The Forrest City times., 1904-12-30
Those Ginners Reports.

ceipt of communication from W. NJ. Stewart. "eh.ef statistic an for mauu lecturers" at Washington City. which places an entsre.y different light on those EinBeEs' report from which il is understood the government made up is Stinate ot the C1ttCa efu7. and which by ILe way = largely Fespensi- be f9. ne dec.Iue in the price of to;- ton. MT. Meurer asked for a eSpy of the g'nners' Teo0rss from Arkansas and either estimates. believing that he c1uli demonstrate that an iu- justice hsd been done the cotton plan ieTs Nr. Stewart writes as follows:
 ''By reference ot the Hoa. Jehn Hyd-. chef gi tbe Bureau of statistics. United states department of aTgical- ture. have your i=tt=r Of the 18th in- staut requesting copies of the g.nHers reports h Arsansas showing the qaaH- tlty of cotton gInu-d from the growth of lae4. pTIor to Novem Der II; also. the estimates 0f tue ginners as to the quantity remaining Q De ginned alter that 3a.e.
 In reply l have 70 inform you that ID effort vas made by thss office. in November. . secure from the giuners estimates q tue quantity of co, ton re- maining b be giuned have further toinform you that the cace holds the returns of individual establishments as strictly confidential. and I an thele fore unable b furnish you with the copies cf tue card reports requested.
 T an unable to discover anything in these returns inconsistent with previous reports. However, I would be pleased U have you submit to this office any evidence which yeH may pos. sess as to possible inaccuracies in he returns, with view to having neces- sary invest gations made.
 Just why those reports should be he'd as strictly c3nfdentiala does not appear in tAe line of reasoning wh ch Is adopted by MT stewart They deal with matter that is of general interest and no honest glnnsr should kject to hi- report keiH- made public Weyeu- tue that 10 Arkansas ginner would o5lre
 IL uI bs impossible to submit evidences 0f inaccuracies unless the It. ports were made public, and Mir Stew alt knows that he asks almost an im- possibility when be invites tue submis. sioa If such evidence
 No effort Was made by the depart ment - secure from the ginbers an estimate of the cotton remaining to be gluned. This k admitted and yet il mu t be apparent that had such an es- trmat. been called for 1t would have shown that q much larger Der ceI [ II the crop had 5een giuned on Noyem- ber II than k usua ly giuned ou that C Ate.
 | ndrr the circumst ances we are eom- pe'ied to admlt lhtt the criticism Of the department for the manner iii Whlch Il made tip and gave out Its last r-ports is IstItied. A great wrong has been done th9 farmers ot the south. Arkansas Democrat.
 Ana this brings Us 10 the consider alton ot the impropriety and injustice Of ginners reports in general
 There Is no question Q: tie fact that the glunlrs' reports fur the seas of 1901 have cost the farmers of thIs dear southland milHons ard IL Hons If dol lars. The season was uueXceptiouaI III every way for gathering the erop. and hence it was gathered and marketed earlier and in less lime [ Han any pGe- yious crop If winch We are aware Gins all over the coun'ry were crowd ed to their utmost capacity. running Fl houlS Der day, and consequently their reports were calculated to bear the market. The crop Is practically all gal hered and sold and tie producer has been ch-ated cut o1 his just reward by the goNrrHment's medal ng.
 The government report Is of no vame 10 tlr farmers of tAr south. In fact We cannot see it5 value to any indus tris class. Itls 2 oi thing to specu- latofs only. GambIcr5 in futules, the bucket shops, and kindred enterprises haya alone received d benefit from the governments estimates.
 Wall stleet has fattened on it.
 This is all wrong from the stand polnt of the cotton prodacirg regions interest, and gamers should hereafter refuse to submit any report of their business
 We are glad to stat that the Forrest City gins are taking the lead in this matter, and are cor Sjderiug the adysa- bllity of refusing tp make further le- ports believing that theY will be pro tccting the farmers of this county, iu