The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-20

tEIC IAOuSt SOIil1IIlllte.
Washington, February 16.-'Gentle-
men, cotton is king today. Cotton
statistics are now on trial" With
these words Chairman Wadsworth of
the u committee on agriculture
opened the general hearing on crop
statistics before his committee today.
Assistant Secretary Hayes, of the de-
partment Of agriculture; President
Harvie Jordan, of the Southern Cot
ton Association, Atlanta, Ga; J. A.
Taylor, president of the National Gin
ner's' Association, Dallas, Texas, and
many southern members Of congress-,
representing planters, were at the
bearing.
Assistant Secretary Hayes was the
first speaker. He gave in detail the
plan of the department of agriculture
for gathering statistics and changes
recently made in the system Of the bu-
eau of statistics. He said the depart
lIcIIl lupus L w lSldIu Tic CIbp 1t
porting board; to have 5000 county re-
porting agents; forty II district
agents and several supervising inspec-
tors who shall travel and instruct dis
trict agents. Different codes were to
be furnished each district agent
monthly and the agents reports are to
be glyen to computers in sections, to
avoid the possibility of leakage. With
perfected reports Mr.. Hayes said the
markets would be Lss affected. Ere
quent and accurate reports would
work against the Spectator he said
and the weather bureau reports will
furnish a guide as to conditions for
the time between reports.
MI. Hayes said the department of
agriculture would be benefited greatly
by having more agricultural statistics
at its command. He said an acreage
census should be taken every fve
years, and would be of great assistance
to the r estimating board.
When asked about the accuracy of
the cotton estimates for last year, MI.
Hayes said that judged by statistics on
ginning, the cotton report was within
two per cent of the actual production
Mr.. Jordan said he believed the re-
ports of the bureau of statistics had
been fairly accurate, and he said he
believed if the information gathered
by the department could be safeguard
ed its reports would be generally CON
sidered satisfactory as far as they
could.
| nthe opinion of Mr.. Jordan the gov
uo,oo~ ,ro, In;on nn1r ono half of
its duty to cotton interests. He said the
reports were all for the use of the con-
sumner and of little value to producers.
He urged that estimates on the proba-
bic consumption of cotton should be
made by federal authorities. Through
American consuls, he said, statistics
could be gathered abroad. OF the
census bureau, Mr.. Jordan said 1t
should not attempt to deal in facts
concerning crops unless 1t be equipped
to handle facts.
James r. Mccall, president of the
New England Cotton Manufacturers
Association said a uniform bale
should be agreed upon for use in COM
putatiOns, as the various bales confuse
reports and encourage Wild speculation.
He urged that III giving out condition
REPORTS figures should not be given,
but the crop should be described as
merely fair poor" etc. AS condi
ton reports are speculations rather
than positive facts, he said, it is wrong
for the department to name a nAed
amount. Mr.. McCaP said he
a cotton estimate about December l,
to come out on the day with the GIN
ners report, but denounced the keep
commission plan to have several re-
ports a year and said a multiplicity OF
reports would encourage speculation
and keep the market constantly dis
turbed.
President Taylor Of the National
Ginners Association, congratulated the
department of agriculture on its cot
ton reports and said the totals had
been quite accurate. but the reports on
separate states had varied greatly n
consequently the spectators had avail
ed themselves of these discrepancies.
Mr. Taylor said the department ad-
mitted that it takes the report of four
or five correspondents in the south,
in preference to the reports Of all
other correspondents. He urged that
the ginning report of the census bu-
reau and the cotton production report
of the department of agriculture should
be combined under n head. This. he
said, would simplify the compilation
Of both reports and lessen their cost
favored a uniformity of terms in