The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-11
WILSON TO LOOK
FOR THAT LEAK"
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
ASKS NAME OF WIRE HOUSE THAT
HAD FIGURES BEFORE 1915.

Letter Received by Capt. Wright
Hunter, Chairman of Committee
on Information and Statistics OF
the Savannah Cotton Exchange
Reply Giving the Information
Was Sent-Secretary Wilson in
Washington and SuppOsttiOn is
He VIII Investigate Matter I'm
Person.
There seems to be a probability that
there will be a further investigation
by the authorities of the Department
of Agriculture of the complaint made
by the Savannah Cotton Exchange
that the governments figures of the
September report of the department
had been known in this city half an
hour before the time of the official
PRONUNCIATION of the information.
A complaint of this matter was made
to the department at the time and
a reply was received from Washington
stating that the figures were so safe
ly g7larded that it was an impossibility
for them to become known through
leak" or for anyone to know them
before they were officially made pub
lie.
Yesterday morning, however, Secre-
tary James Wilson of the Depart
ment of Agriculture sent the follow
ing letter to Capt. Wright Hunter,
chairman of the Committee on Infor-
nation and Statistics of the Cotton
Exchange, which has had the matter
in charge:
Secretary Asked for Names.
Dear Sir-On my return to Wash
ington to-day l find awaiting me your
letter of the Sd inst. Please send me
as soon as possible the name of the
prominent wire house" of your city
that received a telegram from New
York at 12:45 p. m. on Sept. 2, reading
Government looks like SAIL"
In reply to this the following letter
was mailed last night:
Hon. James Wilson, Secretary De-
partment of AgriCulture-Dear Sir:
am in receipt of your favor of the Sth
inst, and in reply beg to say that
am directed by the Committee on In
formation and Statistics of the Savan-
nah Cotton Exchange to say that at
12:45 p. m. on Sept. 2, Messrs. Hey
ward, Wick & Co, who have an office
in this city, received the following
teleNram: Government looks like
SAL signed Bache, which was posted
in their office for the information of
the public generally. l am informed
by Messrs. Hayward, Wick & Co. that
Messrs. J. S. Bache & Co. of New York
are their correspondents and author
of the above telegram. The writer, to-
gether with several others, saw the
telegram in question" This letter was
signed by Capt. Hunter as chairman
of the committee.
Error in Figures.
1t will be noticed that the figures as
to the condition of the crop quoted in
the letter of the secretary are I'll,
whereas the figures of the department
report and those quoted by Capt. Hun
ter in the first telegram to the depart
ment, are Sal. 1t is supposed that the
secretary's figures are the result of a
clerical error.
Secretary Wilson has made no state
ment so far as is known here as to
what line his investigation will take,
but the presumption is that being now
in Washington, and having this matter
come under his personal supervision, he
considers it of sufficient Importance to
probe, and that he will take such steps
as he may think necessary.
Wont Let Matter Drop.
The following Associated Press dis
patch was received last night from
Washington:
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson does
not intend to let drop the recent COM
plant of the Savannah Cotton Ex-
change that there had been a leak in
the cotton report of Sept. 2. He has
requested the exchange to tell him
where they got the report of the al
legged leak Although his message was
sent yesterday, no reply as yet has
been received.
The Secretary stated tonight that
he will give the exchange a reason
able time to reply, failing in which
he proposes to take other means OF
| ascertaining the name of the party
who reported that there had been a
leak. I'VE are going" he said, Ito
follow the matter up to the end"
The Secretary reiterated the denial
of Acting Secretary Moore, made al
the time of the filing of the charge
about the giving out of advance in
formation regarding the condition OF
the cotton crop.