The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-01
MR. BOWIE WARNS COTTON PLANTERS Says the Government Report is
 Not Harmful TRAP LAID FOR GlNNERS Thinks the Movement to Dlscredt the Government Report Is Deadly
 Blow Aimed at the Pros
 perity of the South.
TRAP LAID FOR GINNERS

ture, speaking of the letter of Director North to the Hon. Albert s. Burleson of Texas in regard to cotton gin reports, which was given to the Associated Press day before yesterday said:
 .'I fully endorse the statements of Di- rector North. No deadlier blow has been aimed at the prosperity of the south than the persistent attempts of interested parties to discredit the work of the cen- sus bureau and the department of agri- culture in perfectin5 system by which reliable and truthful reports on the con- dition of the cotton crop have at last been approximately realized
 '"rhese same parties who are now in- dustriously engaged in working up a sentiment among ginners and cotton growers to withhold reports as to the &C., tual condition of the crop upon the all legged ground of injury >to the farmer. nave for the past five years persistent ly denounced and slandered the depart ment of agriculture, because Its previous reports have helped the farmer
 Estimates Going to Be Made.
 Everybody knows that the cotton crop estimates are going to be made; every body knows that foreign spinners and their paid allies in this country for more than a quarter of a century have will fully and fraudulently misrepresented the actual condition of the crop, to the end that farmers would be forced to sell their holdings at ruinously low prices, and that these false reports have cost the cotton growers of the south untold millions of dollars every years.
 "The scheme of these people to depress the price of cotton and keep it below the cost of production regardless of the law of supply and demand, has for the past few years been so checkmated by the de- partment of agriculture and the census bureau nat prosperity has been more abundant in the south than at any time since the war. Unable themselves to discredt these government reports, the agents in this country of foreign pur- chasers have engaged in a propaganda with the intent and effect of misleading southern ginners and growers into with holding information, thereby securing a discontinuance of impartial reports from reliable sources and re-enthroning the agents of alien spinners, and enabling them to again thrive and flourish in their nefarious work.
 Will Not Cease.
 Does anybody believe that if the gov ernment reports cease, or are discredited, that all reports will cease? Not bit of it. The reports will continue but instead of being impartial, reliable and close to the truth, MT. Neal and his kind will begin once more to issue inspired esti- mates that will overstate the produc- ton a million or more of bales every year thereby cheating the south again out of countless millions os dollars.
 "rhe question is, will the southern cot ton growers fall into the trap? l don believe they will. l believe it is to their interest to know the truth, and let the law of supply and demand regulate the price, as it will when the truth is known.
 But One Course.
 ''There is but one course for southern planters to pursue It has been proved too often to be any longer disputed that an excessive production is ruinous to the price. The farmers have the situation in their own hands. They can reduce the and remuneratiye level, or they can plant far more than the world needs and lose on every bale they raise.
 More than at any previous time in our history is that fact understood in the south. When the planting season is over and it is shown that the acreage has been substantially reduced then the price will advance not only for next year s crop. but for what is left of this
 Local Cotton Men Talk. Birmingham cotton buyers appear to agree on two propositions at least in connection with this question:
 First-That the cotton bulletins issued by the department of agriculture are not detrimental to the cotton planters Second-That the movement to destroy by fire or otherwise a part of this year 8 crop is not feasible.
 Here are opinions of local cotton buyers:
 W. S. Brown: T do not put any faith in the proposition inaugurated looking to- words planters in the south destroying a part of their cotton crop, For the simple 1 reason that you could get but a small per cent 10 agree to this. What good re- suits could be obtained by handful oi plant CTS agreeing to- this, and the others ] paying no attention to it.
 At.k L..s.s,I | 1T cannot see," continued MT. Brown, that the government reports and esti- 1 mates on the crop are harmful to any | one. Al. of this information could be se- cured later In the season anyway from the port receipts.
 "There is a large amount of cotton that has not yet been marketed, and may not be for some time to come" S. F. Teague: Tn my opinion the propo- sition to destroy a portion of this year s cotton crop is really absurd, and I do not think that 1t will ever be carried out, for the reason that but few planters would agree to the proposition.
 ..srhe department of agriculture does not in my opinion do any damage to the planters or anyone else in publishing cot | ton estimates and other data. Take for instance the crop of year. Suppose 13, | OOO 900 bales of cotton would bring 1C cents and no report were published of the yield Is it not probable that 15,0 ,0O, | bales would be planted next season, and what would be the result?"
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 Examination of Teachers.