The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-22
TOBACCO REPORT
|SFULLY AS BAD
Amazing Clerical Errors Found
BY Secretary Wilson
PLAN FOR COTTON FIGURES
Statistical Board Is Named, Which
VIII Have Charge Of the Future
Compilation of Est-
mates.
PLAN FOR COTTON FIGURES
BY wATreRsoN srgALEY.

Washington, July 21.-tspecial) LIN an
official statement issued today the Sec
retary of Agriculture acknowledges that
the charge to the effect that the June
tobacco report greatly exaggerated actual
conditions is correct.
Amazing clerical errors Is given as
the excuse. The errors were of a kind
which would make an S-year-old child
blush. In one case, for example, 263 was
multiplied by one hundred and a product
Of 263,000 instead of 2630O was obtained.
Naturally in this particular county the
tobacco acreage was doomed out of ALI
proportion. Other mistakes made by the
departments experts were fully as sim
pie and closely corresponded with the ex-
ample given. The June report. which it
is alleged was fixed up for the benefit of
the tobacco trust stated that there would
be 20 per cent increase in acreage in
the dark tobacco district of Tennessee
and Kentucky. The revised report issued
by the Secretary with his statement to-
day give the acreage In this district at a
decrease of nearly 20 per cent-a difference
Of nearly 40 per cent.
Other Similar Errors Made.
Similar errors in practically every to-
bacco district were made The Secretary
is now satisfied that the report is acurate
and regards the tobacco end of the scan
dal as a closed incident Others do not
The tobacco men say that these clerical
errors. which have greatly forced down
the price of tobacco In the hands of the
grower ought to be further investigated.
Representative South Trmble of Ken
tuck says the matter should be investi-
gated further. Il do not suppose every
body is dishonest at the depnrtment OF
agriculture. but It looks as IL everybody
| Is incompetent When this case is put
before Mr.. Wilson I am satisfied that he
| Will go into 1t. II he does not Congress
will. All this may have happened just
accidently, but like everything else that
| happens to our growers down there, 10
happens in the interest of the tobacco
| trust"
Wants Reports Abolished.
Col. e. S. Peters of Calvert, Tex. vice
president of the Southern Cotton Growers
association. has arrived In Washington
to assist the government in it's efforts to
place the responsibility for the cotton
leak in the department of agriculture.
Colonel Peters said tonight that he was
In favor of the abolition of the depart
ment of agriculutres cotton report. Il
think" said he. that the matter could
well be left In the hands of the weather
bureau and the census bureau"
Wilson Names New Board.
Secretary Wilson today made public
| the names of the four men who will
comprise the statistical board which under
| the direction of Assistant Secretary Will
let s. Hayes, will prepare the governs
ment's estimates OF cotton acreage AMI
| yields. as well as statistics of other crops.
he hon ard tt,t1I ba sad of fnfo
| Olmstead. present associate statlstician OF
| the board of statistics; s. ID. Fessenden,
an assistant statstican; George X.
Holmes, chief Of the division of foreign
markets, and w. W. Long recently re-
| signed as an assistant statistcan.
| The board will meet In the office Of
| the assistant secretary of agriculture to
| perform its labor. As the reports from
| field agencies come In they will be taken
| by Assistant Secretary Hayes and lock-
| ed In vault When all the reports have
| been received the members of the board
| will be summoned to make their esti-
| mates. This work has been likened by
| Mr. Hays to school He will serve as
teacher and the field reports Will be the
| problems to be solved. The men will
| work independent OF each other and their
| results will be submitted TO Mr.. Hays,
| who will go over them after the manner
of passing on examination papers. The
from the Independently determined re-
suits of the members of the board. The
final report to be the harmonizing of
all
VIII Be More Accurate.
At best the governments crop reports
are estimates but Ii is believed by Sec
retary Wilson as well as being the con-
census Of opinion of the various stalls
tclans. that this plan Will bring a more
nearer accurate computation than any
means that can be devised.
With the exception OF the time consum-
ed In going over the field reports, tho
board members VIII perform the regular
duties of their present positions. They
will not have access TO any OF the field
reports until after the doors have been
locked. There Will be no telephone COM
munication with the outside nor any
chances for any signalling from the ROOM
The best talent in the department has
been combined in making up the statisti-
cal board and Mr.. Hays is now giving
this branch of the work to what amounts
t, nearly undivided attention. lie viii
personally attend the supervisory work
that has attached TO the office Of chief