The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09

to believe that Mr.. Holmes could have
given approximately correct Information
anywher re from one to three days in ad,
vance of the publication of the official
reporting season Of 1903 Mr. Holmes was
In charge of the Bureau of Statistics in the
absence Of the chief in Europe, and since
that time Mr.. Holmes has had access to
the reports of the agents in the field. who
furnish the data upon which the cotton
crop reports are based. The most i'm
portant OF these reports come from Field
Agent B. c. White and from the severa!
State agents, all Of which Mr.. Holmes has
had access to-.
during the absence Of the chief of the
Bureau of Statistics in the season of 1903
he, Mr.. Holmes. exercised unusual precau,.
tons to prevent any suspicion OF leak
and that ever since that time extraordinary
care has been taken to prevent information
from getting out in advance Of the official
report. 1t was stated that the reports OF
Field Agent b. C. White were sealed when
they came into the office, and that none
Of them had ever been opened until the
officers charged with its issue. Under
examination Mr.. White stated that he
always made his report personally, and
that no person other than himself had any
opportunity to learn its contents.
REPORTS ALTERED.
Mr. Whites report, dated Washington
d. C., Oct. 2, 1908, one day prior to the
official publication of the cotton report,
was written in ink. evidently by Mr.. White
In this report the original figures for the
States Of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi
louisiana. Texas and Tennessee have been
lower percentage The figures as changed
are practically the figures given to the
public on Oct. 8, 1903. as the official report
The alterations in Mr.. White report appear
to be in the handwriting of Mr.. Holmes.
MIR. Whites report, dated st. Louis
Mo, Sept %, 1904, has been altered; and
Mr. White states that he has never at any
time or under any circumstances changed
any of the percentage s in any OF his monthly
reports after they have been prepared, nor
has he ever authorized any one to alter or
change any of his reports in the slightest
degree. Mr.. White also stated that he
was not aware that any of his reports had
been changed until his attention was called
to that fact during the progress of his IN
vestigation, A number OF persons other
than those herein mentioned who were said
to have information concerning the matter
under consideration were interviewed. The
statements of these people were of gen
eral character. founded on rumor and In
capable of verification,, For this reason
they have not been made a part of this re-
port which is intended to deal with facts
only. -
NO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
"The report OF the Secret Service. with all
papers in connection herewith, has been
submitted by me to the United States At
torney for the District of Columbia. with
the request that he inform me whether in his
opinion sufficient facts have been disclosed
to warrant a criminal prosecution. The
United States Attorney states that in his
opinion criminal prosecution will not lie
PRICE SAYS REPORT IS LIBELoUs.
nttn hnor ri ,,c fhA
report yesterday he called In his lawyer
William NJ. WINS, and together they pre-
pared this statement:
any attention has been called to des-
patch to the effect that Mr.. Holmes,
who has just been dismissed from the
Department Of Agriculture, communicated
advance information to New York brokers,
including myself. Permit me to say that
any such statement is absolutely false and
without foundation. So far as l know,
no charge has ever been made against me
TO the Department, nor has the Department
ever made any inquiry of or cOncerning
me with regard to the matter. The report
Is false and libelous."
Mr.. Price also said that the report brought
his name into the matter only through
the testimony of one Van Ripper, whom he
did not know and had never seen or pre-
yiously heard Of When Mr.. Price was
asked II he knew NJ. Haas he said that he
had nothing to add to his formal state
ment. Mr.. WINS, Prices lawyer, said that
he had attempted to reach Secretary Wilson
by telephone yesterday. but was unable to
do 80.