The sun., 1891-06-21
SPECTATORS NIGHTMARE.
THE GOVERNMENT cRop REPORT and
IT'S MAKING.

FL. the News-Ten Thousand dCorrespondeuts
WASHINGTON. June l9.-At intervals Of year
or two story is put In circulation that some
one has stolen the crop bulletin OF the Agricul-
turM Department and has sold IL TO spocu-
lators In grain or cotton. The crop bulletin
frequently influences the speculative market
rs It indicates marked or unsx pected change
In the condition or prospects OF the growing
eron Its value In the field OF speculation Is
not so great as IL was lew years ago because
there are now state crop reports and reports
gathered By snterprisng newspapers which
usually anticipate any decided change In crop
conditions. STILL the monthly report is closely
watched by spsculators. and the announce
ment OF tho new average made on the floor Of
She Exchanges frequently results In an infa-
ton or depression OF the market.
Whom any marked change is noted by the
crop bulletin. the speculntor who would know
It even half an hour In advance OF its publca-
ton could mako enormous profits BY buying
or selling futures on tho produce exchanges OF
the country. When I was IN tho West recently
speculstor approached mo and said:
p" understand there arc ways Of getting at
this crop report. 1t gets out every once In q
while and II you can get hold OF 1t We can
make q lot OF money together"
assured him that II could get hold OF is In
any fair way would be very willing 10 join
him In making . lot OF money" BY the use Of
the information. When I returned to Wash
ington called on the StatistIcian Of the ARrl.
cultural Department to learn. not how to get
advance inform alton OF tho bulletin. but how
the department succeeds In keeping the con-
tents secret up to the moment whom 1t is
given to the press associations and telegraph
companies for distribution through tho coun-
try: for. while the charge that the bull
letin has beon anticipated has appeared at
repeated intervals for the last twenty-five
years. no ono has yet proved It. and tho
6tatistician. Mr.. Dodge. Is quite ready to
mako AFFIDAVIT that no leak has ever existed
In The Agricultural Dera:tm BY which the
Information could have escaped The only time
when specific charge was brought against
tho Statistical bureau was four years ago.
Then figures approximating the average for
the month were circulated among spectators
some time before the average was given out
BY the department. A Western price cur
rent" offered to produce evidence that this in
formation came from tho Statistician's ONCE.
but whom Mr.. Dodge demanded the evidence
1t was not produced This is tho only time in
tho history OF the department whom anything.
even approximatinR the figures OF the monthly
bulletin. has been announced In advance. and
the only explan alton OF this which tho Statis-
ttcian's Office could find was that the figures
for that month were so nearly like the figures
OF the proceeding month that q clever man.
we'll informed from day to day through the
despatches received by dealers and specula-
tors and the newspapers. could form fairly
accurate estimate OF the results OF the month.
The material for the monthly crop bulletinl Is
gathered for tho department BY an active
corps OF mo:e than 10.0G0 unpaid agents. In
every producing county in the United States is
q correspondent Of the Agricultural Depart
mont. and each OF these correspondents has
three assistants. There are now about 1850
Of these correspondents. They and their as
sistants receive no com pensation. but they get
. full supply OF department publications and
OF seeds, and all tho stationery needed for
their work is furnished to them. These
:mSss ssans1;
physlcian is found on the list. His op-
sSoa s Sos, ss 81 s farmer ns aufs From
could an, ssnr asFSss 1.rs
POSITION would Be G soasHe by H msn
purely for the emolnment while the farmer
tion Of his own in erests. In addition to this
enormous iorce OF volunteer correaronIents
states saIafIoI State agents. who have @ organ. ri An
lied y parallel system OF reports through cor
pendent Of the county corresrondenls. whose
reports are made directly to the deparl msnt
tSs 81 @ads sssnPs
everywhere. and tho iorce will soon De ex-
''Rfsd R1s as ssSS month to the
sSS.!sin,ns sS , certain d1a GusstlSss. il FsSsaasy
year. record; ils questions are about tSs
beginning Of April The questions concern the |
sSadSn Soas1 G the the
bio yield nor acre. IN December It's inauirlss
nasismasica answers Taking ke 100 por sus,1t. "snt
are asked to indicate ths &c eondi.ion Sin'ofe Of the
This THO 1sS iF :. %sssdnx Ssssi not
others. ana .hs high aysTass Of the Osa small IL
average OF each county is multiplied by the
that
which gives approximately correct idea Of
w With nYs such an enormous CORDS of correspond.
sn.s L would be Impossible ior any Collision
e. exist which would affect or control tho mar
6. Bssds seOss tho stsseisn ths Ssas has
T. the ,spo t. :. e State agents and The reEorts
cGosss aaasl Il.
mSnt's S, scor7esbbcnddents. GO @t ld
tho department makes up from the reports Of
his three assistants his report Of the condi:
tsss y soss
figures reesi! cd from HIS assistants. He may
exercise hts own Judgment in modifying those
figures. He IL expected to watch The news
pnIsrs and Rather; in every other possible way.
make NJ his average from from all the Information
the Pacific coast are under Instructions
t. mail their letters to !he department
Enst "i the Rocky Mountains the INSTRUCTIONS
OF the correspondent are to mail his report on
the lit "f tue month. Those reports begin TO
como IN on the 2stn. aud every mall is heavily
heaviest ,ece ., are on the 3D. 4th and 5,h OF
the month. AZ iast as they are received these
reports are Rs.oried. On tho evening Of tho
tth they ara distributed among dozen clerks
who occupy desks In three rooms Of the de-
IartIn Ont annex. and tnssa clerks figure from
those county reports the State averages OF the
different crops. All OF tho tatulatlon 10 done
In nne room but tho work OF footing up the
and 20 distributed !hal each ,9i ne clerks
W rs which lie ms done, ,Acro,s the hall an.
other forre ci c!e"ks yerilcs, those averages.
from i1e hands Of he clerks and delivered
NIL OF the cards are placed under lock