Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-07-14
COTTON SCANDAL REPORT
BUREAU OF STATISTICS WILL BE
REoRoANizEp.
Assistant statistieian Dismissed -
Peace PIenipotsntisries Will Meet
in Portsmouth. N. n. - China In
WASHINGTON Conferences.

AS the result Of the investigation
| by the secret service or charges iiihue
nv Richard Cheatham, secretary OF the
Cotton Planters association, that IN
formation had been given 10 COTTON
brokers In New York and crop statis-
tics distorted In the interests or GER
tain spectators by some person OF
persons In the bureau OF the statis.cs
of the department OF agriculture, sec
rotary Wilson has made pubic an
official report. In which he states tna'
Edwin S. Holmes. the associate sta,
tistician, has been guilty OF Jugsins
the official report. The repor, say
n has been found that Mr.. Holmes
advance information 10
7, q Van Riper, a New York broker,
and Mr.. Haas Of New York, who, Mr..
Van Riper said acted as go-betwen
In conveying information from Holmes
TO other New York brokers, including
Theodore Price Steps have been TAX
en- by Secretary Wilson to prevent any
further leakage of the department
figures. and an entire reorganization
OF the bureau of statistics and manner
of preparing monthly crop reports
has been outlined by him. Holmes has
been dismissed from the service OF
the department and Victor II. Olmsted,
who has a varied and extensive sta
tistical experience In dinerent
branches of the public service, has
been appointed associate statistician In
his place. John Hyde, chief of the
bureau, is not involved In the
charges.
A criminal prosecution may result
from the investigation OF the cotton
report leak. United States DIS
trict Attorney Beach of washington
was Of opinion after cursory examina.
ton of part of the evidence Una.
criminal proceedings would not lie
against Assistant Statistician Holmes,
who is alleged TO have profited by CIV
ing advance information Of the con-
dition of the cotton crop to certain
brokers. The report shows that
Holmes. on one occasion at least, re-
ceived $4,000 from firm OF brokers,
presumably for advance information
although the transaction was dis
guised as being in payment for the
sale of western mining stock. wnicn
il is said was practically worthless
There is no statute covering the
Holmes case, and he is likely to so
wholly unpunshed The department
of Justice. however, is not inclined 10
accept this view of the case inc
subject is being considered by Attor-
ney General Moody who later VIII
take the matter up with the president.
Theodore Price, the New York brok-
er mentioned in Secretary Wilson's re-
port. has requested Mr.. Wilson to
withdraw what he calls the unjust and
unsustained charges against him ana
furnishes statement from Richard
Cheatham which denies that evidence
duplicates Price. Mr.. Wilson says
that he shall take no further action IN
the matter He said that he was not
afraid of a libel suit and would well
come such an action because it might
be the means of developing facts not
already uncovered.
In view Of the opinion by the
United States district attorney that
a criminal prosecution against Holmes
would not lie, Secretary Wilson inu-
mated that he would suggest TO Pres
ident Roosevelt recommendation 70
congress that legislation be enacted TO
cover cases of similar character in
volying a breach of trust.