Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-29
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

mercy, and could spread any propa-
ganda that suited their interests.
From 1889 to 1862 crop statistics
were gathered in the Patent Office,
but they We're fragmentary and I'M
satisfactory. In 1862 che Department
of Agriculture was organized and
took over the work OF gathering crop
information. This change had been
urged, seven years before. by Presi-
dent Earle of the Maryland State
Agricultural Society in circular 10
other State farmers societies.
The work has gradually developed
until, today, it is based upon the CO.
operation of over 100000 agents in the
| field mostly farmers who send re-
ports, monthly or semi-monthly, as TO
| the condition of crops in their respec-
tive localities.
These volunteer agents include
so, 900 cotton reporters. of whom Co.,
900 are cotton planters, $4,000 are
ginners. 1000 are rural mail car
| riers and 5000 are country bankers
and merchants. who are in close con-
| tact with the local cotton situation.
From 10000 to $4,000 of these re-
porters actually send their reports
on time every two weeks, and 1t is
mainly upon the facts contained In
these reports that the semi monthly
bulletin is issued. The $4,000 re-
ports are checked. however. with
the judgment of the official Federal
statistician of each State. who
travels throughout the State and
observes general conditions. The re-
ports are further checked with the
Judgment of the key reporter" of
every county-a man especially Sc
lected for his intelligence and ex-
perience In the particular crops of
| his locality.
This vast volume of facts and
judgments is there laid before the
crop reporting board. The board con-
sists Of two permanent members,
besides the non-voting chairman
and three cotton planters. chosen
from different States and changed
| for each report. That board of five
| experts, besides the chairman, is
| then locked in the office with the
data. Each member takes the data
| received from the $4,000 or more
| local reporters and comes to his
own decision from the tabulated
data, after which the whole board
| reviews and averages the decisions
separately arrived at.
Under no circumstances Is any
one permitted to leave the room or
communicate with any outsider until
the report is published. For any
member, or other person. to COM
municate the slightest hint Of the
unpublished report makes him
liable to $4,000 fine and term in
the penitentiary.
The last report, against which
Senator Caraway is so denunciatory,
was made by a board including a
| farmer from Texas. a farmer from
| Mississippi and a farmer from Ala
| bama-none of whom had ever
| served on the board before. In addi-
ton to those three, there were the
| two permanent members and the
| permanent chairman. y
| Sometimes the estimates made In
the early months of a season are not
supported by later reports, and the
public, misunderstanding what the
reports really tell, assume that the
| early report was a bad guess" which
I had to be corrected. Such is not the
case at all. The report Is never a
guess-good or bad. No guess can
\ be made as to what the weather or
| the weevil is going to do in succeed
| ing months. The reports simply record
facts to that date. Succeeding reports
| may show that favorable weather has
improved crop conditions. All practical
| farmers recognize similar changes of
| their own crops.
| According to Chairman Calendar Of
| tild SIOp TcpoI tillS bOdTut IllS pTlCo
Of cotton has declined, probably be-
cause Of the good crop now being
ginned. If the Government failed to
report the facts, the deprivation of ths
truth would fall upon the farmers
alone; 1t would not deprive dealers CT
spectators from knowing the confi-
lions through their own fact-f1nding
lsystems explained above.
! If the farmers were left completely
t,,fo naI fI,nry fa xx-f4f, -
IGovernment reports, says Mr.. Callen-
dar, nothing would prevent unscrupu
lous cotton gamblers from eXaggerat-
ing the abundance of supplies, and
''robbing" the farmers, not merely the
depreciation which a just estimate of
the crop would cause, but many times
as much. Prices in speculative mar
kets are based, not on facts. but
on "scares," and 1t Is easier to scare q
man in the dark than in open daylight.
/ Copyright. 1925. By Paul v. ColiinaA ).