The Washington herald., 1909-07-20
GOES AFTER CRITICS
Wilson Scores the Big Wheat
Spectators.
DEFENDS THE FIGURES GIVEN
Points Out that Attack on Estimate
of Amount of Wheat on Farms
Was Brought About by Those Seek
Ing Only to Gain Wealth at the
Expense OF the Public.

1T is clear that the widely published
attack on the estimate Of farm reserves
Of wheat on March / was without basis;
that it was unjustihable. and that its sole
object was to enable the spectators who
made il 10 gain personal profits at the
expense Of the general public" was the
summing up Of Secretary Wilson, OF the
Department Of Agriculture. in a state
ment given out yesterday in answer 10
the criticism from several quarters that
the departments estimate on March s
last as 10 the amount Of wheat on farms
In the United States was entirely too
high.
The Secretary says that "the estimate
was challenged & 5 being much too large.
and considerable agitation was aroused
by speculative interests desiring 10 create
& public belief In a serious shortage in
wheat supplies"
The rem Tainder OF the Secretary's state
ment wss as follows:
Account OF supply.
''In considering this question. account
murt be taken OF the apparent supply
an distribution OF wheat during the
four months from March ] TO July / 1909
t. do this It is necessary TO assume as
tproXimately correct, official and trade
estimates which have been generally ac-
cepted without serious question: and TO
ascertain. first. the average monthly do
nestle consumption OF wheat exclusive
OF seed requirements, and, second the
approximate total quantity Of wheat. In
all positions In the United States on
March J. 1903.
'First-The estimated population OF con
tinentnl United States In 1S0S-l909 was
about $1,000 600. the average domestic con-
sumption OF wheat per capita, exclusive
1 of seed requirements Is estimated at
about 81 bushels. These figures indicate
! the total domestic consumption. exclusive
OF seed, during the year 70 have been
nearly 4S0G00O00 bushels, or about 40
OO0O 600 bushels per month.
"Second-The total amount OF wheat IN
the United States IN all positions on
March !. 1909. including the wheat eQuiva-
/ lent Of -four. was about IA 100000 bushels.
"Of these "a 000. 600 bushels. about "A, ,OOO. .
/ COO bushels are accounted for by an ac-
cepted commercial statement Of reported
stocks IN second hands. mills. and eleva-
/ tors, including the wheat equivalent Of
! -four. on March l. 1909. The remainder.
I AtNtNlNNNV bAolN4at must ldhb nctu on
farms and in Unreported stocks in second
hands on the date named. The estimate
Of wheat on farms on March about lA.-
100000 bushels) would leave about d. 200
bushels as the unreported amount In sec
/ ond hands on that date.
More Than the Amount.
But this is more than the amount esti-
mated as having been so held. such
amount being approximated as % per
/ cent OF the total quantity. reported and
unreported. IN second hands. the reported
stocks being regarded as embracing about
I SO per cent OF the total
Twenty per cent OF the total stocks
would have been about 100000 bushels
i unreported. which indicated that the
quantity OF wheat on farms on March l,
1903. was more likely TO have been under
/ estimated than overestimated by the Bu-
I reau Of Statistics" "