Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-17
Census Bureau to Make an At
took on the Agricultural
Appropriation Measure.
AIMED AT STATISTICS BUREAU
Claim is Made That the Figures Fur
nshed by That Department are IN
reliable - Something About 1.-The
Methods Used to Obtain the Crop
Reports and Statistics.
Special to Times-Republican.

| tom of the house committee on appro-
priations to get together week before
congress assemblies for the short term
will probably not be followed this year
as THANKSGIVING, which members of
congress like to spend at home, falls
on Nov. 81 and congress convenes on
Dec. /, but some appropriation bill Will
be gotten into shape by the clerk of
the committee which will not need
much discussion or reshaping before it
goes to the house, so that they can get
right down to business
1t is not likely, however, that this bill
will be the agricultural appropriation
bill, for there is abundant evidence that
there is going to be the liveliest kind of
q fight over certain sections of that bill,
and representative Grosvenor is proba-
bly, correct in his opinion that nothing
will be done during the remaining term
of the Fifty-seventh congress except on
appropriation lines.
The fight referred to above will be on
The section of the agricultural appropri-
alton bill which makes provision for the
salaries of the employees of the division
of statistics of the agricultural depart
ment. The fight may take the form of a
personal attack on Mr. Richard Hyde,
chief of that division, and will undoubt-
edly be animated by the census bureau.
Secretary Wilson will support Mr..
Hyde and the influence of the southern
members will, it is expected, be thrown
with Mr.. Wilson as / noted recently.
The slump in the cotton market few
days ago will be used by the census
bureau people in their attempt to show
that the agricultural departments cot
ton statistics are of no value.
The cause for this drop in price was
q report from d memphis prognostica-
tor that the crop now being ginned
would amount to 11,700,000 bales. If
that were true there would be rational
reason for the drop in price, because it
would show that the crop is 100000
bales in excess of the normal consump-
ton of American cotton.
The census bureau will claim that at
the time that report was received III
Wall street, with the result that the
price of cotton was Knocked down, there
the bureau showing an estimate that
the cotton crop of the present year is
really but about 100000 bales less than
the estimated consumption of the year,
The fact that the supply is less than
the demand should have made the price
go up, it is said by officials of the cen-
sus bureau, instead of down, with the
result that thousands of American
planters all over the south would be
benefited thereby.
Congress, at It's last session. provided
that the census bureau should secure
and distribute statistics concerning the
cotton crop. The department of agri-
culture, at about the end of the ginning
season. publishes its report on the cot
ton crop. which has been the only Off
ciaI publication on the subject hereto
fore The census bureau people say
that the trouble about the report of the
department of agriculture is that IT
comes out after the planters of the
south have sold their crops. But would
note right here that the Southern Cot
ton Growers Association has already
signified its approval of the agricultural
departments reports and will present
appropriation for this work be in
creased. Possibly it may be considered
that they are better judges of what they
want than the census bureau.
While the division of statistics of the
agricultural department does not go
under the name of a bureau" on the
appropriation bill, ETC., it is as fully
organized and, competent as If it DID
have such name, and is the principal
crop-reporting Office of the government
It's work is based on reports from four
principal sources: First, monthly re-
ports from every county in their re-
spective states, which reports, edited
according to the judgment of the agents
and averaged by the weighing system
of the office, are the basis of state re-
ports submitted. The idea is that the
agents local knowledge will enable him
to interpret the reports of his aides.
Giscounting their extrayagancies and
supplying their defects more intelli-
gently than can be done in Washing
ton.
Second. county correspondents, list
of persons consisting of a specially
qualified man in every county who Sc
in those parts of the county most re-
mote from his own observations by this
Information, reports the estimated con-
ditions for his county to the statisti-
cion, From these county reports a state
average is computed in Washington.
Third, township or local correspond
ents, corps of reporters, mostly farm
ers, varying in number somewhat with
county area and the agricultural impor-
lance of the state, each one of whom
reports monthly to the Washington Of
flee the condition of the crops as he
sees them. These reports are assorted
by the state and county. and averaged
and tabulated to determine county and
state conditions.
Thus three independent reports or
estimates of the average condition pre-
yailing in each state are compiled from
different sources of information, the
blanks used by all classes of CORE
spondents having the same questions
for the same months. These three re-
ports are before the chief of the divis-
ion of statistics when he makes UP his
monthly statements which are the Off
cial figures Of the department of agri-
culture.
| The division also has travelling spe-
| cial agents. These are assigned to the
most important statistical problems OF
! the season, to make personal observa-
/ lions and consult business men and 9TH