Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-01
COTTON DEALERS ARE
NOT SATISFIED.

New York Journal of Commerce.
It is not an overstatement that no item
of news has for some years excited more
comfnent-and adverse comment-in the
cotton trade of this city than the letter
from the secretary Of agriculture. Mr..
Wilson. to the editor of this journal. pub
Iished in these columns on Wednesday
last. Mr. wilson's letter is regarded as
a frank admission that the crop reports Of
the department are not intended as plain
statements of fact but are compiled for
the purpose of advancing the prices Of
cotton above the level justified by demand
and supply. The concluding paragraph
of Mr.. Wilson's letter is here repeated.
and 1t is not believed that the extract is
in any degree misleading as the result of
the absence of context:
Congress, in authorizing the depart
ment to get the facts regarding cotton,
acted not alone for the benefit of dealers
and SPECTATORS in cotton, but also for
the benefit of growers of cotton. You have
been speaking of the extensive sources of
information ait the command of houses In
New York and other cities. Doubtless
this consideration was in the mind of con-
gress when it required the department OF
agriculture to obtain information for the
benefit of the growers. As the Cotton
Growers GTOIeCllNe AS0ONAdlAOh NOA NAO
SOUTH, the Texas Cotton Growers Asso-
citation and the Association of Commits
sioners of Agriculture of the Southern
States have all recently passed very strong
resolutions endorsing the work Of the de-
partment, ii seems that we are satisfying
the growers, and we regret 1t If we are
not also satisfying those who deal In the
staple"
1t is the intention of prominent mem
bers of the cotton excha nge, either in their
personal capacity or officially for the ex-
change, to ask a congressional investi-
CATION of the bureaus cotton reports,
and a very strong statement Of the mis-
leading character of the reports will be
furnished. 1t is expected that the pro-
posed transfer to the weather bureau or
the work of gathering and compiling sta
tistics of the crops will furnish opportu-
nifty for bringing out the various defects
of the present system in a forceful man
ner At the last session of congress the
secretary of agriculture was, in the APP
preparation bill, as adopted, instructed as
follows.
@The secretary of agriculture SHALL at
the next session of congress, report wheth-
Ell it is advisable to consolidate with the
weather bureau all work of the depart
ment of agriculture relating to the gath
ering and compilation Of crop reports
and statistics and If so, submit plan for
such consolidation"
Appended are interviews with well
known members of the cotton trade. They
may be regarded as a fair index of the
general cotton trade sentiment regarding
Secretary Wilson's letter. One prominent
member said:
Secretary Wilson's letter only puts in
definite form what has already been
known to many of us that the bureau
considers it it's duty to always largely
underestimate the crop in order that the
growers may get better price for their
product In other words, the government
of the United States is in the position of
deliberately disseminating misinformation
for the acknowledged purpose of trying to
benefit one class of citizens at the ex-
pense of other classes of citizens False
reports of short crops may, it is true,
stimulate cotton prices early in the season,
and these false reports are not short OF
deliberate robbery Of spinners through
the agency of the government. 1t is the
part of wisdom for spinner when his
government issues an official report in
dicating that the crop will be short to
stock up with raw col ton. But when it
is proved that he has been misled by the
government he is compelled to sell his
cotton goods on the basis of the cost OF
cotton. This means heavy losses to the
spinnerS OF this country, VINO consume
43OOOOO bales a year. 1t is certainly dis
graceful that false information is issued
In the name of the government.
"As a matter of fact, If the present con-
dition of affairs is continued much longer
1t must react upon the grower for the
reason that the bureau reports will final
ly become so discredited that no one will
pay any attention to them. When Mr.. Will
son says that congress required the de-
fsFo Obtain fOfOruoa-
ton for the benefit of growers he is under
a misapprehension; congress does not rep
resent the growers. 1t represents all the
people, and it is Mr.. Wilson's duty to see
that information is obtained for all the
people, and it is equally his duty to see
that misinformation is not circulated by