The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-12
CHARGED THAT'TRUST
INFLUENCED REPORT
Now Alleged That Tobacco Fig
ures Have Been
Juggled.

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON. D. c., July 1l.-Secrc.
tary Wilson said to-day it was his In
$tention to investigate with the almost
thorough ness the charge made that agents
Of the American Tobacco Company. COM
monty known as the Tobacco Trust. had
Influenced the June reports on the con-
dition OF the tobacco crop. 1t Is under
stood that the department is considering
eliminating from the reports for this
month any mention of the cond tion@of3
the crop In the Clarksvlle and Hopkins &
vile district. of the reggie or dark bur
ley belt, owing to the fact that the
charges made reflect chiefly upon the re-
port from this district. @
The charges made by the growers that
trust Representatives had made the res
ports from that district, has caused
stir in the Department of Agriculture,
which Is more stirred UP than ever IN
Il It's history. because of the discovery OF
the leakage In the cotton reports, which
resulted in the dismissal from the service
or the government last week of Assist
ant Statistician Holmes, and which may
bear fruit in the form Of further dis
lnissals. 53s 3s. IS 5 rs III
1t is believed that should 1t be proven
that the tobacco trust really did inHu-
ence the reports on the condition Of the
crop last month, for the purpose OF
bearing the market. there will be a
wholesale investigation OF the affairs OF
the department similar to that which
was made of tho Postoffice Department
two years ago. It Is hard saying what
will be unearthed lin the way of cor
iruption once an investigation, II it be
honestly conducted, lis started, Charges
have been made with frequency against
bureaus of the department, including the
Bureau Of Animal Industry. which quite
recently was the subject OF serious
charges forwarded to tho President by
a former employee OF the bureau.
Richard Cheatham, secretary Of the
Southern Cotton Growers Associatio<.
is In the South, but is understood he
Will see the President In a few days
and will urge n full investigation Of the
department. 1t Is believed the President
will order 1t.
It is not known that the tobacco grow 4
ers OF sVirginia or North Carolina will
make any charges regarding the reports
on condition OF the crops In those States.
The Tobacco Growers Association OF
Kentucky and Tennessee and the Burleyf
Tobacco Growers Association Of Ken
lucky, are all In correspondence with
the Secretary OF Agriculture on tho sub
1ect. Tho principal complaint concern-
Ing tho reports from June come from
the Clarksville and Hopkinsvllle district.
OF the reggie or dark tobacco belt, The
official report of the, department for
June said:
in some sections planters
acreage on account of low prices. yet
for the district, as q whole Fnbstantlal
increase Is Indicated, he outlook no"
being for twenty, Pr cent,
above declare that this estimate of In
creased acreage Is grossly inaccurate rs
the Increase will not reach anything lika
that these figures are not certainly cor.
unless the officials are satisfied the re-
port for July !s correct as,to .ne GsarKs-
trict Will not he reported on. But 1t Is
also stated that the department is N
touch with many more correspondents
than n TIE me soma q h Inc corre
srondents of the department may be IN
colluslon with tho tobacco trust, the be-
lief is expressed that there are not enough
OF such TO seriously affect the character
of the report,
Twelve hundred correspondents are
written to by the department concerning
The condition OF the tobacco trust, and
great faith in the ACCURACY OF these re-
Of rrottenness in connection with the cot
ron estimates. and the charge that the
tobacco trust influenced the last report
on the condition Of the tobacco crop, to-A
eethqr With generally recognized lmpos-
sibllity of n correspondent 10 accurately
the size and condition. OF the
crop In his own Community will cause
popular faith In, and cons eequept value Of,
the government crop estimates, g sink