The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-09
VAN RIPER EXPLAINS.
Thought His Name Would Be Kept
Out of the Affair.


ment today in which he declared he had
nothing whatever to do with plans to
manipulate the government cotton re-
port. Mr.. Van Riper's statement fol-
lows:
1T came to my knowledge early in
the year, without solicitation on my
part, that plans we're being laid to in
fiuence the figures of the government
reports on cotton during the three
months beginning with June 1t was
planned by certain interests, including
parties in responsible positions in the
bureau OF statistics, to have Mr.. Hyde
sent to Europe so that Mr.. Holmes
would be acting head of the bureau OF
statistics and in this position. wcGld
have a free hand to furnish such re
ports as were wanted.
Consulted His Attorney.
Il was also cognizant of the fact that
Holmes had previously furnished ad-
vance information to certain brokers
from time to time, but when their plans
for changing the cotton report hgures
were exposed Immediately consulted my
attorney regarding the matter and upon
his advice listened to their stories and
kept track of their plans, in some cases
having witnesses unknown to them,
until the June report came out
1t was planned as early as March
to use every effort they could to secure
figures that would be as beariSh as
possible, so as TO break the price Of
cotton to the low point, where certain
interests could make large profits on
the short tide and then load up and
make an enormous scoop on the long
side. 1t was understood that in some
cases government agents reports would
be influenced in that direction.
con June ] / was informed that 1t
was impossible to get the condition
higher than 75 per cent and the acre
age reduction to show a decrease of
less than 13 per cent in spite of all
they had tried to do.
ION the morning Of June ) said go-be-
tween reported that he had succeeded
in arranging to have the condition fig
ures given Il or higher and the acreage
reduction about liz per cent, which
would be construed as beariSh and en-
able them TO break the market. / re-
Ceived this advice before 8 o'clock on
June g. and the public knows what the
figures we're when they were announced
at noon.
Asks Fair Treatment.
THE notoriety attached to this mat
ter is far from agreed BILE to me, and l
was personally assured by Secretary
Wilson that in bringing this matter to
his attention I had done the department
a great service and that my name
would not be mentioned in any way.
Now that he has seen fit to publish
or give out for publication certain let
tiers that were entrusted to him conf
dentially, I think it only fair to ask
him to give for publication my entire
statement made to him, of which the
above is a part, but which has been
omitted in newspaper accounts that
have been called to my attention.
Prom what L know of their various
conversations and the plans that were
laid months in advance, l believe that a
thorough investigation of the bureau of
statistics would show that the real
acreage reduction was from Is to % per
cent and not 1115 as announced on
June 3. I would suggest that a fur
cher statement be made from the ag-
ricultUral department as TO what they
found by investigating the records of
said bureau. AS long as part of the
matter has been made public, why not
the whole?
MY attorney and others will back
me up in the statement that 7 had
nothing TO do with the plans made by
these parties to manipulate the govern
men figures, but merely on legal adj
vice, AMI in the hope OF doing a great
public service, followed the plan as
outlined by my attorney and at the pro-
per time took such measures as !
deemed right and just to the cotton
trade and TO the agricultural depart
mont"