Oxford eagle., 1904-02-18

| attention at the hands of thinking peo-
pie throughout the State. The sue
cess attending efforts of individuals
and corporations along this line has
| stirred up some interests among the
| people of the State who realize that
what would be good for corporations
and individuals would be good for the
State. Other States have tried the
experiment with the greatest success
and there is no reason why Mississip-
| pi should not be equally fortunate.
More than one bill looking toward
! this end has been introduced, but as
! vet not one of them have been report
| ed favorably by the committee. 1t
! is the purpose CT several gentlemen
| in the body to push the matter TO a
/ termination A large number of pro-
eressive and well informed members
| have taken an interest in the subject
and there is little doubt expressed as
| to the final outcome There are in the
| State millions sleeping in undeveloped
! Tt curces unknown entirely to the out
! side world and only partially known to
/ the local inhabitants. Not until re
Gently has any movement been plTJe
looking to the development of very
/ small portion Of these resources and
/ the success following the effort has
emboldened many to take the matter
up and push a general movement IN
that direction.
Such a department could be of in
estimable value to the farmers In sec
tions where labor was scarce in sup
plying this deficiency. There are thou
sands of thrifty farmers who could be
| attracted to our section of the country
by the use of reliable data and gel
eral information as to the productive
ness of our lands, mildness of our eli
mate and the general healthfuneSs
| of the country. There is mistaken
idea prevalent to the effect that 10th
| ing but negroes can live il the delta
of Mississippi Statistics can be
| shown to prove that this idea Is en-
tirely erroneous and that general
health conditions compare favorably
with those of any section. Then too
there are large qua ltities of crude
material now going to waste that
offer remunerative field to manu-
facturers with machinery and seeking
locations Data with regard to these
could be furnished and factories found
to work UP this material. By. a sys-
TEN of securing these statistics from
reliable sources, the commissioner
could at moments notice furnish
the information desired to parties
seeking the same. Pamphlets listing
counties and giving much information
of a like nature could be prepared
and when an inquiry was received,
| furnished at once. The secretaries
! of experiment stations, boards OF
/ health, railroad commissioners, audi
/ tor, etc., could furnish reliable data
as to the matters handled by them and
all this could be tabulated and put
in presentable shape by the indus
trial commissioner for distribution on
request for same.
Mississippi is making rapid advance
ment along many lines at present and
there is no reason why she should not
| take front rank in the way OF indus
trial and agricultural development. II
the people would only realize the i'm
portance of an organized and aggres
sive movement in this direction, then
results would come dnnhly fast and
sure.
Several high officials of the Illinois
Central railroad were in the State last
week looking after their lines and
prospecting for the further develop
ment of the. country adjacent thereto
This system has done much through
its industrial department toward the
betterment of our State and it de
serves the hearty cooperation OF ouI
people il the work undertaken A
State department of like nature would
be the very best investment that eoulo
be made While the railroads have
been and are doing much along thai
line, their efforts are directed mainly
to the territory adjacent to their roads
This leaves a large section without
the attention needed 1t is to be hoped
that the present legislative bodies will
not adjourn without having lookei in
to the matter and making some pro
vision to have it looked after.
Amendment to the charter of the
Pearl and Leaf Rivers Railroad, chang
ing the eastern terminus from Hat
tiesburg to Scranton and the West
ern terminus from Columbia tc
Natchez and changing the name tc
the Mississippi Central, was recorded
in the secretary of States Office last
week. The road is now in opera
tiol from Hattiesburg to q point neal
Monticello, in Lawrence county, ant
the proposition is to build it from
the new terminal points as named
in the charter, connecting with thai
portion already in operation This
will give the State another road pea
etrating section heretofore withou
means of transportation. The line
penetrates a section of fine pine ant
hardwood timber that will find a read!
sale when placed upon the market
Then, too, the land thus cleared vii
produce handsomely several crops, es
pecially, corr, cotton, sugar cane, etc
This means the development of an
other section of the State and open
ing of a new territory
The question of vital statistics o
Mississippi for general use is attract
ing more attention daily. Most of ou
States make provisions for registra
4 llOu u DlTluS, QSdtuS, uldIIldSSSt 0tS.
with a strong penalty provided fo
failure of their observance. Agricul
tural, horticultural. dairying, timber
manufactures and dozens of other in
terests ought to be kept before th'
people of the world by giving reliabl,
statistics as to extent and variety OF
fered Several of the most inf1uentia
newspapers are devotilg space to th'
correction of this evil and it is hope
that remedy win soon be forthcom
ing.
The new year is starting off in goo,
shape for a record breaker in the wa.
of capital invested in the State
There are not SO many big institu
tions, possibly. being chartered, bu
the number of smaller ones is fas
increasing. This goes to prove tha
our home people are beginning to re
alize the benefits to accrue from tn
erection of small factories to worl
the crude material on hand instead O
r Il. :