The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-11
JORDAN ENTERS PROTEST.
PRESIDENT HARVIE JORDAN
THINKS WILSON is MIS-
QUOTED.
says That Report Published In New
York World is Misleading-Used to
"BulP' the Cotton Market-COttOn
Conditions Lower Than 78 Per
Cent.

test against 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 Will
son is as follows:
"The crops will be good every
where. There will be a 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 country. The cotton
crop will be reasonably good and the
balance Of the crops above the aver
age all along the line.
Prosperity is not going to wait on
the tarff or anything else. If any
disturbance arises in the body polite
1t will have to come from somewhere
else than the agricultural districts. 1t
is not coming from the farm"
The monthly condition report was
due to come out at noon on August
I'd, just one day after the publication
Of the above stated interview with
Secretary Wilson. Says Mr.. Jordan.
II realized that the interview would
be 'bearishly' construed by the en-
tire cotton trade if not corrected at
once, and 1 Immediately wired Secrc-
tary Wilson the following telegram:
II notice an interview attributed tn
you in the New York World Of Aug
ust 1st in which you state the follow
ing: "The cotton crop will be rea-
sonably 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 your forecast a normal produc-
tion of totton. All private reports is
sued to date indicate a considerable
deterioration Of the cotton crop con-
dition from the last months condi-
fion Areport Of the Bureau of Stats
ties. The Journal of Commerce con-
dition report, published this morning.
shows an actual deterioration during
the past month of three and seven
tenths per cent, making present con-
dition seventy-three and one tenth.
which is the lowest condition ever
rported by them.
My own opinion is that the pres
ent condition of the cotton crop is
the poorest within my recollection
and that any authoritative statement
from you at this time, that "the CO.
ton crop will be reasonably good" is
not only a wrong statement of actual
facts, but will be used to the great
injury OF the constituency I repre-
sent in the South.
MY apprehensions regarding the
effect 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
bale. or practically $4,000, 900 in the
value Of the crop. 1t is we'll known
that the bureau report which was is
sued the next day after Secretary
Wilson's alleged interview in the
World Indicates the lowest cotton
condition for August ever made by
the Bureau of Cotton Statistics and
that the correctness of the Bureau
report was emphasized by every pri-
vate report issued the last week in
July.
The cotton trade has evidently
placed more weight and value on the
statement of Secretary Wilson as in
dicating a normal production of cot
ton this year, than it has on the
extremely low condition reports is
sued by the Bureau of Statistics last
M Onday. There can be no other log
ical explanation of the recent ham,
mering of the cotton market by ope-
rators on the cotton exchanges. 1t is
to be hoped that Secretary Wilson
will not longer delay remedying the
very serious mistake which he has
made. Sentiment in favor of abol-
ishing or making drastic changes in
the Department of Agriculture re-
garding the publication of the Bu-
reau 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 inter-