The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-16
Colonel Hester Thinks This the
 Only Solution
HYDE IS STILL UNDECIDED
President Jordan Thinks Cotton Will Never Again Sell Under Ten Gents a Pound, Because 1t Will
 Be Unprofitable.
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington, July 15.-(Special.) )-T.< cotton acreage report of the departure, S of agriculture will in all probability Q withdrawn and supplanted by an e ly new report which will. it is be show a much larger decrease in acr,. se than was announced by the government through former Statistican Holmes on June last.
 The new report will be prepared and issued as result of disclosures made to Chief statistican Hyde of the department of agriculture today by President Harvie Jordan of the Southern Cotton Growers association. President Jordan and Secre- tary Cheatham have been joined here by Col. Henry G. Hester, the secretary of the New Orleans cotton exchange. who is regarded by all cotton men the fore most cotton expert in the world. Colonel Hester is the standard of authority on what is known as the commercial crop movement and does not indulge in spec uative forecasts or estimates. His ser vices have just been secured by the gov ernment for the census office, which he will serve In an advisory capacity in con- nection with the collection of it's report of the amount of cotton ginned. After the visit of President Jordan and Colonel Hester the statement was made by Sta- tistican Hyde that nothing had been de- cided definitely regarding revision of the June acreage report.
 No Reason for Revision.
 q don't see any reason yet. he said. 'why the report should be revised, how ever, it will be done the very moment We find revision necessary"
 President Jordan declares that there Is not the least doubt in the minds of the members of the Southern Cotton Growers association that the reduction of the cot ton acreage this year is much greater than reported by the department of ag- rfculture President Jordan said tonight that the Southern Cotton Growers asso- citation had communicated with great many of the correspondents of the gov ernment, who had furnished reports for t'ae June acreage table and had ascertain ed that practically all of them interpreted their figures quite differently from the construction placed upon them by Sta tistican Hyde.
 He said that he had letters from gov ernment agents showing that they includ-
  contemplated but not actually set out at that time, and it is stated that actual investigation later has shown that since May g much of the contemplated acreage ana a great deal of the acreage that was set out on May 25 has since been aban- doned bringing about very material decrease in the total cotton acreage of the crop now growing.
 Hester Makes Suggestion.
 Colonel Hester. who is on his way back to New Orleans, said today that he believed the government reports would nrove much more valuable and be more reliable and mean more If the govern ment's agents were instructed to send in with their returns a review of the condi- tions in each state explaining why there is an increase or decrease in production or acreage. He also thought the figures should be given out by states so that the cotton trade and growers would be able to know where there are gains and losses in production, where there is improvement and where there is dete- rioration of the crop
 .eThe cotton growers of the south and the cotton trade want an absolutely clean deal,' said Colonel Hester. There is no doubt in my mind or in the minds of many of the best informed men in the south that there is decrease of something like IS per cent in acreage and the only way to prove 1t, is by collecting material for an entirely new acreage re- port to supplant that of June g. It is settled fact in my mind that the govern
 tofa he age"
 No Profits Under 10 Gents.
 ''Cotton will never sell again at less than ten cents a pound" said President Jordan in discussion of the entire sit- uation tonight. Cotton cannot be sold at cents pound and be made profit able to the growers He can make a profit when 1t is selling at 10 cents. Il, 12. l3 or IA cents pound. The Southern Cot ten Growers association does not be- lieye that the price of cotton should be fixed by speculative buyers. It believes that the grower ought to have a say in fixing the price, We believe that Amer ican cotton will continue to have an absolute monopoly of the worlds cotton trade ali the way up to IA cents pound. when It gets nisher thah that ioieist cotton begins to enter into competition. At cents a pound the grower can just about get 1t out. At 10 cents pound he makes profit of about s1o a bale and small grower who raises 80 bales and sells it at 10 cents pound makes only $500 on his crop
 Feel Confident of New Report.
 al saw Secretary Wilson of the department of agriculture tonight and are confident that the acreage report will be revised. President Jordan r ade the following statement at midnight:
 I've called upon Secretary Wilson with one special object in view-to secure full and complete new acreage report
 
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