New-York tribune., 1885-07-15
CONTRADICTORY ESTIMATES.
CANNOT Trustworthy WHEAT RETURNS nv HADf
WHAT JOURNAL or CHARACTER CAN DO.
10 the EdttOr OF TAs Trtbun,

CANNOT TRUSTWORTHY WHEAT RETURNS Nv HADf
WHAT A JOURNAL or CHARACTER CAN DO.
To the Edifor or TA Trtbun,.
SIR: Why is il that every year the informa-
ton IN REGARD 10 tie cotton crop which comes from
various trade journals nni commercial associations
passes without question. and Is raroy foand
when the records ~ the year finished. while the in
formation about the wheat crop Il confused and contra
dlcor from the beginning. and much Of II is proved al
ln., 10 have been u tissue Of fslseoodsi Tho
tras must have struck every one with surprise. IL 1t
because Southern sources OF Information more trust
worthy than Northerni or h II because official otganza
tions Federal likely To deceive than
the commercial bodies aud journals which furnish the
cotton reporis There explanations are ralpaby made
gua,e has only 10 remember the Civil War, anf the
contradictory reports then made on the opposite sldcs.
10 realize that there not In The Southern character such
overwhelming preference for the naked truth as TO
make SOU crm necessarily trustworthy than
Northern Nor have the business bodies from which
cotton reports emanate better reputation than COM
mercs OF the North enjoyed before they began
TO wrangle about tho yield and the visible supply of
wheat.
IL Ia stated that the Chicago Board OF Trade has pro-
posed to the New-York Produce ExcbnDgoa joint ar-
rangemcnt by which "a weekly statement Of the visible
supply may be made up In which all shall have
ndence. But everybody knows what that involves. 10
involves the preparation OF statement by persons over
whom no spectators have any control or Influence,
neither spectators or tho Chicago Board hor the
tors OF tho NewYork Exchange, nor both CON-
bued when they happen to DO the side. Is the
Chicago Board prepared to join In measures TO furnish
lch repott II not II rest assured that no other
TINT cnn be furnished. whether Endorsed by oil The
Boards OF Trade or not, VIII ENJOY pubic connehce
For tho wranple has done good In one respect; IL has
shown the public, what not many had Understood Dc
fore I'll. grain statistics can easily be So inanipu
lated Ia toll falsohoods For months the Chcago anu
New York reports have been virtually SAYING yoa
l!o each other, and every one VINO .as conpareh
rho kppW
nbcraicy Ialsncd -, - -
so IL ls with the crop rctlrns NO sane man can
Imagine that statements widely different as those
OF the Agricultural Bureau AMI the Milwaukee Boarh of
Trade those of the Agricultural bureau aho tue ONO
Hureau Of Statistics haze been made honestly ny
mcn IN %. the lncts. Novtrtncts suSn
stlfencDts maie every year. with precisely the same
reports known to the different conpilers Somebody ID
scndng lies Tor the purpose OF Influencing
the market. While everybody knows hat II the fact II
"a stl u question In the minds of many whether moro
should he placed In tho returns Of tho Depart
mont Washington or IN tho reports mhde up by state
officials and Boards Of Trade 49,
Speculation Is the secret, OF course SO long as II Is
posbe send reports which sOnc spectators VIII
credit, long suc reports VII bc manufactured Inc
secret of freedom from suo difficulties In
the trne lies IN tho fact that Journal OF estaD
lisbrd character and known freedom from speculative
inierests' long ago organized system OF reporting upon
which the whole world has como to rely To-day, u tLe
reports OF exchange or State organization como 10
difer essentially from tho reports OF that Journal they
arc simply disbolevcd and haycn0 weight In speculative
dare 10 bet against the ruhuness OF reports which thoy
have found independent and trustworthy Why cannot
the service DO performed fOr tho producers anu
the dealers IN wheat by Journal OF established carac-
ter Unhappy, the official reports OF the Washn ston
Bureau have been dscrcdted already. A new and IN
dependent report which Will command public coniiioDce
would bo Of ealculabo boncft alike TO producers to
traders and To consumers. Yours, u.
Aclr- York, July III. 1883.