Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-30
HELD BACK RETURNS
Some Tennessee Cotton Gin
ners Failed to Turnin Reports.
Mr.. NORTH'S CRITICISM
EXPRESSES HIS VIEW IN A LET
TER TO MR.. BURLEsoN.
The Latter Declares Himself to He in
Full Sympathy and Will Intro
duce Remedial Legislation.

Director North of the census bureau has
received a telegram from the Memphis cot
ton exchange in which it was stated that
many of the cotton ginners in the Mem
phis district had denied making reports OF
the amount of their crop ginned from No
vember IA to December 3D. The exchange
asked Director North what allowance was
made by his bureau in making up the re-
port for those not reporting and what per
cent of the total did not report.
The director replied to this query as fol-
lows:
Where information was refused in Shell
by county the November returns were
brought forward for December without es-
Inmates. Comparatively few Instances
throughout belt where correct information
was not available"
In discussing the matter Director North
said that for some unexplained reason a
number of ginnerS refused to furnish in
formation regarding the amount of cotton
glnned during the period stated, and that
following the custom of the bureau under
such circumstances the returns for the
preceding period were brought forward
without estimates. Director North explain
ed that as Memphis is in Shelby county.
Tenn, his reply to the Memphis cotton ex
change referred specifically to it.
Surprise and concern are expressed by the
director of the census at the recent alleged
movement in the southern states. "appar-
entity approved and augmented by the cot
ton growers themselves. to destroy the
value of the census reports by concerted re-
fusals of the ginners to make returns. In
letter to Representative Bureson of
Texas, who rs member of the census COM
mittee of the House. the director complains
of this action on the part of the ginners
and refers to the section of the act estab-
fishing the permanent census bureau where
the director of q iS cd tn
make periodical collections of data relating
to the cotton crop and to make the figures
public.
Letter to Mr.. Burleson.
He said to Mr.. Burelson. referring to the
section:
This provision was inserted in the law
at your urgent request and that of other
southern representatives. on the plea that
it was necessary for the protection of the
cotton producers against the Spectators
and Others interested in depressing the price
OF the staple for their own profit 1t was
urged that enormous losses resulted from
the untrustworthy estimates put forth every
year by spectators and agents of the Liv-
efpool market, and that early and trust
worthy official information regarding the
size of the crop would protect the grower,
d1sarm the Spectator and market manipu-
lator and permit the law of supply and de-
mand to regulate the price
Since the law was passed Congress has
appropriated and this office has disbursed
more than $125,0GO a year in the collection
and dissemination of this information. The
system has been gradually perfected Unit
1t has become more nearly perfect tnan
any similar plan for obtaining exact knowI-
edge of the size of any agricultural crop
during the progress of harvesting
No complaint has been made that the
census reports are not accurate; indeed
for a year or two past have been able
20 trace the crop SO closely that practically
every bale has been accounted for
The statistics increase in value every
year, for it becomes possible, by COMPARE
son of the statistics of one year with those
OF the same date in preceding years, to
Judge the size of successive crops with an
accuracy never before known or approx
ma ted.
1.-The ginning reports of the census office
have crowded out the speculative and in
terested estimates referred TO, and the sim
gle object which the southern representa-
tlves had in view, in urging this leg sla-
ton, has been successfully Accomplished
Mr. BurleSon concurred in every word
written to him in the complaint of the d.
rector of the census. and said that he had
had the section to which reference has been
made inserted in the census act in order to
AID the growers of cotton against the
spectators. He is himself a cotton grower
and as such possesses an intimate knowi-
edge of the conditions surrounding the har-
vesting and ginning of the bales of this
staple. He said, further:
Mr.. Burleson's Intention.
81 feel that it would be nothing short OF
calamity if the ginners should at any
time fail to furnish prompt and accurate
reports to the census bureau. To fail to
report to the census bureau will only play
into the hands of the cotton gamblers, and
will serve to promptly re-establish alleged
statistical agents, who are now thanks to
the bureau of statistics of the Department
of Agriculture and the census bureau, thor
oughly discredited. If during next year
as result of decreased acreage and i'm
perfect weather conditions, there should
be short crop. which is not improbable,
then the ginners' reports issued by the CEN
sus bureau would again be in high favor
by the cotton growers. What is wanted
and what is really always to the interest
OF the cotton grower, is prompt knowi-
edge of the exact truth.
1T is my purpose to prepare and offer
at this session of Congress an amendment
to the census act providing for the coIlec-
ton and publication of accurate statistics
of the number of bales of cotton consumed
each year and the surplus of cotton held in
the hands of the manufacturer and the
number of bales exported This is neces-
sary and only fair to the grower of cotton
He should promptly have this information,
as the manufacturers Of cotton throughout
the world are given knowledge of the num-
Der of bales of cotton grown.
II have discussed this with Senator Bal
ley of my state. and he agrees with me as
to the Importance and necessity of this
amendment, and agrees to lend a helping