The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-16

but the people behind the guns were too strong and too persistent, and the in- vestigation getting into hands indepen- dent of the department was pushed to successful issue. Statistican Holmes was literally caught with the goods on him. and others who are mixed up with him in the nefarious business are likely to be pulled into the full limelight of publicity with chance of exile behind the bars as a glorious wind up Holmes has been caught but how many as guilty as he were allowed to escape before he ap- peared on the stage?
 The crop reporting bureau has been source of scandal and corruption for more than twenty-five years. The bu- reau was established on the theory that 1t was going to be of substantial benefit to the farmers. Millions of dollars have been spent in it's maintenance and 1t is very doubtful the farmers have not been injured more than they have been helped by the governments attempts at guess ing Every official method that has been employed in the collection of crop sta- tistics and in their accurate compilation has proved defective. They are nearly always at variance with trade conclusions and the trade is more often right than the government In the final analysis the record of the commercial movement ot grain, cotton and live stock tells the true story and almost invariably this story is I at variance with official estimates bear ing the brand of government endorse- ment The prices current on the boards of trade and exchanges represent rom day to day the best judgment or the trade as to the values of the various commodities dealt in. Tens of thousands of merchants and dealers, each one having private sources of information and each struggling for the truth, go into the open market of the world every puslness day of the year and sell or buy as their Judgment dictates.
 Supplementing this mass of information is a further collection of facts made by an array of railroad men with view of forelnowledge of tonnage requirements. Horticultural implement manufacturers with more than $100,000 invested have ln- dependent agencies at work getting hoia of facts with regard to growing crops that they may be able to form intelligent estl- mates of the future needs CT the agfieui- tural sections. On top of this banks make if their business to keep informed or crop conditions. And this knowledge IS re- feeted in price movement on the ex- changes It Is there to be read Dy every body and this record is as easy or inter- preation and correct construction py the poorest farmers as by the richest banker or bv the most powerful specuiator Why then, it is asked. IS lt HeVeSsoi5 ,oA si' government to mix in with teeoie ana futile efforts, often milfuliy misulree'ea, seeking to add to this marvellous store of facts. Official efforts so far have been subject to rightful criticism They have often been proved inaccurate and un- trustworthy and only the brand or the department has given them value. II IS reasonably certain under the cirmeum- stances that the halls of Congress Will next winter witness strong nght against further continuance or the gov ernment crop reporting establishment.
 Theodore Price.
 Theodore II. Price is virtuously and nroperly indignant that he should De ac- cused of having paid money for advance information of the governments cotton reports. Perish the thought that MT. Price should be guilty of anything or thls sort Mr Price and others or ms kihd in Wall street subject to the closest scru- tiny all information and news that comes to them bearing on prices 1T they hiiu if tainted they turn it down witn great severity They have an unconquerapie preiudice against making money ny the use of tainted information, advance or otherwise. They will have nothing to do with news that does not bear the prahu of nurity. It is therefore no surprise 10 the street that MT. Price should rise up and denounce with vehemence stories put in circulation tending to cast reproach on Kim in this particular. In Wal street. as in many other communities. the crlme is not so much in commission or partici- patton in illicit practices as In pelns caught but MT. Price in this case enters