The Hattiesburg news., 1909-08-10
HARVEY JORDAN
CORRECTS REPORT
Takes Issue With Secretary Wilson in
His Interview on the Cotton Crop
Condition.


dent Harvie Jordan, of the Southern
Cotton Association, entered formal pro-
test against a recent interview with
Secretary of Agriculture James Will
son, which appeared in the New York
World, and which that paper claimed
to have just had with the secretary on
crop prospects for the present year.
The exact language reported to have
been used by Secretary Wilson is as
follows:
THE crops will be good everywhere.
There will be superfluity of work for
everybody on the farms-more work
than the farmers can find hands to do.
The corn crop bids fair to surpass any
other crop in the history of the coun-
try. The cotton crop will be reason
ably good, and the balance of the crops
above the average all along the line.
the tariff or anything else. If any
disturbance of conditions arises in the
body polite it will have to come from
somewhere else than the agriculture
districts. 1t is not coming from the
farm"
"The monthly condition report was
just one day after the publication of
the above stated interview with Secre-
tary Wilson," says Mr.. Jordan. II re-
allied that the interview would be
bearishly construed by the entire cot
ton trade if not corrected at once,
and I Immediately wired Secretary
Wilson the following telegram:
"T notice an interview attributed
to you in the New York World of Aug.
l, in which you state the following
The cotton crop will be reasonably |
good Are you correctly quoted? Is |
not an immediate denial of this inter |
view in order? Otherwise incalculable |
injury will be done the cotton grow
ers Of the South by speculative inter
ests which will construe to forecast a |
normal production of cotton. All prj
vate reports issued to date indicate a
considerable deterioration of the cot
ton crop condition report of the bu.
reau of cotton statistics. The Journal !
of Commerce condition report, issued
this morning, shows an actual dete
rioration during the last month OF
three and seven-tenths per cent, max
ing present condition seventy-threc
and one-tenth which is the lowest con-
dition ever reported by them.
"'My own opinion is that the pres
ent condition of the cotton crop is the
lowest in my recollection and that any
statement from you at
this time, that the cotton crop will be
reasonably good is not only a wrong
statement of actual facts, but will be
used to the great injury of the con-
represent in the South
"My apprehensions regarding the eff
'ect Of Secretary Wilson's statement
regarding the cotton crop have been
FULLY verified in the depression of the
cotton market this week of $3.50 per
,ale. or practically s4O,OOOOOO in the
-alue Of the crop. 1t is well known
hat the bureau report. which was is
ued the next day after Secretary VIII
on's alleged interview in the World /
ldicated the lowest cotton condition
Or August ever made by the bureau
cotton statistics, and that the report
[ the bureau was emphasized by ev-
ry private report that came in the
lst week of July.
"The cotton trade has evidently
laced more weight and value on the
atement of Secretary Wilson as in
eating a normal production of cot
N this year, than it has on the ex-
emely low condition reports issued
the bureau of statistics last Mon
". There can be no other logical III
PLANTATION of the recent hammering
the cotton market by operators on
e cotton exchanges. 1t is to be y
ped that Secretary Wilson will not
lger delay remedying the very seri-
S mistake which he has made. Sen
lent in favor of abolishing or MAX
!, drastic changes in the department
agriculture regarding the publica-
n of the bureau reports has for soma
le been developing, and if the head
the department of sensational inter
,ws is to nullify the effect of the
reau reports, the sooner the work
the department is regulated by con III
,ss. the better for the agricultural u