The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-04
Needs Cooperation il Making
Them BY the Government.
FAILURE OF GIVNERS
To Assist vii! Destroy Cotton Statistics
Says Director North Of the Census
Bsreau, Who Expresses Sur
prise aud Concern. He
Warns Growers.

Director Of the Census North in a
letter to Representative BurleSoa Of
Texas, made public Thursday, takes
notice Of tie situation presented by
the cotton statistics given out for
publication Wednesday and expresses
his surprise and concern at the recent
alleged movement io the southern
States, apparently approved and
augmented by the cotton growers
themselves" 20 destroy the census re-,
ports by concerted refusal oS the GIN
neIs to make returns. Director North
asserts that q continuacce Of the cot.
ton ginning reports is i'm mposSl5le with
cut the sym pathetic aad whole-hear5-
cd cooperation O. the Ginners Of the
south. Immediately after the receipt
Of the letter. NJ. Bur:eson, q mem
Der Of the house census committee,
and who was toe author Of the provl.
sion making appropriation for the
gathering OF cotton statistics, gave
out an interview iG which be uphol6s
the director IN the work now oeirg
done by his bureau. TIE letter is IS
follows:
Washington, D. c., Dec. 20. 1904.
Hon. Albert S. Burleson, House OF
Representatives Washington, D. c.
My Dear Sir: 1t seems proper TO
invite your attention to certain ano-
nalous conditions which confront the
census Office in carrying out the pro-
visions Of section 9 of the act to sSta5-
lish a permanent census office, direct
ing the periodical collection of the
statistics of cot;on production through
the agency of tie glnnerS. This
provision was inserted n the law at
your urgent request and that of other
southern representatives, on the plea
that it was Necessary for the protec-
tion OF the cotton producers against
the speculatcrS and Others interested
in depressing the price OF the staple
for their own profit. It was urged
that enormous losses resulted fron
the untrustworthy estimates put forth
every year oy spectators and agents
Of the Liverpool market, ard that
early and trustworthy Official iaforma
tion regarding tie size OF the crop
would protect the grower, diSarn the
speculator and market maaipDla5or
and permit the Law OF supply and de-
nand to regulate the prices.
EXPENSIVE INFORMATION.
Since the law was passed congress
has appropriated aDd this otice has
disbursed more than Sl25, ,000 q year
il the collection and dissemination Of
this information. The system has
been gradually perfected until it has
become more nearly perfect than any
similar plan for obtaining exact kcow-
ledge Of the size Of any agricultural
crop during the progress Of harvest
ing.
/ No complaint has been made that
the census reports are not accurate,
indeed for a year or Two past We have
been acle to trace the crop so closely
that practically every bale has been
accounted for.
The statistics increase in value
every year; for it becomes possible, by
comparison OF the statistics OF one
year with those OF the sane date in
preceding years, to judge the SIZE Of
successive crops with an accuracy
never before known or approx mated.
The ginning reports Of the census
cfice have crowded out the specula-
tive and interested estimates referred
to, and the single object which the
southern representatives had i'll view,
in urging this legislation, has been
successfully accomplished.
Ia view Of these facts, I have been
surprised and concerned s5 the pres
ent movement in the southern States.
which is apparently approved and aug
mented by the cotton growers them
selves, to destroy the census reports;
By the corcerted refusal Of the ginners
to make the returns upon which they
are based. Thus far the movement
has not seriously affected our work.
but If it continues and spreads, it will
necessarily destroy its value during
the coming year. 1t appears to have
been suddenly discovered that these
reports, undertaken solely at the de-
man6 Of the cotton growers, are high
" detrimental to his interests. Mr..
e. F. Webber. president OF the Mem
phis cotton exchange, is quoted as &C.
claring that the cotton interests Of
the south have everything to lose and
nothing to gain by their continuance;
they put the manufacturing interests
in possession Of information which
works irrepacable injury 10 the
SOUTH Ny attention has also been
called to the so called National Cot
ton Ginners' association" the purpose
Of which is stated to be TO gather
accurate and reliable information re-
gardipg the amount CT cotton pro-
duced in advance OF the government
report" 1t also appears that this
information is to be sent ia code; and
the members Of the association. Will