Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-10-09
f, Something Is Wrong

Senator Harris has said that
he intends to make an investi-
CATION of the crop reporting bu-
reau of the Department of Agri-
culture, and other Federal de-
PartrRents which prepare and
publish crop estimates.
~ We have never heard quite
50 much complaint regarding the
cotton condition reports and
crop estimates as has been ex-
pressed this year. That some
thing is wrong, is the opinion of
the public, particularly those in
terested directly in handling
cotton
There is feeling that the
Southern cotton farmer is being
delibertely bled by SOME. ONE,
somewhere; that since he is
I forced by circumstances to mar
ket most of his cotton as it is
picked, he is legitimate prey for
bthefs who would deliberately
Sake from him his profit.
& A new class of crop reporters
needed, says the Selma Times
journal, observing that
Y There are said to be 10000
&repopteFs' in the cotton belt of
& the South employed by the cot
Ston reporting bureau in the Fed
aeral Department of Agriculture
and jEReir efficiency and fitness
& for their work has been chal-
Elenged and brought into serious
hdisrepute by their uniform fail
Cure Ito gather authentic data
4 from which the department may
&make accurate congratulations.
s The records show that for the
&past five years these reporters
have been the agencies by means
aof which the crop has been over
estintated and the price depress-
Aed during the early months of
q marketing. Running true to form
this widely scattered army of OBJ
h servers this year supplied the bu-
Sreau with data on, which they
& based crop {of13, 100000 bales.
d The estimate was sprung at the
= most propitious time of the sea-
d son when the developing dangers
d to the crop, the rains and Wee
g wills and normal deterioration had
4 not wrought their injuries and
i the downward plunge that was
& given to the market could not be
y arrested. 1T was fomented and
i aided by every interest that had
a stakesin making the market go
Z lower, The result was a loss of
h nlffif0fst of dollars to the most
II dependent class of producers who
q could least afford to suffer this
z adverse turn in the market.
"A subsequent report by the bu-
4 reau has fixed the crop at 12,-
3 $4,000 bales and the market
= has naturally reacted from the
& Fl cents which the earlier esti-
mates brought about. Probably
I one-third of the crop has now
E passed out of the hands of the
growers and the loss which is ir-
retrievable, will remain on the
wrong side of the ledger.
4 1t is believed that future esti-
mates might be made to tally
more nearly with actual condi-
/ lions and prospects if the crop
/ reporters could be drawn from
| the ranks of the practical farm
ers of the South. To make in
/ teHigent appraisement of crop
| conditions and outlook, one must
necessarily be familiar with the
/ characteristics of cotton grow
I ing. A reporter with a depend
/ able knowledge of the influences
which are likely to operate for
| the good of the growing crop,
| and of influences that are quite
sure to adversely affect it, would
be the best qualified to send in
reliable forecasts. Perhaps the
majority-of the crop reporters are
of this class, but the fact re-
mains that there has been in the
past toe much of a difference
between governmental and pri-
yate calculations on the cotton
J crop. Practically all private ad-
vices this year have fixed the
probahlesproduction at figures be-
low these sent out by the gov
i ernmept, and when all returns
4 are ina the probabilities are that
the p5sVate reports will have APP
4 proxintated actual results.
Under boil weevil conditions
with higher labor costs and high
er fertilizer bills to pay, tn,
Southern cotton farmer canno
break even when cotton sell
below Is cents.
ANY man or body of mer
WHIP would deliberately depres
the price of cotton below 2!
cents is simply engaged in
conspiracy TO rob a people, mum
beTing millions, of their mean
of livelihood.
The natural laws of suppl
~ and demand are NOT govern
ing tHe price Of cotton. \ fTher
are those s6mcwhere who ar
manipulating the market for self