Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-06-14
How Figures Are Obtained

pIDAAtLS
How Figures Are Obtained.
When all the separate independent
fluctuations and computations Of re
ports received from the voluntary COR
respondents are received they are
brought together by states and, ~ con-
junction with the reports from the de
parnnent's salafied field agents and
state statistical agents. form the basis
OF each Of The montbly reports issued
BY the bureau Of statistics. The diyi
sion of domestic crop reports tabulatee
md computes the results of all the 70
ports received from the various Glasses
Of voluntary correspondents.
Despite the fact that these voluntary
correspondents receive no pay, tbes
seem to like the work. to judge by the
length Of time they stick 10 it, An lii
CURRY made IN Janoaly 1912. showed
That Of the entire list Of county CORE
spondcnts SO per cent had served more
than one year 81 per cent more than
two years. II per cent more than siS
years, = per cent more than clever
years I per cent npre than twenty-sIS
years and per cent more than thirty
six years. The average length OF serv
ice Of all the county correspondents
was about seven years
The. department considers this sta
bllty, Of service as evidence of a high
STANDARD Of quality 1t believes thai
careless or Indifferent farmers would
not tidle the pains to report, month
after month and year after year. with
out being paid.
How Reports Are Handled.
All the reports Of The state stats
teal agents and special field agents
are sent directly TO the secretary OF
agriculture lie retains IN his posses
sion those Of the reports which dea,
with certain crops of highly specula
tive character corn. wheat, oats ,ant
cottoa--and does not turn them over to
the bureau of statistics until the morn
ing Of The day When the bureau Is e
issue its report. But tile reports on
other crops are delivered by him to
the bureau as soon rs he receives them
to enable their tabulaton long enough
in advance Of the preparation of eaet
crop report TO render them ready foi
use when they are needed The pre-
caution in the case Of the speculative
crops was adopted as a result of tile
cotton Leak scandal of some years
ago. when advance information got GU
to Interested parties.
The feportS Of the voluntary CORE
spondents are tabulated and computed
and the results turned over 20 the chief
Of the bureau of statistics TO be tabu
lated in connection with the report,
of the state and special field agents.
Precautions Against Leakage.
When the monthly crop estimates
are llnally made additional precau
tions arc taken against leakage The
crop reporting board, which does tn,
final work. consists Of Eve members
with the. chief OF the bureau as chair
man, and its personnel is changed
each month. The meetings are held IL
the office Of Chief Victor II Olmsted
and the doors are locked and all the
telephones disconnected.
1t may be said that. after all and de
spite the numerous correspondents who
check one another up, the reports or
crops issued by the bureau of stats
tics cannot be automatically eXac
since they are gathered from the con
clusions Of farmers. Interviews with
merchants, etc. This Is true. The re
ports do not pulport to be other thar
estimates. They are not the results Of
actual enumeration, as are the figure
reported decennially by the census bu
reau.
But, while they may not be exactly
accurate, as no estimate can be, they
are given as the best available dats
and represent the fullest informatior
at the time they are made
The government has been doing tho
work Of collecting agricultural stats
ties for fifty years, but the present
broad scope Of the work is a matter Ct
only a few years 1t was widenet
into its present large field under Secrc
tary Wilson and multiplied many times
in size and efficiency IN che last six Ell
seven years