The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-17
COTTON is KING"
SAYS WADSWORTH
House Committee on Agriculture
Gives General Hearing on
Crop Statistics.
tE;y Associated Prcss.S

WASHINGTON, -. O., February TO-
Gentlemen. cotton is King to-day. Cot
ton statistics are now on trlnlsT' with
these words Chairman NadsWortll. OF
the House committee ON asriculture,'
opened the general hearing on crop sta
tistlcs before his committee to-day. As-
sistaht Secretary Hayes, or the Departs
liicnt of Agriculture; President Harvie.
Jordan. of the Southern Cotton Assoc
citation, Atlanta. Ga; j. a. Taylor. prcsi-
dent of the National Ginners' Assoca-
ton, Dallas. Tex, and many Southern
members of Congress. representing
planters, were at the hearing.
Assistant Secretary Hayes was the first
speaker. He gave In detail the pan,
Of the Department Of Agriculture for
gathering statistics and changes recent
~ made in the system of the bureau OF
statistics. He said the Department. pro-
posed to retain the crop reporting board;
to have 2S.0O0 county reporting agents,
forty-one district agents and several SUI
pervising inspectors, wing shall travel and
Instruct district agents. Different codes
were to be furnished each district agent
monthly and the agents reports are Ito
be given to computers In sections, TO
avoid the possibility of leakage. With
perfected reports Mr.. Hayes said the mar
kets would he less affected. Frequen;
and accurate reports would work against
the spectators, lie said. and the weather
bureau reports will furnish guide as to
conditions for the time between reports.
Mr.. Hayes said the Department OF
shy having more agricultural statistics at
it's command. He said an acreage CEN
sus should be taken every five years
Agriculture would be benefited greatly
and would be OF great assistance to the
crop estimating board.
Close Estimate.
When asked about the accuracy of the
cotton estimates for last year. Mr.. Hayes
said that judged by the 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 IL the Information gathered by
the Department could he safeguardsd, its
reports would be generally considered
satisfactory as far as they go.
In the opinion of Mr.. Jordan the gov
eminent was doing only one-h half of Its
duty to cotton interests. He said the
reports We're all for the use of the con-
sumer and of little value to producers
He urged that estimates on the probable
consumption of cotton should be made
by Federal authorities Through Ameri-
can consuls. he said, statistics could be
be gathered abroad. OF the census bu-
reau, Mr.. Jordan said 1t should not at
tempt to deal in facts concerning crops
unless it ne equipped to handle facts
James r. MacColl. president of the New
England Cotton Manufacturers Assocla-
ton, said a uniform bale should he agreed
upon for use I'M computations, as the
various bales confuse reports and en-
courage wild speculation. He urged that
in giving out condition reports, figures
should not be given, but the crop should
be described as merely fair poor"
etc. AS condition reports are specula-
tons rather than positive facts. he said
1t Is wrong for the department to name
fixed amount. Mr.. MacColl said he
favored cotton estimate about Decem-
her LIST. to come out on the same day
with the ginners' report. bit denounced
the Keep Commission plan to have
seven reports a year. and said multi
plicity of reports would encourage specu-
lation and keep the market constantly
disturbed