The Harrison times., 1917-02-10

principal farm products Of the United
States.
The story OF the method employed
and of the safeguarding tactics used
against the possibility OF leaks has
been authorized for the telling by Mr..
Nrooman, who recently in the absence
of Secretary Houston has been acting
as secretary Of agriculture.
The crop estimates are so important
to Wall street and TO the financial cen
terS of the United States that as soon
as they are released they are tele-
graphed to the stock exchanges, banks
and other news centers. Some years
ago there vas a leak" from this bu-
reau. II resulted In an investigation
and in the punishment of the en-
plOyeeS who gave away important gov
ernment information to private par
ties.
1t is not generally known, perhaps,
that the department of agriculture re-
ceiveS reports of crops from thousands
Of agents throughout the United
States. There are state agents, .cOun-
ty agents, township agents, crop spe-
cialiSts, field agents and voluntary re-
pOrterS
Previous to the preparation and Is
suance of the bureaus reports each
month the correspondents of the sew
eral classes send their reports sepa-
rately and independently TO the depar-
ment at Washington.
How Leaks Are Prevented.
In order to prevent any possible &C.
cess to reports which relate to specu-
lative crops, and to render 1t absolute
ly impossible for premature infOrma-
tion to be derived from them, all OF
the reports from the state field agents,
as well as those from the crop special
lists, are sent to the secretary of agri-
culture in specially prepared envel-
OpeS. BY an agreement with the postal
authorities these envelopes are deliv-
cred to the secretary Of agriculture In
sealed mail pouches. These pouches
are opened only by the secretary or as
Sistant secretary, and the reports, with
seals unbrOken, are Immediately
| placed In safe in the secretary's Of
flee, where they remain sealed until
the morning of the day on which the
bureau report is issued, when they are
delivered to the statistician by the
secretary or the assistant secretary,
The combination for opening the safe
in which such documents are kept Is
known only to the secretary and the
assistant secretary of agriculture. Re-
ports from field agents and crop spe-
cialists residing at points more than
800 miles from Washington are sent
by telegraph, in cipher. The reports
from the country correspondents town.
ship correspondents, and other volun-
tary crop reporters are sent to the
chief of the bureau of crop estimates
by mail in sealed envelOped.
How the Estimate is Made.
The reports received by the depart
ment from the different classes Of in
divdual correspondents are tabulated
and compiled and the figures of each
separate state computed. After the
reports from the different counties are
tabulated a true weighted figure for
the state is secured by taking into con-
SideratiOn the relative value which the
total acreage of production Of each
county in the state bears to the total
acreage or production Of the state.
The weight figure showing the value
Of the country is applied to the acre
age, yield per acre. or conditiOs. which
ever it may be- and from the totals of
| the weights and the extensions q
weighted average for the state is as
certained. The averages of the specu-
lative crops (corn, wheat, oats and
cotton) are determined by computers
who do not know the particulGA state
to which their figures relate
The work of making the final crop
estimates each month eliminates at
sessions Of the crop reporting board,
composed Of five members. The per-
sonnel of the board is changed each
month The meetings are held in the
office of the StatistiCian, which Is kept
locked during sessions, no one being
allowed to enter or leave the room or
the bureau, and all the telephones be-
ing disconnected.
After he signed the crop report the
other day, Mr.. Vrooman jOkingly said
II guess nobody will try to accuse our
specialists Of making money off the
stock market through advance tips.
1t simply can't be done
AS to the Next Speaker
The problem Of the speakership
of the next house Of representa-
! tlves cannot be solved in ad-
vance, and 1t Is probable from the pres
ent outlook that the solution will not
come until perhaps many days after
the next congress shall have assembled
The situation, Of course, Is pretty
well known to the country. The Re
publicans and the Democrats will have
about an equal number Of representa-
tives In the next house, with the bal
ance Of power in the hands Of few
| l,I 30, 80 hn