Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1905-01-04

Washington. Special.-Director of
the Census North, in letter to Repre-
sentative BurleSon, made public, takes
notice OF the situation presented by the
cotton statistics given out for publica-
uon Thursday and expresses his sur
prise and concern at the recent alleged
movement in the Southern States zap
parently approved and augmented by
the cotton growers themselves" to de-.
stroy the census reports by concerted
refusal of the ginners to make returns.
Director North asserts that a continu-
ance or the cotton ginning reports is
Impossible without the systematic and
Whole-hearted cooperation of the gin
ners OF the South Immediately after
the receipt Of the letter. Mr. Burleson.
member OF the House census commit
Tee. and the author OF the provision
making appropriation for the gathering
or cotton statistics. gave out an inter-
view In which he upholds the director
In the work now being done by his
bureau. The letter is as follows:
Washington. Dec. 1904.
Hon. Albert S. Burleson, House OF
Representatives.
My Dear Sir: 1t seems proper to
invite your attention to certain anom-
alous conditions which confront the
census Office in CARRYING out the pro-
visions of section of the act to es-
tabllsh permanent Census Office. di-
rectlng tine periodical collection OF the
statistics or cotton production through
the agency of the ginners. This pro
vision was inserted in the law at your
urgent request and that OF other
Southern Representatives on the .olea
tnlt 1t WAS necessary ha
tlon OF the cotton producers against
the spectators and others interested
In depressing the price of the STAPLE
Tor thelr own profit. 1t was stated
that enormous losses resulted from the
untrustworthy estimates put forth
every year by spectators and agents
OF the Liverpool market and that early
and trustworthy official information
regarding the size OF the crop would
protect the grower. disarm the specu-
lator and market manipulation, and per-
init the law of supply and demand to
regulate the price.
ACCURACY UNQUEsTIoNED.
Since the law was passed. Congress-
has appropriated and this Office has
disbursed more than SIPS 900 a year in
the collection and disseminatidn of
TINS information. The system haslNeen
gradually perfected until it ha
come more nearly perfect than
similar plan for obtaining
knowledge of the size OF any agl
tural crop during the progress of
vesting.
mo complaint has been made
the census reports are not accu
indeed. for year or two past, we
been able to trace the crop so cl
that practically every bale has
accounted for.
THE statistics increase in value
cry year: for it becomes possible
comparison of the statistics of one
with those of the same date in
ceeding years, to judge the size
successive crops with an accI
never before known or approXim
THE ginning reports of the &c
Office have crowded out the spe.
tive and interested estimates refe
to. and the single object which
Southern Representatives had in
In urging this legislation has
successfully accomplished.
GINNERS' MOVE DEPRECATE
in view of these facts. | have
surprised and conserned at the
ent movement in the Southern St
which is apparently approved and
mented by the cotton growers tn
selves. to destroy the census reIDrts,
by the concerted refusal Of the GIN
ners to make the returns upon which
they are based. Thus far the mve-
ment has not seriously affected our
work, but If 1T continues and sprads.
1t will necessarily destroy it's v,lue
during the coming year. 1t appeaB to
have been suddenly discovered hat
these reports. undertaken solely at the
demand OF the cotton grower, are
highly detrimental to his interests. Mr..
L. F. Webber. president OF the Men
phis cotton exchange. is quoted as le-
clariDg 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 tha is
beneficial
"My attention has been called to he
so-called National Cotton Ginnes'
Association. the purpose OF which is
stated to be TO gather accurate md
reliable information regarding ne
amount OF cotton produced. in advance
OF the government report. 1t also p-
pears that this information is to be
sent in code and the members of tie
association viii he sworn not to IL
vulge it,. The information is still
highly desirable. bst possession of IL
is to be restricted to those who grow
and Gin the cotton