50 years ago in Expo history: The fair was almost over, with two major goals both in sight

With a little more than a week left in Expo ’74, not just one goal, but two goals, appeared within reach.

The attendance goal of 5 million visitors was expected to be attained over the coming Veteran’s Day weekend. The fair was already at about 4.9 million.

The other was the budget goal, which was: break even. It was still too early to tell, but general manager Petr Spurney said the fair was on track to do so. The final answer would not be clear until after the fair was liquidated and its assets sold.

But Spurney said that whether Expo made or lost $100,000 was “unimportant compared to the impact on the community.”

At one point early in the planning, it was estimated that the fair could lose $4 million and still “be seen as a good investment.”

From 100 years ago: Spokane launched a campaign against a public safety hazard: “bad auto lights.”

By that, they meant insufficient or poorly aimed headlights.

“Every road leading into Spokane will be ‘trapped’ during the week,” the Chronicle reported. “Violators of the lighting laws will be stopped, given cards on which to report to police or sheriff’s office, and in extreme cases, arrests will be made.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1760: George III succeeds to the throne as king of Great Britain and Ireland.

1929: Former interior secretary Albert B. Fall convicted of accepting $100,000 bribe in the Teapot Dome scandal and becomes first U.S. Cabinet member to go to jail.

1960: Cuba nationalizes all remaining U.S. businesses.