The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-23

Agriculture for the particular kind OF
crookedness that was found in the
Post Office Department The recent
frame of mind of the Secretary has
not been unlike that of Postmaster
General Payne in the earlier stages OF
the partial investigation of the Post
Office Department. The pathos OF IL
s nothing new. 1t has been mani
tested again and again during the
past two or three years at least In
connection with cotton, and the
American public will pity the sorrows
of a poor old man who has been SO
grievously imposed on. This pathetic
situation was especially acute in the
season of 1903-1904. At this moment
it may be of interest to recall 1t.
Just about the time that the crop Oh
1903 was to come upon the Harhel
men who realize the great 1nflence
which may be eXerted upon the trace
of the country by an utterance OF
Cabinet officer were aStOunded py an
interview from Secretary Wilson bear
ing upon the prices of cotton then
prevailing He said that the proSpecl
of the crop had nothing TO DO Win
the operations of the spectators, tnal
the shortage of raw cocon Tor the
manufacturer was not due 10 snort
age in the crop, that the producer hau
not profitted by the high prices, ana
the Workingmen who are thrown OUT
of employment by the mills closing
down, the cause of the scarcity OF raw
cotton, until the corner In COTTON
bursts and the price of the raw ma
terial is reduced" The interview
with its free illusions to gamblers
and it's obvious bear tendency was
published August 81, 1903, when mid
ding cotton in New Orleans closed
at II 5-S cents "a pound. 1t was re-
scented and sharply criticised by Cen
eral Matthew c. Butler, OF South Car
olina who summarized the secretary
statements as follows:
IT should say that they amounted
to an unwarranted and, it seems 10
mo rather wanton Characterization of
reputable business men, doing DuSi-
ness in a legitimate and honorable
way, as common gamblers. Inat, dnu
a number of bogeys, apparently the
emanation of Secretary wilson's rain
or vast lack of information on What
he was talking about, seem TO me
about all the pronunciamento comes
to-
In reply to this Secretary Wilson
was ouoted August oath as follows
II hope the business men of whom
Gen. Butler speaks will see to it that
these prices continue until the cotton.
grower sells the coming crop. 81
that should be done l will make trip
to South Carolina, find General Butter
if he should be there, take OH my nat
TO him and say to him that l regard
him as a great public benefactor VINO
has been able to see further ahead
into the future than we poor felioWs
i'm the Department of Agriculture.
But if, on the other hand, IT snoufd
occur that the price of cotton is
dropped when the farmer gets READY
l.:
cents instead Of IS or IL cents, then,
of course, L shall still adhere to my
opinion that the manipulation OF the
present cotton corner by the gamblers
of whom I spoke is doing infinite mis-
chief"
Still. in spite of these interviews,
there was little material change IN
prices until the publication OF the
monthly report of the Department
Sentember 3rd. This showed the av-
erage condition of cotton on August
25th to have been 81.2, as compared
with 79.7 on July 25th, and 1O-year
average of 724 In New York city
prices dropped 81 bale on Septem-
Der delivery, the drop having .DeguI
abruptly even before the report was
at the disposal of the general pubic.
and. according to the New Sun, 1t was
freely said around the exchange thal
the figures in the report had leaked
The damage done to cotton-groWers IL
indicated by the fact that CLOSING
prices for middling New orleans COT
ron i'm New Orleans fell from IL IL
cents September 4th to 1-S cents
october 3, and but slowly recovered
tn - IL cents December 4th. Bu
IL must be noted that Secretary WI,
sons expectation of or Scent cottoi
did not materialiZe within the yea
following his unwarranted interview
that the lowest closing price at New
orleans was Is cents OCTOBER AM
not the price reached as high as
rs cents March IL, 1904. But he Oh
MOI hunt up General Butler to tax
off his hat. The recovery AFTER NC
tober 1st followed the monthly repor
of the Agricultural Department
October 3rd, showing that the aVeras
condition of the crop September Zatl
was 65.1 as compared with SIX
,nontb before. and a 10-year average
of GA In the official announcement
such a slump in condition was sug
gested i'm the publication as due Z
damage from rust, shedding, ofougni
caterpillars and worms throughout tins
cotton States and particularly py IN
boll-weevil and boll-Worm III IeAa7
The slump did not outWardly rum
the Department, though 1T was Ia
more significant in dimensions ans
chara cter than the change IN conui
ttion of cotton between August L4ti
and September 18th. 1901. from a.
10 GA, which was specially noted a
the time by the Department.
Notwith standing the phenomena
slump in the condition of the crop o
1903, as officially reported, from 81.
to 61.1 it does not seem to have dawn
ed upon the Secretary that he hat
been imposed upon in reaching thu
state of mind responsible for his in
terview OF August goth; that he hat
given undue Importance to reports
about competition of foreign coun
tries in cotton-g growing, sedulousl.
collected and circulated broadcast il
this country through another depart
ment of the government and that h
had too exaggerated an idea of tn
value and ability of some of his as
sociates in his own Department. Blu
current criticisms seem to have bee
grazed in the report of Acting Stats
tici:n Edwin S. Holmes, Jr., unde
date of October goth, 1908. His re
port reflected the dispute, then as
suming large proportions. as to tn
relative accuracy of cotton statistic
gathered by the Department of Ayr