Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-07-08
Correspondence of the Alexandra Gazette
Washington. ID. c., July 8.

| hands on his own NOOK anu pIonteu az
only a man with his information could
during the tumultous seasons the New
York Cotton Exchange has experienced
in recent years.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson this
morning formally dismissed Edwin F.
Holmes, associate statistician, from the
government service, on the ground the
he had furnished advance informant
of official crop reports to spectators u
that he manipulated the figures Dee
reports for speculative purpos 1'
report of the investigation b.
service shows that Holme
one occasion received =
firm of brokers, presu'lai lr d.
vance information al i'. isac-
ton was disguised '. .yment
for the sale of g stock
which, it is 50 ally worth
less. Secre' communicated
Yesterday ,ts d States AttOr-
ney for ra Columbia for the
purpc ing whether or not
Ho' e. fosecuted, but learned
4 10 statute covering his
c.
10 discharging Associate
ues as result of the in
ie charges preferred by
... IAN, Of the Southern Cot
f .,s IS Association, Secretary Will
DAY promulgated an order which
iii surround the collection and cOmpila-
ton of government statistics regarding
crops with additional safeguards as to
accuracy and will prevent advance lnfor-
nation reaching the public. The Bureau
of Statistics will be thoroughly reorgan-
lied; reports from field agents of the de-
partment will remain sealed in the Gus
iody of The Secretary or acting Secretary
of Agriculture. until the day the official
report is to be made up. In this con-
nection. Mr.. Wilson makes the following
announcements "There will never
be at any time in the possession OF
the Bureau of Statistics, or of any one
office of the department, except
while the compilation of the official re-
port is being made, complete information
from the correspondents of all the cotton
States. Texas and Georgia, two of the
largest cotton producing States, will be
separated from the group of reports from
townships and counties. Hereafter there
will be three federal special field
agents, instead of one assigned to the
work of collecting statistics for the cot
ton crop reports. These agents will
have no communication with each other
and will report on different groups of
States. There will be no more Opportu-
nity for advance information on reports
of speculative crops. In the report OF
the Secret Service, Edwin 5. Holmes,
former associate satistician, is the only
departmental employee implicated, and |
have dismissed him from the service of
the department. "
Victor H. Olmsted, has been appoint
ed Associate Statistician of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, to succeed Edwin
5. Holmes, discharged. Olmsted for
some time past, held the position as
Chief of Domestic Crop Reports, was
formerly Assistant StatisticiaD. Assis-
tant Director of the Censuses of Cuba
and the PHILIPPINES.
Lieutenant General Acna R. Chat
fee, chief of staff L. S. army, returned
to this city today after an absence of
four days on pleasure trip down the
Potomac in a yacht owned by Brigadier
General William Crozier, chief of
ordnance. When the party of three,
consisting of Generals Chafiee and
Crozier and Captain Wheeler, of the Ord
nance Department, left this city on
July Sd, they only intended remaining
away over July 4th, but the machinery of
their boat broke down at the mouth of
Machqdoc creek where they were delayed
ill repairs were made.
Chairman Keeps committee, investi-
eating the big purchase of Lanston
typesetting machines for the Govern
ment Printing Office, has dug up some
interesting information relative TO
Special Report No. s." furnished Pub
lie Printer Palmer by Chief Engineer
w. II. Tapley, and Auditor E. T. Bush
uell. On this report the contract for Y
Lanston machines was made, but the
searching inquiry of the committee
shows that the report was ambiguous,
promised additional Investigation, and
in one or two important details
stated inaccurate figures upon the
cost of work done by the Lanston.
The statement was made that the cost OF
composition with the Lanston was lit
tie more than "a cents per | 1000 ems,
while the cost with Merganthalers is "a
cents and by hand composition 81 cents.
la the appendix. however, it was shown
that the actual cost with LanstODs was
81 cents, "plus." What the last word
means in this connection, the investiga-
tors have been unable to learn. John K.
Berg. foreman of the record room and
president of the Columbia Typographical
Union, is the only man so far examined
who talks abou: Lanston stock. He ad-
mitted purchasing 1000 shares at 9
year ago, and selling it about election
time at Is. Testimony 80 far taken
shows that the Meganthaler machines do
as good book work as the government
printers can ask. The chief claim made
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