The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-23
B|- MONTHLY CROP.
 WS SOUGHT.
Appointment Of Three Reg- lonaI Statisticians And h.
 crease In Forces Asked


 WASHINGTON, Dec. 22-Reoom- mendations for improvement of the cotton reporting service of the De partment of Agriculture were made to Secretary Wallace today by an ad- visory committee comprising rep resentatives of all branches of the cotton industry after a two-day con ference, included increase of the number of condition reports to two monthly. appointment of three reional ststisticians to be members of the Crop Reporting Board, continuance of the intention to plant report, and an increase in the field forces.
 The committee expressed itself as thoroughly convinced there was no possibility of leak in cotton es- inmates and condemned criticism of the departments cotton reports which, it said, tended to destroy con fidence in the .eSorts. In fact the committee commended the department for the manner in which it's crop re- porting work has been developed and Is now being done.
 The recommendations of the com mittee follow:
 That the present cotton reports be increased to two per month; that the mid-month reports cover cotton con
  month from July to November, in elusive. These reports shall cover such factors of crop growth and condl- tion as shall be found necessary ana practicable by the crop reporting service.
 That the recommendati to in crease the number of reports may De carried out, it is recommended that fhe field forces of the cotton states be sufficiently increased so as to carry out the work as provided, ana that such appointees shall have had experience in cotton farming as one of the prerequisites for appointment, Ii is the sense of the committee that the work of estimating cotton and all other crops in Texas IS too great a task for the force allotted to that state.
 That the division of crop and live stock estimates and field stausticians maintain separate lists of cotton re- ports.
 That three regional or supervisory statisticians be appointed one for the southeast, one for the south central and one for the southwest; that each he made a member of the Crop Re- porting Board. and that such super yisors shall have had as one of the pre-reouisites for appointment at least five years experience In gro" in gcotton and in addition thereto shall have been adequately tralheo Ill individual methods.
 That the department further de- Selop it's use of the reports of rural mail carriers in the work.
 statisticians' Headquarters.
 That the field of statisticians in each state have his headquarters as near the center of agrlcullufai plo- dEetion as practicable.
 md of issuance be arranged to colhcloe with the dates of the ginners re- ports and with the time Ginners re- ports are issued after ginners report commence, and that they be issued a combined report if this be todno practicable. In order that the con stant confusion arising from the issuance of two government reports on cotton within short intervals or one another may be avoided, the committee recommenos mat the present practice of issuing the report before the close of American eX- changes be continued. but that the rcnorts be issued later than at pres en+ SO that adequate time may De given to consideration of the addl- tional crop data by the crop report irg board. The committee faVoraoiy recommended the intention to plant schedule with the further recommen-  lie not later than about March 4o' That this report should show the per cent of intended change in acreage from the preceding year as stated by reporters on the basis Of thelr actual acreage for the preceding year and their intended acreage ioi the present year, subject to the un- certainties of the planting season slnpry of labor and other affecting clements. Coupled with this report should be published available sup elemental information concernlns probable supplies of labor, fertilizer, srsenate and other matters haVlns hearing upon the problem not only of acreage but of yield.
 That other available basic data necessary for understanding the national and world cotton situation be included in the same report. Additional Information.
 That dditional intermediate in formation be secured between the time of issuing of the intention re- port and the regular July crop schedule as to the readJustment or intentions which has taken place, That schedule of the seasons crop reports be issued in advance With fixed summary of procedure and that no variations be made from the schedule of procedure annohnceo' except in case of extreme emergency and after ample notice.
 That the department take sueh steps as may be found necessary IooLing to the establishment of a more frequent and complete price reporting service on cotton seed.
 Because of the increasing import ance to the American cotton pro- : ducers of the competition of foreign production, it is recommended that tbe department of agriculture, through it's bureau of agricultural economies, provide adequate repre- sentation in other countries, whose duty it will be to collect informa-