The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-12
HURTS THE SOUTH
SECRETARY WILSON GIVES COT
TON A BLACK EYE.
Much Harm Has Been Done by HIS
Interview in Which He Said Cot
ton Was Normal

ton Was Normal
President Ha veY .ToI, n of t:i
Southern Cotton Association, enters
formal Protest against recent in.
terview with Secretary of Asricul-
ture James Wilson, which appeared
in the New York World, and which
that paper claimed to have just had
with the secretary on crop pros
poets for the present year. The ex-
act language reported to have been
used by Secretary Wilson is as fol-
lows:
"The crops will be good every
where. There will be superfiuity 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 country. The
cotton crop will be reasonably good,
and the balance of the crops above
the average all along the line.
Prosperity is not going to wait
on 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
agricultural district. 1t is not COM
ing from the farm.
The monthly condition report was
due to come out on August 2, just
one day after the publication of the
above interview with Secretary Will
son." said Mr.. Jordan. 81 realized
that the interview would be bearish-
ly construed by the entire cotton
trade if not corrected at once, and
Immediately wired Secretary Will
son the following telegram:
II notice an interview attributed
to you in the New York World of
August 1, in which you state the
following: The cotton crop will be
reasonably good are you correctly
quoted? Is not an immediate denial
Of this interview in order? Other
wise incalculable injury will be done
the cotton growers Of the South by
speculative interests which will con-
strue you to forecast normal pro-
duction of cotton. All private re-
ports issued to date indicate a con-
siderable deterioration of the cotton
crop condition from the last month S
condition report OF the Bureau of
Cotton Statistics. The Journal of
Commerce condition report, issued
this morning, shows an actual deter
ioration during the last month of
three and seven-tenths per cent,
making present conditions 73 lilo
which is the lowest condition ever
reported by them.
My own opinion is that the pres
ent condition of the cotton crop is
the poorest in my recollection, and
that, any authoritative statement
from you at this time, that the cot
on crop will be reasonably good is
not only wrong statement Of actu-
al facts, but will be used to the great
injury Of the constituency l repre-
sent in the South.
My apprehensions regarding the
effect of Secretary Wilson's state
ment regarding the cotton crop have
been fully verified in the depression
of the cotton market this week of
$3.50 per bale, or practically $40,-
100000 in the value of the crop.
1t is well known that the bureau re-
port which was issued the next day
after Secretary Wilson's alleged in
terview in the World, indicated the
lowest cotton condition for August
ever made by the Bureau Of Cotton
Statistics, and that the report of
the bureau was emphasized by every
private report that came in the last
week of July.
The cotton trade has evidently
placed more weight and value on the
statement Of Secretary Wilson as in
dicating normal production of cot
ton this year than it has on the ex-
tremely low condition reports issued
by the Bureau of Statistics last Mon
day. There can be no other logical
explanation of the recent hammering
of the cotton market operators on
the cotton exchanges. 1t is to be
hoped that Secretary Wilson will not
longer delay remedying the very So
rious mistake which he has made.
Sentiment in favor Of abolishing or
making drastic changes in the De-
partment of Agriculture regarding
the publication of the bureau reports
has for some time been developing,
and if the head Of the department of
sensational interviews is to nullify
the effect of the bureau reports the
sooner the work of the department
is regulated by congress the better
for the agricultural interests of the
whole country"