Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-04
CENSUS OFFICE BULLETIN
Statement by President Taylor of Ma
tional Ginners' Association.
REPLY TO DIRECTOR NORTH
MI. Taylor Insists There Was Leak in
Bureau on December l
a. Report.

President Taylor of the National
Cotton Ginners' Association alleges
that a discrepancy in the figures
given regarding the cotton crop in
recent report OF the census bureau
cost the southern states SIo,ooo,ooo.
He also expresses the belief that
there was a leak in the bureau &c
garding December I report.
II have found out that. Intentionally as L
believe. the January 16 cotton report of the
census bureau included from one to seven
days more ginning than should have been
included. This report Will cost the south
sl0,0O0,OO0,' said President ]. A. Taylor OF
the National Ginners' Association at the
National Hotel last evening.
Mr.. Taylor has been In the city for the
past eight days looking into the matter OF
the compiling of the government cotton re-
ports. and says he bases his statements on
the most careful study of the facts in the
case.
The discrepancy in the census report
he continued, was caused by the way the
instructions were given to the government
agents, asking them TO get from the GIN
ners the amount of cotton ginued TO date
and the amount they expected to gin.
These agents started on their rounds the
10Th Of January, and some of them did not
finish securing their data until seven days
later.
The glnners, believing that the amount Of
cotton already ginned, and that which was
yet to be g!uned, was to be added together
for total report. were not careful TO give
tie amount ginned TO date. January Is, but
in many instances gave the agents the num-
ber OF bales ginned TO the date when they
were approached, say on the nth or the 23d
day of the month. The census report, In
Guiding all Of this cotton, purported TO in
ciude only that ginned up until the evening
of January 10, and was consequently very
much too large.
Figures Given by Mr. North.
"Nlr. North's report was 999s, 900 bales,
while there had been ginned only approxI-
mately 9,s970OO, as IS shown by the report
of our association, which is carefully pre-
pared to include only January Is.
Instead of the crop being larger this
year than it was last year 1t was smaller.
The government report caused a decline of
bale IN the price, and as the south
today has about 100000 bales unsold, the
loss was SlO,Opp,GOO There was also a loss
OF 100000 in our trade balance with for
eign countries as a result of the report"
Mr.. Taylor said his attention had been
tdlleu 10 what director North OF the census
bureau said In an interview in The Star of
January 81, and that he wished to reply to
IT, Mr. Taylor then gave out the follow
ing statement:
First to my criticism of his depart
ment: have never made a criticism with
out first giving Mr.. North a chance TO clear
up the matter. December Il ! was informed
on good authority that the December l re-
port was known In Boston one day before
IL was issued
"As the returns were not all in at that
time IL looked rather suspicious, and as our
report did not agree with the census de-
partment In Texas, by very large amount
l wired Mr. North as follows: viii you
give TO the Associated Press or mail TO me
Texas?
The Reply Received.
After asking for a reply the second
time I got the following: December 1 re-
port not made public December 10; report
viii be mailed you the 22d.
Il wired back asking II 1t were possible
that he had made an error IN the December
! report on Texas and asking whether 1
might see the figures when / came to this
city. Ten hours later he replied that no
mistakes had been made.
Mr.. North states that leak has never
been discovered from his office. / think he
is mistaken. While it has not been proven,
l have furnished him the source of my
information and the parties quoted are re-
liable and could be made to give their evi-
dence under oath. / would say that II
would be almost impossible to keep a leak
from occurring, as / know of five people
besides Mr.. North who have access TO the
TO4 kilograms received from the south. so
that they could easily copy the figures ana
70 rhp additions elsewhere"