The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-12-13
Extraordinary Precautions Taken
in Preparing the Cotton Report
STATESMEN SHUT IN.
Convincing Demonstration oI the Fas:.
ness OF tn, Estimate Room Given
Two Southern Representatives
Who Wanted TO See How
the Work Was D, ne. .
the " oyk Was D, ne.

A letter from Washington says Sec
retsry Wilson IS taking ex ;raordinarI
precautions against leeks in the cotto1
report. Ee has had enough OF scands
in thst connection, snd is determined
that hereafter 40 leaks shall occur, i
1t takes a corps Of watermen to pre-
vent 1t. In makiag ready foc the Ds-
cenbsr report he placed the indiEloua
reports from the various agents
throughout the country in an iroE
bcx, and then placed over the box
one Of the nost trusted employees II
the department., armed with a large
revolver. The faithful guardian Of
the papers remained on duty all night,
and until be was relieved on Monoay
morning by tbs Secretary.
The Secretary himself took the re
ports from the box AMI 6elivert d theh
to four men appointed to taoulsse sRc
make the required estimates. The mer
and the precious papers were hurried
to a roon assigned for them, and the
doors OF the room we're securely lock
ed. and guasded on the outside by
eVo men, who were ordered to permit
no one to enter OF leave tae roo until.
the work Of the board was COZ p:esed.
Bsfore tbs board entered the raon
the telephone connection was severe
80 that no pcss be communication
eould be had with the outside world
Il took five hours to make the rsquir'
ed calculations, and the board was
kept In close co1fnemsnt al that
time.
A soSd story is beirg circulated on
Representative Bnrlsscn, OF Texas,
and Representative Bowie, OF Ala.
bama, In connection with this last
cotton report. o. Mondsy they visited
Secretary Wilson, being nuah inter
ested in the coston matter. Ths Sec
retary politely invited them to remain
and witness the n sthod OF taoulatloH,
and the precautions used to prevent a
leak. The two Representatives gladly
accepted the invitation and were
taken to the tabulation 1ocm. after
witnessing the work for some time,
and being deeply impressed with the
way in whicn it was done, they
thought it was time fer them to go to
the cspitol to take their seats a5 tae
opening Of the session.
They thanked the Sscrstsr7 for
what be had done, donneo tnelr 3vsl-
coats and prepared to leave, when they
were told that no one could leave
until the work was conpleted. Tney
plead and argued, but 1t w2s al IN
vain, 50 their places In the house re
mained vacant for three more weary
hours. They were not permitted even
TO send note explaining tteIc situs
tion and could not telephone as the
instrument had been disconnected. ST
it was that two distinguished Con-
eressmen from the South were no
present at the lottery for seats, but
they wers willing to swear there was
no leak in the Dscenhsr oGton re-
port.
REPRESENTATIVE Lewis, Of Georgia,
has introduced resolution looking to
the adoption Of some new method Tor
collecting and tabulatiag cotton stat
ist,cs. The resolution provides for the
sppointment Of q committee consist
Ing OF seven members to take the
whole subject into consideration and
evolve a system that will make the
renor.s ss reliable az possible.