New-York tribune., 1905-07-10
HR. V4N RIPPER EXPLAINS.
Issues Statement of His Share in
Cotton Investigation.


tive in going 10 see Secretary Wilson he said:
Ny whole purpose in laying the evidence before
Secretary Wilson as previously stated. aid
Bureau OF Statistics Of the Agricultural Depart
meut fer their private benefit and to the disad-
vantage Of the public and others including myself.
who occasionally operated in the cotton market.
Inc point can De very Wen appreciated, although
of cards person has the cards marked all sense
II this condition were allowed TO exist firmly be-
leve that every one would be benefited by abolish
wish further to say that the facts. and the
facts and names came 10 me- ! gave TO Mr.. Wilson
the disehsrge OF bis duties and 70 get at the exact
very much that he has made these facts public or
To his attention into the public prints.
Mr.. Van Riper said that while he had a personal
acquaintance with the man Haas. mentioned in the
report Of Secretary Wilson he did not know where
he could be found. except that he might be
nected with the firm of Oppenheim & Collins. in
the millinery business in the city. Mr.. Van Ripper
said he thought Haas's first name was Moses and
that Haas had been at one time connected with
the Statistical Bureau of the Agricultural Depart
ment in Washington It the understanding
he said that Haas the person through whom
Edwin S. Holmes the associate statistician in the
bureau at washington, conveyed secret informa-
ton certain cotton brokers in this city.
1T isn't true" Mr.. Van Riper said. that I
paid $1,000. or any part Of that sum. 10 Holmes,
and anything that is given in Mr.. Wilson's repor,
coming from 10 sustain that statement is
wrong. II is true that there an arrangement
for a contract for the sale Of mining property TO
me. but the contract carried out. /
never look at the property, ana the prop
erty never was conveyed TO me I never operated
or the information conveyed to me by Holmes, and
am not interested in any cotton brokerage firm
Mr Van Riper SAID he wanted 10 correct some
msstatements about him that had appeared in
some Of the newspapers. adding.
never failed business. and have always
promptly paid 100 cents on the dollar. 1 never
engaged IN the brokerage business with man by
the name Of Van Winke. No fraud order was ever
issued against ne by the Postolce Department, or
against any individual or business with which
have eve. been connected in any shape or manner,
NaS never Interested IN any way ~ nrTn called
the organization of the Anglo-American on Com
indictment found against in the days OF Dis
trict Attorney Gardner or at any other time in
NewYOrk City or elsewhere. except that my name
was Included in a blanket indictment in Chicago,
where Fl clerks Office boys and sJenoGraphers Were
included. not one Of whom ever brought 10
Trial but an dismissed. motion of the
prosecuting attorney as soon as ne was cognzant
of the facts and no wrongdoiue in connection with
me matter has ever been or could he charged 10
& As to he st2ry that certain lock % Iei6 box in o the
Germs. including myself l wish TO say that this Is
in line with other statements in regard 10 myself
Of the New-York Mailing and Advertising Agency.
one OF the functions Of which concern is 10 print
that box is kept the postofiCe for tho purpose
stamped returned for correction but il is not used
in any other capacity This is the box referred to.
Ihls advertising company of course, mas among
its customers bankers. brokers and various classes
of persons who desire to- have printed matter
who have failed. which is entirely without my
business None of my personal mali has ever come
70 thls box In fact. I did nor know the number
A Mr Peckhan is also quoted as having been
interviewed and representing that he lost through
me a large amount Of money. This statement is
absolutely false he lost one dollar through
money No one knows this better than Mr.. Peck
Part OF Mr- Van Ripers statement was intended
as reply TO Secretary Wilson's report regarding
cotton acreage reduction. In that connection Mr..
Van Riper said:
one Of the reasons given by Nj Wilson in the
10 quoted lnterview why the June report was cor
would like 10 ask Mr. Wilson If Mr.. Hyde did not
credit for preparing them since his last vaca-
Ion. IN 1906 In the published report a great deal
OF stress has been laid upon the fact that the
by some one in the department during 1q72 Il
does not seem to me nearly as important for the
pubic TO know regarding the reports far back
fact. all the evidence furnished the Secretary BY
Richard Cheatian secretary OF the Southern Cot
tons, and il figures were doctored as far back as
going on for a long time.
As matter of fact I know. and I so informed
Mr.. wilson. that plans were laid far in advance
secure misleading report June g. 1895, which
report because Of It's announcing the plant
The acreage given by the government on that date
IS used therefore throughout the entire year as a
basis upon which 20 Compute the possible crop
Now. II the acreage reduction showed only uia
per cent II means total area planted 10 cotton Of
-SlSo0oO acres On the other hand, If the reduc-
ton be rs per cent, i would mean a total area of
only little over 2oVo0,00 acres. which, based on
the average yield an acre for the last ten years.
10000 bales for t6is YEAR ThUl 9y assumi1g e 9af
the growing weather from this date be up
as the July report indicated conition 'I Of Is pe
the crop would be even less than 100000 bales
and with drouth or early frost would be cut still
shorter What this means 10 the cotton trade will
be fully appreciated by those interested and I am
only using the figures here to further illustrate the
the benent of the cotton industry.
ACREAGE FIGURES UNTRUsTWORTHY
I have been assured from an authoritative source
statistical bureau Of the Agricultural Department
showed that me various reports which were sent
been improperly dealt with. and from what l know
OF the plans formed prior to that time, there is
given as OF June were unreliable. and indicated
an Inuch larger acreage OF cotton planted than actu-
Mr, Wilson says in his published interview that
the June report made up by Mr. HYDE him
J1enf ~ the o5ciaI s3itiStfcaIs vb NJ 5 IIug
Ike to impress upon the mind Of the Secretary and
are founded upon the Judgment of the statisticfans
or some one OF them who is supposed TO be dsin-
terested in market operations. As a matter Of
fact, the investigation has shown that Mr. Holmes
practically prepared all of the recent reports prior
10 his suspension. and that Mr.. Hyde had very
little 10 do with the detail work or the preparation
Of the same but that Mr. Holiness Judgment WAS
reau and yet the figures announced from time 10
time Al a certain hour and certain minute Of the
,ssons ti'ay re merely the iI1dppeISt oS 20 - @ Seia
man set Of men I'm that bureau and made up on
no scientific basis or from facts
Mr Hyde's personal statement made before Con-
gress winter during the Congress investigation
or this same subject is borne out He showed
that time that the reports are made up through
reports received through a set OF people some OF