The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-07-13
SOLD INFORMATION TO
NEW YORK COTTON BROKERS
EDGlN |. HOLES, ASSOCIATE STATSTICIAN IN DEPART
NEXT OF AGRICULTURE, DISMISSED IN DISGRACE.

1 purpose OF making appointments with
Van Ripper, but the following note
August 20, 1904, shows the relation
ship between Holmes and Van Rip
err
If you have bought any Of that
stuff sell it out at once and sell as
much as you can in addition. We are
gong to show a slight decline and as
this is totally unexpected it will send
things down like fury. Other parties
will close out and sell on Thursday.
Where is P? Tear this up. It may go
up a little before Friday but probably
not. -
This letter was signed with the in
itial I'll"
Van Ripper testified that all the let
/ ters surrendered were from Holmes
and that their contents had reference
to the state Of the cotton report. A
large number of letters and kilograms
signed with the initial "F." were
sent from New York to Van Ripper.
Nearly all of these contained infor-
nation furnished and all of them clos
ed with the admonition to destroy the
letters. The secret agents learned
that "P" referred to in Holmes
letters was F. A. Peckham, of New
York, and that the letters signed with
the initial "F'' were written by F. A..
Peckham.
Secretary Wilson says that there
seems to be every reason to believe
from the report of the secret service
agents that Holmes could have given
approximately correct information
! anywhere from one to three days in
advance Of the publication of the Off
cial report. During nearly the entire
cotton reporting season of 1903
Holmes was in charge Of the bureau
of statistics in the absence of Chief
Statistician Hyde, who was in Eu-
rope. Since that time he has had
access to the reports of the field
agents who furnish the data upon
which the cotton crop reports are
based.
+ The most important Of these reports
come from Field Agent B. C. White
and form the several state agents, to
all Of which Holmes has had access.
1t was found that alterations had
been made in the figures Of Mr..
White s report for October, 1904, and
that these alterations appeared to be
in Holmes handwriting.
According to the new plan outlined
| by Secretary Wilson for the govern
ment's preparation of monthly re-
ports of the bureau of statistics, the
general special field agents and state
agents will report on speculative crops
directly to the secretary or acting sec
rotary Of agriculture. These reports
will remain sealed in the custody of
these officers until the day official re-
port is to be made when the agents
reports will be opened and the Off
cial report compiled under strict pre-
cautions. There never will be at any
time in the possession Of the bureau
Of statistics or in any one office Of the
department except while the compila-
ton Of official report is being made
complete information Of the cores
pondents in all of the cotton states
Texas and Georgia, two Of the largest
cotton producing states, will be sep
arated from the group Of reports from
townships and counties. Hereafter
there will be three special field agents
instead Of one assigned to the work of
collecting statistics for the cotton
crop reports These agents will have
no communication 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 in the report from
the secret service agents.
edwin S. Holmes, former .asso-
ciate statistician, is the only depart
mental employe implicated and have
dismissed him from the service Of the
department. -
| Important Announcement.