Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09

is absolutely false and without foundation.
So far as / know no charge has ever been
made against me to the department. nor
has the department made any inquiry of or
concerning me with regard to the matter.
THE report is false and llbelous. and l
Shall be obliged to treat It's publication as
such and to seek legal redress against all
who may give further publicity to the state
ment Yours very truly.
THEODORE II. PRICE
l. c. Van Ripper whose name was men,
toned In Secretary Wilson's report as hav-
ing received advance information on the
condition Of the cotton crop. made pubic
statement after the publication of Secre-
tary Wilson's report today in which he de-
clared that he had nothing whatever to DO
with plans to manipulate the government
cotton report. He amplified Secretary VIII
sons report and called upon the Secretary
10 make public Mr.. Van Riper's entire
statement to him. MIR. Van Riper's state
ment IS as follows:
Mr.. Van Riper's Statement.
cit came to my knowledge early in the
year, without solicitation on my part, that
plans were being laid to Influence or manip-
ulate the figures of the government reports
on cotton during the summer months. be-
ginning with June. 1t was planned by GER
sible positions in the bureau of statistics,
to use influence to have Mr.. Hyde sent to
Europe that Mr.. Holmes would be the
acting head of the bureau of statistics, and
in this position would nave free hand TO
furnish such reports as wanted.
II also cogniZant of the fact that
said Holmes had previously furnished ad-
vance Information to certain brokers from
time TO time, but when their plans for
changing or manipulating the cotton report
figures were exposed to me / Immediately
consulted my attorney regarding the mat
ter, and upon his advice listened to their
stories and kept back OF their plans. in
some cases having witnesses unknown to
them, until the June report on acreage and
condition on cotton came out.
1T was planned, as early as March. to
use every effort they could to secure fig
ures that would be as bearish possible,
as to break the price of cotton to low
point. where certain interests could make
large profits on the short side. and then
load UP and make an enormous scoop
the long side, 1t was understood that in
some cases. government agents reports
would be influenced in that direction, or
even fictitious reports used.
Effort to Stretch the Figures.
ION June / l was informed that ii was
impossible to get the condition higher than
10 per cent and the acreage reduction to
show a decrease of less than Il per cent. in
spite of all they had tried to do. but that
at the request OF a certain large market
operator the gO-between was going back to
Washington that night to try and have the
figures stretched little further and 10 my
knowledge said go-between took the 12:1J
train on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
for Washington on the night of June /, or
rather the morning of June =.
ION the morning of June 3 said go-be-
tween reported that he had succeeded in
arranging to have the condition figures
given "a or higher and the acreage reduc-
ton about Ill. per cent. which would be
construed as bearish. and enable them TO
break the market / received this advice
before o O'Clock on June 3. and the public
knows what the figures were when an
nounced at noon.
The notoriety attached to this matter is
tar from agreeable TO me, and / was per-
sonally assured by Secretary Wilson that in
bringing this matter to his attention l 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 pub
Iish or TO give out for publication certain
letters and documents that were intrusted
to him contidentially. / think 1t only fair
TO ask him to give for publication my entire
statement. made to him, of which the above
is part, but which has been omitted in
newspaper accounts that have been called
to my attention.
A Further Statement Asked.
From what know of their various con-
versations and the plans that were laid
AhVhtHS III ADVANCE L DeueNe tndt thor
ough investigation OF the bureau of stalls
ties would show that the real acreage re-
duction was from IS to % per cent and NOT
1l12 as announced on June g. / would sug-
gest or ask. that a further statement be
made or asked for from the Agricultural
department as TO what they found by in
Yestigating 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 i had nothing to do
with the plans made by these parties to
manipulate the government figures but
merely on legal advice and In the hope of
doing great public service followed the
pan as outlined and advised by my attor-
ney. and at the proper time took such
measures as | deemed right and just to the
cotton trade and to the Agricultural De-
partment.