The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-09
Rottenness Existing in Department of Agriculture
 Exposed to Public View. I.'~

| reference to the state of the cotton re- | port A large number of letters and | telegrams signed with the initial "F were sent from New York to Van Rip CT. Nearly all of these contained in- formation concerning the cotton re- port, together with instructions to sell or buy on the market, according to the information furnished. and all of them closed with the admonition to destroy the letter.
 The secret agents learned that "P''
 referred to in Holiness letter was F. A. Peckham of New York and that the letters signed with the initial f were written by F. A. Peckham. Peckham Reticent.
 | MT. Peckham was interviewed In New York City and stated that the only explanation he had to give con cerning the letters was that he was trying to make some money in the cotton market. declining to say any thing of his relations with Holmes, Haas or Van Riper.
 | Shortly after he was interviewed, it was learned that Peckham came to | Washington and held conversation with Holmes over the telephone, in which he. inquired whether Holmes in- tended to resign his position, or whether he expected to be dismissed from the government service. Peck ham was seen again by government agents, but would not discuss his re- lations with Holrss.
 Holmes was interviewed by secret service agents and considerable space l in the report is given to his explana- tion. The first questions asked him were as to his relations with Peckham and Van Riper Holmes sal dall had | and that when he had occasion to visit New York, which was frequent, his ho- l tel bill had been paid by Van Riper and Peckham. Holmes admitted that Peckham. Haas and himself were at one tune associated in a business ven- ture in which Holmes was to have an l interest to the amount of $6.000, which | he was to receive as a gift from the l other members of the firm Subse- uuently Haas transferred his interest | in this firm to T. c. Van Riper. and Van Riper stated that the company was organized for the purpose of handling cotton. Holmes testified that
 this was true. but that he was not l aware of the nature of the organiza- l tion at the time he was given an in- terest in it, and that when he learned 1 the intention of the company was to
 handle cotton he withdrew from it. Bought Mining Property. l under 1urtner. f1OlHles stated that he had sold to Van Riper about Feb 2s, 1905. three-fourths i'm terest in some mining property in Idaho for $73,000, this amount having been paid to him by Van Riper in two in- 1 stallments in currency.
 In this connection Van Riper stated 1 that a contract had been made between Holmes and himself whereby Van Riper i was supposed to have acquired seven ! eighths interest in some mining prop 1 erty, but that he had never seen the | property. nor had he any idea as to its value or as to its exact location. Van | Riper said that Holmes wished to have l a contract signed which would show | that Van Riper had paid to Holmes a l large sum of money for the mining | property. in order that Holmes might be | able to account for the possession of so
 much money. Van Riper says he knows | that Holmes received a very large
 amount for the signing of the contract, | and he believes it was not for mining | or other property. | Secretary Wilson says there seems to l be every reason to believe from the | report of secret service agents that | Holmes could have given approximately
 correct information anywhere from one | to three days in advance of the publi- l cation of the official report.
 During nearly the entire cotton-re-
 porting season of 1903 Holmes was in | charge of the Bureau of Statistics In | the absence of Chief Statistician Hyde. | who was in Europe. Since that time
 he has had access to the reports of the 1 field agents, who furnish the data upon which the cotton reports are based. The l most important of these reports come | from Field Agent B. c. White and from 1 the several State agents. to all of which | Holmes has had access It was found | alterations had been made in the fig | ures of MT. Whites report for October 31, 1903, and that these alterations ap-
 peared to be in Holiness handwriting Unverifed Statements. | Secretary Wilson says a large num- l Der of persons made statements of a general character, founded on rumor l and incapable of verification, and for
 this reason they were not made a part | of his report which Is intended to deal | with facts only.
 by Secretary Wilson to govern the preparation of monthly reports of the | bureau of statistics. the general spe
 cial field agents and State agents will report on speculative crops directly to
 the secretary or acting secretary Of ] agriculture. These reports will re-
 main sealed in the custody of these
 officers until the day the official re-
 port Is to be made. when the agents 1 reports will be opened, and the off,
 cial report compiled under strict reg
 ulations. &>+ .:.
 There will be at any time in the
 possession of the bureau of statistics
 or in any one office of the department
 except while tne compilation of off,
 cial report is being made, complete
 information of the correspondents in alI the cotton States. Texas and Geor-
 gia, two of tie largest cotton -produc-
 ing States. will be separated from the group of reports from townships and
 counties. Hereafter there will be
 three special field agents instead of l one assigned to the work of collect-
 ing statistics for the cotton crop re-
 ports These agents will have no com
 munication with each other. and will
 report on different groups of States.
 Secretary Wilson's report closes as
 follows:
 There will be no more opportunity
 for advance information on reports
 of speculative crops.
 Tn the report from the secret ser
 vice operative. Edwin s. Holmes, for
 mer associate statistician. is the only
 departmental employe implicated. and
 I have dismissed him from the service
 of the department"
 VAN REFERS STATEMENT.
 He Tells What He Knows of the