The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-09-18
! COTTON II REPORTS. Z &c Il
Each Ginner to Keep Record Of
Every Bale Ginned.
WORK OF TIE SPECIAL AGENTS
Five Statements Arc to he For
wardcd to the Census Depart
,nent During tho Cotton
Season..

The census department. is making
every effort to secure accurate state
ments as to the number of bales of
cotton produced each year, and in or
der to get this information, says the
Columbia State 1t has been decided to
furnish ginners with books in which
they may keep record Of every bale
handled by themselves. The depart
ment arrived at this decision, upon
the suggestion of special agents of
the census department. and upon re-
quests from ginners themselves The
books have been printed and will be
sent to the agents for gratuitous dis
tribution.
The gin book should be posted daily
and should show q record Of every
bale ginned. This will provide a new
and uniform system Of bookkeeping
and will facilitate the efforts OF the
department. to keep track OF the pro.
duction. Upon the accuracy with
which the books are kept this year de-
pends the success OF the innovation,
and If the department. is satisfied with
this years work the gin books will be
published every year.
These are blank books, properly
ruled, with spaces in which the ginncr
may record the number of pounds OF
seed cotton sent him, the number OF
bales and pounds OF lint, the pounds of
cotton seed, and finally notes as to
the cost of ginning. In keeping books
for the government, the ginner will
keep q record which will be valuable
in his own business, and at the end Of
each day his earnings will be right bo-
fore him.
Where person gins for himself he
should, for the purpose Of this record,
open an account with himself as ''cus-
TONER" and thereby provide com
plcte record Of all cotton ginned for
himself as well as others.
Tho work of. collecting cotton sta
tisties, during the last ginning season
| through special agents appointed by
the government proved 5qui tie satisfacs
tory both to the producer and to the
manufacturer. There will be five cot
ton reports this season. The first
will show all cotton glnned from tho
growth of 1903 up to and inclIliI.
Aug. 81. The second= will show I'll
cotton ginned from the beginning of
the season to Oct. lS; tile third all
cotton ginned during the season up to
and including Nov. 18th; the fourth
report will show all cotton ginncd
from the growth Of 1903 up to Dccem.
ber 18th. The fifth and last report
will likely be made during the first
portion of March, 1904, and will show
the total crop Of 1903.
The information, given is held as
strictly confidential, and the opera
ti0ns OF individual ginners are not
| divulged. Upon the joint cooperation
OF the cotton growers, ginncrs, and
local agents must depend the success
Of the census sotlicc in this inquiry,
and it's ability to render this great
service to the southern people and to
all interested In the cotton staple.
Cotton statistics collected through
the commercial system, however ac-
curately complied, fall short of the de-
mand Of both producer and manufac-
turcr-firSt, in that as they cover the
quantity Of cotton marketed between
Sept. Of one year and Aug. 81 Of the
following, they are not statistics of a
crop grown in any one year; and sec
ond, in the liability to error involved
In statistics SO compiled.
Nothing short Of official reports,
made sufficiently early to form basis
Of prices, will entirely satisfy the cot
top grower or manufacturer. A cot.
ton man Tuesday said it is gratifying
to know that the south has the assiS-
tance and cooperation Of the govern
ment In bringing about the result
they desire-an Undertaking the sue
cess of which now depends upon the
cotton growers and ginners themselves.
Realizing that the collection Of the
data for these reports Is made at
season when the ginncrs' time Is
greatly taxed, and apprcciating the
necessity for prompt returns, the cen
sns oillcc has located, in each county
containing 10 or more ginneries, an
agent, who will visit each ginnery in
the county and secure Il report Of the
quantity OF cotton ginncd up to GER
tain dates. III undertaking the frc:
quent and hurried reports now sought,
it Is Of vital Importance that the re-
turns be made with absolute uniformi-
ty and that all he received at Wash
ington at one time.
This result could not be expected
from individual requests made by mail
of 10000 ginners, at time when they
arc cngrosscd in their ginning work.
Furthermore, the census olicc must
be kept advised OF all changes in the
management and operation Of these
establishments, and secure returns
from all new and revived plants. 70
accomplish such results. It bncomcS