The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-16

and which can only be made up from
all seven of the different sets Of
figures In order to illustrate how a
clerk disposed TO take advantage Of
this possible knowledge of one set of
figures would err, the acreage report
of last Decemyber may be again cited.
The statistician's estimate. as has been
stated, was for a crop of 1852. 600
bales. Had he based his estimate ex-
clusively on the reports OF any one
class of correspondents the various re-
suits would have been as follows:
Individual planters go. 13.3I6.14l
Ginners ...... y. 433.72S
Special field agents ...... 1926, 90
state agents 1916, los
Township correspondents Il, 943. S37
Bankers and merchants =. IL, S51, 069
County correspondents -. 1903. 1876
IL Will be seen that in this particu-
lar case the figures of the planters
more nearly approximated the actual
facts than any of the others. the re.
cent report of the bureau OF the CEN
J sus having shown that 10. 597,IS2 SOC
| pound bales were ginned during the
| season The main point sought 10 be
| brought OPT by the figures just given.
! however. is that any employee who
might have obtained possession of the
| totals of any one class of correspond
] ents would have been wide of the
/ mark had he offered those totals as an
/ indication of what the statistician g
estimate would be.
Are There Leaks"
| Numerous charges of leaks" have
/ been Investigated by Chief Wilkie, of
/ The secret service. at the instigaJio1
of Secretary Wilson. and i'm not i
| single instance has scintilIa Of evil
/ dence Of wrong-do.ng on the part OF
| Statistician Hyde or any employee OF
| the bureau been discovered. Secreta-
~ Wilson asserts that the system iIs
vogue absolutely preeludes the posi-
| bility of the giving out in advance 81
| information even approximately cor
rect He has made this declaration in
more than one official document. and
| ii is borne out b. congressman and
others who from time to time have
/ heen invited 10 be with the Staustician
| during the time the estimates are be-
| ing made up behind locked doors. II
| is noteworthy incidentally. that
| charges of leaks invariably come
| from persons who have suffered III
| the market, directly or indirectly.
! Everybody is privileged To guess. OF
| course. and sometimes the gueSseS Oh
! some firms or individuals who them
| selIyesh enjoy unusual facilities for
obtaining information concerning crop
ground are remarkably close. There
is one case on record where New
York firm forecasted the bureaus es-
innate exactly. An investigation was
made and ii was conclusiVely shown
that the coincidence was purely acct
dental This month the acreage esti-
mate of the same firm was more than
million acres at variance with the
bureaus figures.
The statistician has other troubles
i'm addition to the annoyances result
ing from the constantly reiterated al
legations of leaks" Three years ago
certain inimical interests made a Wig
orous effort TO get him out OF the way
through the enactment or Il Ia" con-
solidating his work with that OF the
weather bureau and abolishing his Of
fee. After a hard fight the plan was
signaily defeated. Last year Congress
man Livingston, Of Georgia offered in
the House a resolution providing for
a Congressional investigation of the
operations of the bureau. Following
an interesting hearing before the
Committee or Agriculture and a spir-
tied debate on the floor Of the House
during which the bureau Was defend
ed by Representatives from all sec