The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-06
JORDAN REPLIES TO NORTH
Gives Reasons for His Contentious That
Estimates as to Amount of Cotton
Remaining to be Ginned should be
Made Public.

Atlanta, Ga, February l-Presi-
dent Harvie Jordan of the Southern
Cotton Association, today replied to
the statement of Census Director North
which appeared yesterday. Mr.. Jor-
dan said:
eff the law of the census Office pre-
vents Director North from gathering
estimates as to the amounts of cotton
remaining to be ginned for public use
then the law clearly does not contem-
plate thai the director should be per-
mitted to gather these estimates from
the ginners for the directors private
use. criticized the director for gath
ering detailed definite information
from ginners, regarding their estimate
of their percentage of cotton remaining
to be ginneG in their respective locali-
ties after January Is, 1906. He could
lust as we'll have asked rs ginning
over:" and secured all the information
he claims to have wanted. Following
is an exact copy Of the three ques-
tions asked all ginners by the census
bureau January 16:
Number of bales ginned to date
from growth of 1905.
Average weight per bale, including
hagging and ties.
ESTIMATED number Of bales yet to
be ginned from growth OF 19o5 by
| your establishment"
His card to the ginners also states:
This report must include all cotton
ginned this season from 1905 up to
January Is, 1906. and the estimated
| quantity to be ginned on and after
that date Why these continuous
instructions for specific, carefully pre-
| pared estimates if the census depart
| ment only wanted to know what gins
| to in the March report.
.'On October 16, 1905, | wired MI.
| North the following:
eff possible notify your agents TO
| get from ginners estimate on balaIce
| of crop unginned.'
"Mr. North replied:
"'The census law requires us TO
| count the crop, not estimate It. All
| crop estimates are b exclusive 1uhc-
| tions of the department of agriculture.
Three months later we find the d.
rector actively engaged in gather nS
carefully prepared estimates ON the
balance of the crop to be ginned, from
each individual ginner in the south
This estimate was known in the ONCE
of the census bureau on January 70,
when the figures on the amount or cot
ton ginned I'D to that date were given
ont. Theodore Price issued a circular
Immediately following the publication
OF the census figures Of 9,988,1ll as
sinned, that 100000 bales were SUI
unginned. Mr.. North had carefully
Lrepared' estimates from every ginner
in the south showing the percentage
OF cotton remaining to be ginned, and
had this been given out promptly to
the public, with proper statements
the heavy depression in the marker
ruuld have been avoided. II Mr.. North
is working IN the interest of southern
COTTON growers. he ought to give them
the full benent If all valuable lnfor'
nation gathered through his depart
ment.
"Mr North also asked the ginuers
for the average weight OF bales, aac
not the weight Of each bales lh'
comnilation of these estimates IRON
the rinners could, therefore, have peer
comnleted and given O as quickly
as me amounts reported as glnneo
and the full reports on all question:
asked the ginners January 16 coult
have been given to the public at tn
same time. AS it is, We are forces
to the expedient of calling upon Cor
eress to require q disclosure of puDii
Information of vital importance wnlci
has been lying concealed in the ofhc
OF the census director since Januar.
22."