The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-19
ESTIMATES FALL
FAR FROM FACTS
Continued From First Page.

. p
the number Of. swine, at 37,OO0,000
while the census showed it to be 3d.
OO0,OOO; on CATTLE other than milch
cows the bureau estimated the number
at 28,000,000, and the census figures
were 51,o00,o0o. II.
Farm Animals.
"Making full allowance for the diff
ference in farm animals due to the nat
Jan. l to June 1, less the decrease by
slaughter and otherwise, during the
same period,'' says the report, " these
discrepancies are too great to be sus-
ceptible Of excuse. I'VE can see no
possible justification for making and
publishing such figures as these. It is
quite obvious that an observer who
might be able to Judge with some &C.
curacy the condition Of the cotton crop
or the wheat crop In his locality on
giixge?n date, would have much greater
clusion as to the number Of domestic
animals in his territory on a given
date. III: asr,,: s,,s<%s.ssa : -.
| The condition Of the staple grow
ing crops is, open and patent to obsery-
alton. Men 8 judgments may differ
when asked to express their views In
percentage figures, but the crop can at
least 5be seen and observed. Such is
true In much less degree of farm ami.
mails. .-A -... ~. .csfa4@
Method IS Criticized:
"we should espeeet,s in figures ar
rived at thru ipertefltages estimates,
| comparing the NUN Der Of domestic ami.
| matsfin any year with the preceding
year, and SO on for a series 1of years,
wide divefgencies from actual results
when checked up against the results Of
a farm to farm enumeration once in
| ten years by the bureau Of the census.
The subject of inquiry and the method
Of. inquiry are wholly unsuited to each
| other: The same is true to large de-
gree in the case Of all minor crops. It
is said that there is demand from the
| public for information on these sub,
jects, but the information it demands
is accurate information.
"Indeed, the wide divergence of the
results obtained by the bureau Of sta
tistics from the actual results arrived
at by the census, in the. case not only
of livestock, but Of all crops other than
cotton, justifes, we think, the conclu
sion that the methods and results must
! be improved materially, or the service
! SuOulU Uo U1SCOuGluueQ. ~. Fl
What Wilson Says.
| AS to the recommendations Of the
commission looking to an Improvement
. in the work Of the statistical bureau
Secretary Wilson declared that many
Of the changes suggested actually hat
been made in the department and wer'
now and had been for a long time il
! force. He declared that the increased
sphere of usefulness of the state agent
! was no new idea, as it had originated
in his department. and he needed onl,
the necessary additional appropriation
to put it into effect The proposition
however, to do away with the $500
agents and correspondents, he said, wa
. radical and one which needed careful
, consideration. ~ = .".a
Most Of the reforms recommended b
the commission, Secretary Wilson sale
being matters Of law, would require az
tion by congress before they could be
come effective.
i Accuracy Of Figures.
The accuracy Of the department IS fis
ures as compared with those Of the eel
sus bureau, which the commission make
! a conspicuous feature of it's report, wa
a subject which the secretary seemed t
, to take more seriously than anythin
else: He pointed with pride to tn
small fractions Of difference betwee
the department g estimates Of the pr,
I duction Of cotton and those Of the Gel
! sus bureau based on the ginner's r.
, port.
j "When,'' he said In reply to a que
i tion regarding other crops mentione
by the commission, "should we go an
e further in order to test the accurac
|. of our -work9 IF our figures tally
E closely with those Of the census bures
q as to cotton, upon which we have som
q thing to base a comparison, upon VIII:
theory is it presumed that our fgur
are inaccurate regarding the other cro1
comparison?
The secretary said the whole matt
would have to be carefully considers
n by him.
u Personnel Of Board.
Concerning the personnel Of the crt
= estimating board, Secretary Wilson sa
: he had about determined upon prom
= nent southern man for appointment
: the vacancy on the board created by 81
2 death of Mr.. Hutchins, and that in d
course he would relieve Assistant Seer
: tary Hays as the acting head Of Il
statistical bureau in order that
:, might resume the general work Of t,
department.
i Hearing on Marshall's Bill.
t. Special to Tie Journal
r Washington. Jan. 19.-The ways a,
I means committee today, by unanimo