Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-11
REFERRED TO Mr.. HOYT
Evidence in the Cotton Re-
port Leak.
WILL STUDY REPORTS
TO DETERMINE WHETHER PROSE
CUTIoN rs ADVISABLE.
It is Believed That the President is
Much Interested-Investiga
of the Bureau is Possible.
WILL STUDY REPORTS

| Secretary of Agriculture Wilson this
morning transmitted to the Department of
Justice the report Of the secret service off,
| GERS who Investigated the cotton crop re-
| port scandal In the Department OF Agricul-
| ture. and Henry NJ. Hoyt solicitor general
and acting attorney general. will imme-
! d!ately make a thorough study of the case
In order to ascertain whether the criminal
| prosecution Of former Associate Statistician
Holmes and his associates may be under
! taken with fair prospects of success. Sec
rotary Wilson in transmitting the papers In
| the case suggested to Mr.. Hoyt that If 1t
was decided that criminal proceedings may
| be undertaken time be lost in starting
| the proper machinery
mr. Hoyt said today that he had not gone
INTO the case at all yet, but will give
his opinion to the Secretary of Agriculture
in few days. He intended, he said, to in
| form himself as to the facts and then to go
| through the Revised Statutes to determine
| what law. IL any could be brought to bear
| upon Holmes and those with whom he
worked in the matter of the cotton crop
/ report leaks. 1t is now regarded as prob
able that the result of the review of evil
dence by Mr.. Hoyt will be the issuance OF
| orders to District Attorney Beach to pro-
coed criminally against Holmes, and pos
| sbly one or more of his associates,
The Presidents Interest.
| 1t is generally understood at the Depart
| ment of Justice, moreover. that President
| Roosevelt has taken hand in the matter
and directed that nothing be left undone
TO punish the Offenders, If way can pos
sibly be found to accomplish it. Attorney
| General Moody is away from Washington on
his vacation just now. and the matter will
be handled personally by Acting Attorney
| General HOyt who Is at the highest
ranking official in the Department of JUS
| tice.
i Meanwhile. despite an apparently general
opinion to the contrary. the inyestigat ton
or the cotton crop report scandals in con-
nection with the preparation and publica-
| ton OF the government reports Is still going
| merrily on, and in case Acting Attorney
| General Hoyt decides that the facts con-
| tanned In the report of the secret service
oncers warrant the institution of criminal
proceedings against Holmes and his assoc
| crates the inquiry will be pressed with re-
| newed vigor. In such contingency the Sc
| cret service officers of the Treasury De-
partment will spare no effort to procure all
| the evidence possible as 1t is realized that
| with merely the evidence at present In the
possession of the government the convic-
| tion OF Holmes or one or more of his asso-
| ciates would be no easy matter
| 1t Is hoped. however in the event Of an
| Affirmative decision being received from
| the Department of Justice in regard to
| the institution of criminal PROCEEDINGS
o.
! fectfves Will result in bringing to light
| some new and strong evidence concern
ing the details of the operations of
| Holmes and his associates
Reports of Other Leaks.
| Secretary Wilson is not at all surprised
that the publication of the facts in con-
nection with the cotton scandal has given
rise to various rumors and stories of ir-
| Irregularities in the department reports on
| other products-mainly corn wheat and
| tobacco-but Mr.. Wilson said this morn
| ing that not single fact to support these
allegations had been brought to his at
| tention. He indicated very plainly that
If he had the slightest tangible evidence
upon which to act he would go to the bot
! tom of every complaint and publish the
results of his Investigations for the whole
country to read.
Formal allegations had been made. he
| SAID, That the hgures of the tobacco crop
| reports had been tempered with. and he in
| tended to have the matter looked into with
| the utmost care.
Those who have obtained the impression
| that Secretary Wilson believes that all the
| crooked work in the bureau of statistics
| began and ended with the cotton crop re-
| port leakage are perhaps more mistaken
| than they have any idea of. Prior to the
| time when actual proof of Holmes dishon-
| esty was presented to him Secretary Will
| son hoped and believed that the charges
against his assistant statistican were not
| based on fact.
At first the Secretary merely laughed at
| the charges and pointed with pride to the
| perfect system in vogue in the bureau Of
statistics, which. it was believed absolute
ly prevented Irregularities either in the
preparation or publication of the cotton re-
| port.
Just now. however the Secretary is a pes
| simist, the exposure of Holmes and his
| methods and the revelations in connection
| with the presumably infallable system Of
making up the cotton reports having given
| him such a shock that he doesn't believe In
the AVAILABILITY of any system, and hardly
| knows where to place his trust.
Investigation Of the Bureau.
Although the first section of the cotton
crop leak investigation has been completed
and made public. things are still In an
| awful muddle at the Department of Agri-
| culture. The Secretary himself 1t is un-
derstood doesn't know whether there have
or have not been Irregularities in con-
nection with the preparation and publica-
ton of the wheat, corn and tobacco crop
| reports. AS a matter Of fact. from his
| utterances to Star man today, it is ap-
parent that Mr.. Wilson believes there have
| been Irregularities in the reports on one or
all of those products.
| From the viewpoint of the present, a
general investigation of the bureau or sta
tistics OF the Agricultural Department ap-
pears to be the inevitable outcome of the
| cotton scandal and the ensuing charges
and counter-charges. denials and recrim.-
nations that are now in the air. Such an
investigation, it Is believed in some quar-
ters will be ordered by President Roose-
welt If Secretary Wilson does not take the
initiative very soon. 1t Is certain that The
disclosures in regard to the cotton crop
| leakages have opened the eyes of the high
! officials of the government, including Pres1-
| dent Roosevelt and Secretary Wilson, and
1t Is certain that they now realize the pos
| sibility of Irregularities having occurred IN
connection with the reports Of the other
| products.
| In the event of a general investigation OF
the bureau of statistics 1t has been sug-
| gested that Chief Statistician Hyde be re-
| lieyed during the progress Of the inquiry.
| No formal charges have been made against
| Mr. Hyde in connection with irregularities
| either in connection with the cotton report