The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-01-25
CROP REPORT
MADE PUBLIC
SECRETARY KEEP GIVES OUT
CROP ESTIMATE.
DOES NOT APPROVE METHOD
Abandonment Of Estimating is Rec
commended Unless Improvement
Can Be Made. - State Agents
Salaries Should DO Increased.

Washington, D. G., January 21.-
The report of the Commission of
Department Methods, better known
as the Keep Commission, on the crop
estimating bureau of the department
of agriculture has been made public
and is taken by those who have fol-
lowed the situation at that depart
ment since the cotton leaks scandal
of last summer, to be in the nature Of
a white wash for Secretary Wilson.
There was disagreement among the
member of the committee over their
recommendations after the investi-
cation was completed, and the report
as finally drawn was a compromise.
One member of the committee who
is perhaps better qualified than any
Of the others to pass upon the meth
DDS of the crop estimating was strong
ly in favor Of recommending the
transfer Of the bureau from the de-
partment of Agriculture to. the de-
partment Of Commerce and Labor
Secretary Wilson heard that the other
members of the committee were in
clined to this view and raised row.
The result Of his vigorous kick was
that the report was altered, some of
its statements softened down and the
idea of recommending the transfer of
the bureau.
That part Of the report dealing with
the field correspondents of the bureau
meets with the approval of the Sou
thern congressman who are familiar
with the inefficiency Of many of the
men from whom the state agents get
their figures. There appears to be no
chance at this time for the removal of
the crop estimating bureau from Sec
rotary Wilson's hands.
The recommendation of the Keep
/ Commission that crop estimating be
abandoned unless improvement is
made in the methods, will no doubt
have a good effect on Mr.. Wilson and
his associates and lead them to be
more careful in the future, whether
The present management of The depart
ment of Agriculture is capable Of bring
ing about a thorough reorganization Of
this branch Of the service or whether
criticism of it will continue to be JUS
tifable, is what the cotton interests
Of the country are waiting to see.
In referring the matter to the Keep
Commission the president called at
tention to a resolution which was
adopted by the New England Cotton
Manufacturer Association in Sep
TENDER last, bringing into serious
question the reliability Of the govern
ment crop reports, and asking that
the matter be investigated by COM
mittee. The report of the commission
describes in detail the method follow
ed by the bureau of Statistics in max
ing its crop estimates of acreage, con-
dition and yield. For the cotton crop
alone the bureau of Statistics has up
On its list of correspondents nearly
$4,000 persons, classified as follows:
Travelling agents, 3; state agents
and their subcorrespondents, 1000;
county correspondents, 500; town
ship correspondents, 10000; indivi-
dual farmers, $4,000; special CORES
pondents, 10000.
To Prevent Leaks.
| The report refers to the safeguards
to prevent leaks, which have been
improved on and materially changed
since the cotton leak of last July
! The commission says that it is diff
fcult to see how the system now in
force can be improved on in this re-
spect, and they have no suggestion to
offer. The report describes in detail
the final process in the making Of a
crop estimate. The four members of
the crop estimating board meet in a
closed room, and to them are brought
the reports Of the travelling agents
and state agents, which have been
kept sealed and unopened in the safe
Of the secretary Of Agriculture The
ltabulated reports from the other clas-
ses of correspondents are also brought
before the board. Each of the four
members Of the crop estimating board
with the percentage figures given BY
each class of correspondents for each
state, exercises his own judgment sep
erately and without consultation with
his associates, and adopJs d crop con-
dition figuring for each state, express
ing such judgements. H any member
Of the board differs materially on any
state from the other three members
be is called on for his reasons, and
New York, Jan. IL Announ cement
was made ii the Board Of Aldermen
yesterday that William r. Hearst i
4 ## Y s-zM " " u = ~ 81 =