Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-19
MISLEADING FIGURES .
Agricultural statistics That Are I
Damage and Not blessing.

lNthhEt Nhu wv "
Special Correspondence.
Austin Tex, Jan. 1s.-The depart
ment of history, insurance and sta
tistics, is one that annually costs tax
payers a round sum. and Hon. Byron
Drew. who has jumped into the front
ranks Of the economists Of the house,
seriously questions the propriety of
wasting money on at least one of
these departments. that pertaining to
the gathering of agricultural statistics.
The gentleman who receives these
crop reports from the county asses
sors and tabulates the same for the
annual report is blameless He does
his work faithfully and we'll The
fault lies with the county assessors
who, through negligence or incompe-
tency, furnish partial reports which
are misleading and grossly inaccurate
me statistics furnished by the as
SCISSORS OIL many OF the leading couh-
ties in the great agricultural DeIt OF
the state are worthless. Ihey are
positiye injury to the counties ana
state. and the man who relies ON these
statistics, In the opinion OF Mr. Drew,
is certain to be lett The cost OF gain
eting these agricultural statistics is
enormous MT Drew, who has gone
over the reports, has figured the cost
out since 1890 as follows; lSyO, S=S,-
5sg 20; 1891, S23, 1876 IS; 1892 s59,4b5.S 81
1898, S35. COZ rs. ms is a large sum TO
pay out in four years for sthtlstlcs
that cannot be relied upon. The cot
ton returns from Dallas, Collin, Gray
SON. Kaufman, Ellis and other pack
land counties are ridiculous, and II the
reader has an annual report in nus
nossession and will turn to the reports
from these counties and then consult
the cotton buyers, the cotton falserS
and the cotton clerks oil the thiiT9au
companies he will discover the as
crenancies The above counties are
picKed at random because the writer
IL familiar with the conditions exist
inp in that section. There Is, as was
stated above, no intention to cast re-
Election on the officials of the depart
ment here in Austin. The fault Hes
elsewhere. The assessor gamers tue
statistics and transmits the same TO
the department at Austin. II farmer
refuses TO furnish the required stalls
! Tics TO the assessor there the matter
vests There Is no law to compel him
Ia give an accounting Of the result of
HE toll. Hundreds Of farmers, II Is
evident. never comply with the re-
nlieGI OF the dS1tshDAs AANAA hhtff -
| that officlai Deputies the work. as he
is necessarily compelled to do, In the
large counties, and his deputies are
Indifferent and trihing, the statistics
| gathered are a positive Injury 10 rex.
az. or what use II the department OF
sqrlcultural statistics when county
,hat raises 10000 bales of cotton Ia
credited with only 40.O0O2 Mr.. Drew
is making careful study OF me ns
| -, ,,ufatned I'm the report OF 1893.
| AS result of only partial invcsti-
alton he believes that the depart
mont Of agricultural statistics should
he abolished or else the law. should be
an,snded go as 20 compel farmers 10
| qnrnish The county assessors with the
Incarnation desired. Blanks are fur
nisbed BY the state for this purpose,
and, with certain amendments forcing
| a. farmers TO comply and the as
.a',,ar N do his duty without fear or
seyor the department Of agricultural
stst,stics could be made OF some