrictly necessary; and for the same reason, though they required every Exhibitorto state in what capacity lie appeared, that is to say, whether he was the producer,importer, manufacturer, designer, inventor, or merely the proprietor, of the goodstendered by him, they did not think it right to limit the privilege of exhibiting tothose who had been actually connected with the production of the article, thoughthe propriety of doing so was brought under their notice, and very seriously con-sidered by them. In coming to this conclusion, they were actuated not only bythe desire to obtain as good an Exhibition as possible, but also by the considerationthat it is often difficult to define the precise degrees of merit belonging respectivelyto the capitalist who supplies the means and stimulates the production of an article,the manufacturer who actually executes the work, the designer who imparts beautyto it, and other persons who in various ways contribute to bring it before the world.

Another question which, as well as the preceding, attracted much attentionfrom the Local Committees and the intending Exhibitors, related to the aflixing ofprices to articles exhibited. By somo it was desired that it should be made com-pulsory to aflix the price to every article, others thought it should be left free toeach Exhibitor to do so if he pleased, while others again were of opinion that theaffixing of prices ought to bo absolutely prohibited. The Commissioners were fullyaware of the importance of taking the element of price into consideration in judgingof the relative merits of different articles, and they gave instructions to the severalJ uries to regard cheapness of production as a proper object of distinction. Theywere not, however, prepared to call upon Exhibitors in all cases to affix prices,partly because they were unwilling that the Exhibition should bear the appearanceof a bazaar for the sale of goods, and partly because of the impossibility of layingdown any rule which should secure uniformity and prevent deception in the modeof stating the price. The price of any article, unlike its size or weight, is not afixed and easily ascertained quality, but must depend upon a great number ofcircumstances which are constantly varying, such as the state of the market, theextent of the demand, the amount of credit given, or the rate of profit usuallyaimed at. Even the cost price cannot always be regarded as fixed, for it will varyaccording to the quantity made, while a still graver objection to its being called forarises from the impossibility of verifying the correctness of the price given withoutinquiries, which it would be far beyond the power of such a body as the Commissionto institute. For these reasons they decided to dispense with, and even to forbid,the affixing of prices to articles exhibited, though they did not interfere to preventeach Exhibitor from taking such steps for publishing the prices of the goodsexhibited by him as lie might think proper. In cases where cheapness of productionwas put forward as a ground of distinction, the Juries were intrusted with the dutyof investigating the accuracy of the prices stated.