The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
From Our Regular Correspondent

1t was the old story of shearing the
pig, much cry and little wool" when
the House of Representatives today
secured the publication of the ''unginn-
ed cotton report" from the Census
office. There was a great turmoil made
over the matter in advance and the
whole system of government crop re-
porting was turned upside down when
Mr.. Crumpacker reported the resolu-
ton calling for information. 1t was
information that would never have
been made public by the Director Of
the Census of his own accord. mere
guess at the amount Of uiginned cotton
on hand based on the report of about
half the ginners. When the report
came to the House the figures were
proceeded by terse statement from
the Director saying he was merely com.
plying with the demand of the House
but he did not stand sponsor for the
figures in any way. The Speaker took
a look at the statement and refused to
have anything to do with it either, say
ing that he had enough information TO
disburse without bothering with misin-
formation The sheet was accord
ingly not even read on the floor but
was carried off by clerk to the file
room and read. read wrong as it hap
pened. to the correspondents. They
first telegraphed the wrong figures and
then had to send a correction of them.
Nothing has been gained by this at
tempt to make the House of Repre-
sentatiyes the medium for disseminat-
ing produce gambling information.
The question remains whether any good
comes Of this government dabbling in
crop reports anyhow. Possibly II is
just as well, so long as the public will
speculate in crops. either foodstufFs or
cotton. that the government should
collect the statistics and give everyone
measurably even chance at them.
II the government would not collect
them. they would be gathered by some
private agency and possibly the money
invested on the Produce Exchange
would be lost by a larger and won by
more restricted groug than ever.
As the case now stands, the wheat
statistics collected by the government
are neither so prompt, accurate nor
complete as the private report Of the
great Armour cliques in Chicago. Still
the government report helps somewhat
to keep a check on the private report
and II speculation were not so fierce il
might be Of some use to the legitimate
trader. But the idea Of having such
statistics dragged into the House and
given cut from the Speakers desk.
whether they are correct or not. is a
lit.le bizarre TO contemplate. Il Is not
likely that there will be any more
efforts made In this direction.
10
a much more humane and practical
question than gathering Of crop sta.
tistics, is being argued out in com.
mittee in the House. That is whether
the cattle that are being hauled To.
market shall be subjected to more or
less torture before they are killed. As
the law stands now. cattle in transit
to the great slaughter houses II Omaha
and Chicago may not be- carried more
than y hours on the railroad without a
stop for food and water. This law
was long dead letter. but in the mast
two years Il has been enforced. so FAR
as he was able. by the present. Score.
tary u Agriculture. The cattle men
claim that u does not pay to be 20 ten. |
-. :. q li:e'r ho s---r, Ihcy have 30 far
that he Is willing to allow the extern.
sion Of the law 10 &c hours. But m,
Humane Societies have stepped in and
demanded that there shall be- more
frequent instead Of less frequent s,ops
or else the cattle shall be transported
in cars with ecd and watering accom-.
modaiions. One solution. II il wer,
proved that the expense involved in
treating the cattle deccntly were really
prohihitiye. would be TO move tho
slaughter huuses closer To the centers
OF cattle ~ duetion and thus save the
long haul d i've cattle altogether #,
Is really cheaper TO haul dressed beef
han live uc and the Big Four
makes enough on il refrigerator cars
to warrant rutting in the additional
equipment. But tne greed and creed
OF the catil .uyer makes the addition
OF even Hacti9n Of cent on the
hunredw, ig look like an almos, Grim.
NAL waste There Is no doub, Al all
hat II 't" Humane Societies had not
stepped In tuI made the 6Fht that the
torture of laughter destined eattl.
would have b,vn carried exactly 10 tho
point WIZ" he loss in live weight
would ha' Hslanccd the saving in
iood and ny. The beef magna,e
Fan aprr humanity whcn !,
lnt,.l.. 4