The Washington times., 1905-07-19

The facts, it is explained are that Mr..
OImStead was for some time working In
the Philippines. and having no occasion
10 spend 1t saved considerable amour.
from his salary. When he returned u
the States he did invest some Of his
savings in Steel stocks. They were
bought as an investment and not on
margins.
This was Mr. Olmstead's 5 statement It
was fully sustained by the investigation.
The transaction was not considered an
Objectionable one, and there is no pres
ent reason for the belief that il will dis
advantage Mr. Olmstead in his rela tions
with the department.
II will be the policy of the Department
of Agriculture, under the new oFganiZa-
tion of the Bureau of Statistics, to per-
feet that service and make II as usefuI
and reliable as possible.
The general policy of the Government
reports has not been affected, and is en-
tirely unlikely to be affected as a re-
suit of the recent scandals: Assistant
Secretary WiIlct NJ. HAYS, who has been
placed temporarily in charge of the
Bureau of Statistics, viii devote his al,
tention For an indefinite time TO perfect
ing the work, under the new rules re
Gently promulgated by Secretary VIII
son. and devising such other checks anu
safeguards as viii assure the greatest
posSilSe accuracy and fairness
Prof. Hays eXpeetS then to retire and
resume his regular duties assisting the
Secretary and the general work OF the
department.
II nave had some experience with the
work OF this bureau in some of its gen
erai Investigations, said Prof. Havs TO
a Times reporter and have assisted
somewhat in handlir~ its business at
times since coming to Washington.
My predictions and experience make
me favor a crop report by the Govern
mos- complete and reliable possible The
Government report is somewhat OF a
guarantee to producers and consumers
against manipulation or sT5eculatGTs.
Tafai vsTTsy
wants IL and cares to pay the price can
make crop report Of his own. But the
Government can best be relied on Tor
such a report as will reDresent at all
times the facts without bias or interest
The Government report IS the protec-
| ton alike TO producer and consumer. II
must command the confidence of both.
When il does it will restrict greatly the
opportunity of the speculator to control
prices in NE interest OF his own particu-
lar schemes Of pro1it-mal1tng.
The big crOp-repOrting Organiza ton Of
which Prof. Hays becomes the chief
has been many years in building Mr.
Hyde became its chief eight years ago.
having been taken from the position of
chief of the Department Of Agricultural
statistics of the census of 1900
The organization now gathers infOrma-
| ton from more than 100000 people. There
| is first a crop reporter for every State.
| then for every county in the United
States who makes reports based on the
! county as the geographical unit.
Then there Is correspondent in every
/ township in the county. who makes the
| township. precinct, parish. or whatever
| it may be called. according to the sec
ton of country. the geographical unit
! for his work.
| Finally. there are some field agents
who travel over their particular di1-
| tricts, making themselves perfectly IA
1niliar with conditions and enabling
i them to shed light on the general con-
| clusions reached from averaging the
detailed reports.