The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-05-26
HYDE ANSWERS
JORDAN LETTER
Anent Cooperation in Culling the
Cotton Crop Figures.
REPLY UNCOMPROMISING
Government Statistieian Says Ninety
Per Cent Of His Correspondents
are Reliable Farmers.

A Washington special says: The at
tltude OF the department OF agricul-
ture toward the Southern Cotton AS
ISOLATION, organized at New Orleans
last year for the purpose of bringing
about a reduction in this years cot
ton acreage, has been indicated ia
letter sent to Harvle Jordan, pres
ident of the association, with head
quarters at Atlanta, by John Hyde,
chief OF he bureau OF statistics Of
the department. =
In a letter to MIR. Hyde some days
ago Mr.. Jordan said that the South.
ern Cotton Association had under
taken to prepare full, complete and
correct reports on the acreage. Re.
quests for authoritative information
had been sent to secretaries and cor
respondents throughout the belt, he
said and in many cases house to house
canvasses had been made. Bankers,
merchants, manufacturers, buyers and
others, including a very large num-
Der OF farmers, had been asked to
furnish facts, and the presidents OF
state and territorial divisions have
been asked to meet at New Orleans
on May 80 to turn In their reports and
have them consolidated and publish
ed. Mr. Jordan supposed, he says,
that Mr.. Hyde was busy getting in
formation on which to base his report,
20 be issued June %, and he impress
ed on the statisticlan the importance
Of obtaining as complete a report as
possible and having 1t as nearly cor
rect as possible. The association
would gladly cooperate with the de-
partment, he said, and, in turn, de-
sired the departments cooperation
and assistance. Farmers were going
uuitelS ahead and reducing their acre
age, he asserted and he urged the
statistician TO get as much OF his in.
formation as possible from the farm.
eTs themselves,
To this letter, Mr.. Hyde sent the
following reply:
II nave the honor TO acknowledge
the receipt of your letter. suggesting
the cooperation OF your association
and this department I'm the work Of
ascertaining the newly planted acre.
age of the cotton In the southern
states.
You do not, however, suggest any
means by which such cooperation
could be rendered effective, and I
note that the meeting OF the presi-
dents OF the several state and terri
torial divisions OF your association to
be held at New Orleans for the con.
solidatlon Of their reports and the
OF the whole report for
publication has been called for a date
set for the publication OF the report
Of this department
81 may. perhaps be permitted to
remark, however, that in the public
utterances OF the officers OF your
association there has been n manifest
dispos lion TO PREJUDICE the situation
that Is entirely Incompatible with the
spirit In which this department con.
ducts its investigations.
With regard TO your suggestion
that this department secure as much
Information as POSSIBLE from people
who are planting cotton. beg leave
TO state that fully 90 per cent Of the
Departments county and township cor.
respondents are farmers, and ven.
lure 70 express the opinion that II,
Notwithstanding It's most earnest en-.
beavers It should fail in ascertaining
The exact facts relative TO the new
acreage planted, whatever error is
made will, as usual. be one favorable
% the farmers"