The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-17
THE COTTON GIN BILL.
Mr. Bureson for Gathering Accurate Statistics Of Output
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
80 e Anrn1,n W1LllAMs.)

ence AS amended and reported 10 tne H0N'
BY the ways and means committee the buf'eso"
cotton statistics bill is as follows;
That there shall be levied and collected, All, 1'I on
the hrst day OF June, 1908, tax OF MN "a
each bale of cotton gnne1 and oaisa wllnl!hl ~ ~
United States. That this tax shali De pau ~ ~
the person. firm, corporation, OF assoC.d h;cb he
persons owning or operating the GIN al "IleH 'nt
cotton is ginned or baled and shall DC Pslu as
such time and under such regulations ana IN tn9
method hereinafter provided MAJ lor tte pot ~
poses of this act approximately 500 PoNiN' -
lint cotton shall constitute a bale - 40
That the tax levied by this act SHAH be Tepie.
scented by stamps, in such denonihauous q, N+5
be prescribed BY the director OF the census 10
he brovded bv the commissioner OF internai ICN,
enue as authorized by existing law, anu PdSSN
on sale through collectors OF internal IeHg5nue
throuphout the United States and the proVislo"s
OF cx sting laws governing the ensraVins, ,Ss.s,
sale accountability, placement and destruction
OF stamps relating to tobacco and smut, as Jar as
applicable, hereby made to Apply 10 S'a'"F'
PIT Tba the 5 director Of census shall furnish
printed cards bearing the frank OF me csnsus
Office, in sufficient numbers to all persons ~
corporations or associations OF persons owning Oh
operating gins at which cotton is ginheG ana
baled who shall be required to report to the ui
rector OF the census upon suen caro-! ,slss ~
cotton Rinned during the prescribed periou u!Iu
that every person, hrn, corporation on as'oDi s'
ton of persons SO reporting shall aInM 20 'e W
cards the stamp or stamps repTs,seh I as
amount of tax levied by this act. The stamp OF
stamps when so affixed must be Immediately coh-
celed in such manner or method as the aTsotoL
OF census may prescribe by regulations, ana tue
director OF census, upon receipt OF sald 'ePoi'''
shall compile and tabuate them .u
That any owner or operator OF a gin VINO snaiI
willfuy fail to pay said tax in accordance WIN
the terms OF this act or shall make ain incorrect
report to the director OF census under inc pro
visions OF section OF the act approved March
g. iooz shall be deemed guilty OF a misdemeanor'
and on conviction shall be punished by me
Of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 and
! inforners shall be entitled to one-hat OF any
penalty or fine collected under this act.
That the purpose Of this act is to RAISE revenue
| sufficient 10 defray all expense incident to the
collection OF the tax provided herein as Wen as
the asccrtainment at the number OF oaIeS OF co.,
ton einned in the United States, as same IS oelhs
produced during the current year. SAID sum OF
money raised by this act, when collected and PAID
into the treasury, is hereby appropriated Tor SAID
purposes and shall be as long as this act CON
tinues iu force, and same shall be expended by
! the director of the census IN getting such sta-
tistioa information will enable nm from tiIle
to time to determine, as near as ptacueaoIe' the
production Of cotton during the current year:
The director OF the census is hereby instructed
to Immediately prepare such additional regula-
tons for the collection of this tax and the carry
ing out OF the purposes and the provisions OF
this act as may be needful and necessary, and
when he has secured the statistical information
provided for herein he shall disseminate same Tor
the information Of the public and the producers
OF cotton living within the United States,
As has been indicated in these dispatches, the
measure will probably meet with some opposi-
ton, but the impression seems to be that backed
as it is BY favorable committee report, its pas
sage is practically assured Here and there
among the Southern representatives are to be
found men who think the proposed tax is I'M
constitutional Others think it constitutional, but
object to the tax itself, despite the fact that it
will average only about 70 cents per gin per year
Gtrl1 -+tav cd m Nr1of f1pX teri
/, uquistoria features Of the measure. This class
holds that the number OF bales of cotton man
gins is his own business and that he should not
be asked nor compelled TO give information con-
| corning IT, Still others oppose the bill because
they say they prefer the present method of gath
ering statistics and think It more beneficial to
the farmer than the proposed new one would be
Others will probably oppose 1t because the state
, ments provided for made returnable to the
census bureau instead OF to the department Of
! agriculture. At present, however, it does not
seem IS if the combined opposition possesses any
y considerable strength that there will be any
difficulty in passing the bill, Mr., Burleson will
push it il it gets through the house and will
, endeavor TO have it finally enacted into law al
this session. Only two weeks remain, however
and ii this is accomplished ii will be only through
= extensive hustling
The report which the committee has presented
e 70 congress plainly shows that Census Director
= Merriam has not been idle In fact, there is
spired the report it, indeed, he did not write il
+ or dictate H. The friends of Statistician Hyde
= OF the department of agriculture and of the de
partrent itself are on the lookout, however, anc
there are the best of grounds Tor the opinion
that they will be heard from at the proper time
y r +
= In its report, which was presented through
Representative Cooper of Texas, the committe,
points out that section OF the act to provid,
S for permanent census Office requires the di
! rector to make periodical reports Of cotton pro
8 duetion as returned by the ginners and goes OF
Q to state that the purpose OF the amendment J.
- to make the system already developed in tn,
. census Office under that provision Of law obliga
tory on the part Of the ginners instead of vol
" unteer, as now to perfect the working of tn,
lystem and accelerate the publication of results
It and to reduce the cost of the service 10 the GOV
y eminent 1T is believed that its enactment will
F" operate successfully 10 accomplish each OF thcs
purposes, the report says. 1t continues:
The amendment is reported as substitute
toE H. T. I7ISH introduced by Mr. Bureson an,
referred 70 this committee The committee ba
substituted the census office for the deDartuen
OF agriculture as the agency through which IN,
staustles OF the cotton crop are to be ohtaired
tor the reason that the gathering Of these stats
ties is, IN every sense OF the word a census yyor,
&c ana properly devoves upon that office OF The CO.,
e eminent which is specially organized and traf1s
81 ior census work, and for the further reason n.
d the census oihee under the provisions OF The a,
r above referred TO- has perfected an orgapiea,;
es Tor the collection OF these cotton Statistics ~;
Is found by aerual experience with the growth ~
10 1904 70 be as nearly perfect as can be e,,rsc,I
ms system includes force OF $40 loo
epeSlal agents selected by reason OF their 5sco~
tanned qualifications for this work located l., .
many counties Of the cotton heit, and whose r;s
uicton practically covers the entire cotto,1I 80
uuehg section Of the South These agents VIA,
slther m person or by trusted deputy an ree,,ls
intervals, every establishment erg,osI !, - "a