The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-05-25
CROP NEWS OF HYDE
Furnished by Reliable Farm
ers Throughout South,
AN ANSWER TO JORDAN
President of the Southern Cotton AS
sociation Asked for Cooperation
of Mr.. Hyde and the Latter
Makes Pointed Reply.

A Washington special says: The at
titude of the department of agricul-
ture toward the Southern Cotton AS
sociation, organized at New Orleans
last wear for the purpose of bringing
about reduction in this years cot
ton acreage, has been indicated Ill
a letter sent to Harvie Jordan, pres
ident of the association, with head
nuarters at Atlanta, by John Hyde,
chief of the bureau of statistics OF
the department.
In a letter to Mr.. Hyde some days
ago Mr.. Jordan said that the South
ern Cotton Association had under
taken to prepare full, complete and
correct reports on the acreage. Re-
quests for authoritative information
had been sent to secretaries and cor
RESPONDENTS throughout the belt, he
said and in many cases house to house
canvasses had been made. Bankers,
merchants, manufacturers, buyers and
others, including a very large num-
her of farmers, had been asked to
furnish facts, and the presidents OF
state and territorial divisions have
oeen asked to meet at New Orleans
On May 80 to turn in their reports and
aaye them consolidated and publish
ed. Mr.. Jordan supposed, he says,
that Mr.. Hyde was busy getting In
formation on which to base his report
% be issued June %, and he impress
I'd on the statistician the importance
IF obtaining as complete report as
possible and having it as nearly cor
-ect as POSSIBLE. The association
would gladly cooperate with the de-
oartment, he said, and, in turn, de-
sired the departments cooperation
and assistance. Farmers were going
1uitelv ahead and reducing their acre
age, he, asserted, and he urged the
statistician to get as much of his in
formation as possible from the farm
srs themselves.
To this letter, Mr.. Hyde sent the
following reply:
81 nave the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter, suggesting
the cooperation of your association
and this department in the work OF
ascertaining the newly planted acre
age of the cotton in the southern
states.
You do not, however, suggest any
means by which such cooperation
could be rendered effective, and I
note that the meeting of the presi-
dents of the several state and terri
torial divisions of your association to
be held at New Orleans for the con-
solidation of their reports and the
preparation of the whole report for
publication has been called for a date
only three days in advance of that
set for the publication Of the report
of this department.
T may, perhaps, be permitted to
remark, however, that in the public
utterances of the officers Of your
association there has been manifest
disposition to PREJUDICE the situation
that is entirely incompatible with the
spirit in which this department con-
ducts it's investigations.
with regard to your suggestion
that this department secure as much
information as possible from people
who are planting cotton, I beg leave
to state that fully 80 r,@r cent of the
departments county and township cor
respondents are farmers, and 1 ven-
ture to express the opinion that if,
Notwithstanding it's most earnest en-
deavors, it should fail in ascertaining
the exact facts relative to the new
acreage planted, whatever error is
made will, as usual, be one favorable
to the farmers"