The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-07
ALLEGED CROP REPORT LEAKS
MR.. CHEATHAM SAYS BE WILL
PRESENT CHARGES TO-DAY.
Has Asked President Of southern Cotton
GrOwers' Association to Meet Him
I'm WashlnEt Arc Not
Made nv the Association Itself.

GrOWerp At0cleuon 70 Meet hiHi
I'm ashinEton-Charges Arc Not
Made by the Association Itself.
Richard Chatham, secretary OF the
Southern Cotton Growers Association,
returning from Washin gton early yester-
day morning, secured afidavits and other
papers with which ne had neglected to
provide himself on his trip to Washing
ton on Monday. These papers, he said.
completed the chain OF evidence by which
he expects to show that Government crop
reports have boon given out in advance
to favored persons and have been falsifed
and manipulated in the interest Of bears In
cotton.
Mr.. Cheatham had conference in the
Office Of Wall Street law firm at 7 O'Clock
yesterday morning with attorneys and
others interested In correcting the alleged
Irregularities. He then telegraphed to
Harvie Jordan Of Monticello. Ga, who Is
president Of the Southern Cotton Growers
Association, asking Mr.. Jordan to meet him
in Washin gton to-day, when Mr.. Cheatham
intends to present his testimonyto President
Roosevelt and Secretary Wilson.
Not wishing to run the risk Of losing any
Of his papers, Mr.. Chestham sent all the
documents In the case to Washing ton by
express and they will remain in an express
oompany's safe until his arrival. He de-
clined to divulge the names Of the dealers
to whom Government crop statistics are
alleged 10 have been given out in advance
OF publication or for whom the reports are
alleged to have been falsihed, nor would
he specify the name or names Of the Gov
eminent employee or employees whom
his evidence duplicates.
"All that care to say, he said, SIS that
am extremely we'll satisfied with the evil
denoe we have secured. 1t has been
difficult matter, and We have been at work
on 1t for months. I think 1t will cause
publication in the Bureau OF Statistics
that is very much needed"
In regard to other phases Of tho case Mr..
Cheatham talked freely.
-On Jan. "a Of this year" he said, AN
interstate cotton convention was held in
New Orleans. 1t was attended by 5000
planters, bankers and others interested.
and resulted in the formation Of our ASSOC
citation One OF our first movements was
campaign for the reduction Of the acreage.
This campaign we prosecuted vigorously,
pledges from over o, 600 planters to reduce
their output.
we planters had long felt that there
must be some leak from the Bureau Of
Statistics Of the Department Of Agncul-
ture, for the market always changed sew
eral days before the report was published.
Wall Street discounted the reports several
days In advance, you know.
Our suspicious increased and, as we Sc
cured reports from our own experts. settled
into a conviction that the Government
reports were tempered with.
DTeDAT1nR
means to obtain accuracy. Cotton men Of
the ten States in the cotton belt are repre-
sented in our association and every one Of
these States has State organization with
offices in most cases in the State capitol.
There is county organization in every
county reporting to the State organization,
and in every county there are districts
from which bankers planters and other men
Of prominence and reliability make reports.
The system is complete, and the men in it
are chosen on account Of their standing
and their knowledge Of local conditions.
AT our main offices in Atlanta we COM
piled May 81 from 1900 correspondents
reports regarding the acreage. Our totals
showed reduction of 10 .43 per cent. in acre
Government report showed reduction OF
but ia per cent, q difference Of per cent
Last year the acreage was in round numbers
81. 100 900. According to our report, it is this
year rs, $50 coo; according to the Government
IL Is 20. lIlcIt you nave d
of 100000 acres between our figures and
those Of the Government. 1t is astoundingl
-In the charges I shall make tomorrow
I shall not confine myself TO the June 2
Government report. but will show that
the same praotises have been in operation |
in previous reports for several months. |
Incidentally, we will show also that the !
Governm ent wheat reports have also been |
given out In advance Of publication.
In my opinion, the condition of affairs I
In the Bureau Ia outrageous, In my opinion, |
also. manipulation Of the Government crop |
reports to the advantage Of bear specu |
lators is more. damaging to the country |
than were all the frauds in the Post Office !
Department.
ATLANTA, Ca, June s-Harvie Jordan,
president OF the Southern Cotton Growers
arrived here to-day from
South Carolina and declared that he knew
nothing more about Mr.. Cheatham's charges
than what he had seen published. He said
that Mr.. Cheatham WAS making his nvesti-
cations for certain outside persons (whose
names President Jordan did not know
and that the charges were not preferred
by the association officially.
Il think that the Governm ent's acreage
report Ia incorrect said Mr.. Jordan. II
am not prepared TO say, however, that it
was falsified or that il was allowed to leak
out in advance, Charges OF this kind
ia We been made but never proved
Mr.. Jordan added that he did not know
Who the BIZ ker mentioned by Mr.. Cheat
nal was. and reiterated his abatement that
he association was simply investigating
charges brought before II, as it had the
light to do under all circumstances.