The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-03-25

affairs in Mississippi to establish an
Old-llne insurance company. This
move, If ~predicated on business prin-
ciples and managed by men of integ-
I1ty, should prove a benefactor to the
State. AT present, WI are paying to
the North and East over two and a
quarter million dollars annually in life
insurance premiums-more money
than all taxes of every description
collected in the State. But very little
of this one is invested in the State,
but is used at a low rate of interest
to build up the section of country that
is in direct competition with us in
many things. The gigantic sums now
accumulated by the life insurance
companies have actually become a
menace to the safety of the country,
being used in numerous ways to con-
troll he markets, government and
everything else that comes along.
mississippi already has three flourish
ing fire insurance companies, and there
will be more in a few years. The ex-
perience of Arkansas at present, where
the fire insurance companies of the
East are b~oycotting the State because
laws have been made to protect the
people instead of allowing them to
continue making laws governing the
same, could not be experienced here
IL there were sufficient companies do
ang business to handle the risks.
Mississippi had some such experience
not many years since, and the home
companies are largely the outcome of
that fight. The rates of interest are
higher here than in the North and
East, n for that reason life n fire
insurance companies could, and would,
pay larger profits to the policyholders
and ctnojhn1Inr u-hNrn oOror,ioo11 W
managed. than in The sections men
toned. 1t will be a bright day, in
deed, for Mississippi when the surplus
money of our State can be used in
such concerns, and our people be
given the opportunity of breaking
from the exacting ties of those power
full and relentless corporations. Every
MisSissippian is vitality interested in
these matters, and the sincere hope is
expressed hat the next few years will
show a wonderful development along
these lines.
It became necessary for Gov. Var
daman to issue an appeal to all of
ficers last week to strictly enforce the
yagrancy law. 1t is a sad fact that
while farms and factories are calling
loudly for the necessary labor for
their operation, hundreds of people of
both colOrs are lying idle around the
town and cities, making a subsistence
by various mean not in accordance
with the law and good citizenship. A
large per cent of the crime committed
is by this class of people, n it is the
duty Of every officer, and citizen, too,
to see that the laws are rigidly en-
forced. Had the crusade against va
grants been kept up in the Capital
4itE &c If Uoc i,lct oftNp tho nnoaf-
ment of the law, there is hardly a
dOub but that the horrible crime
some weeks since would not have oc-
CURED. The protection of our families,
homes and property demand hat law
n order shall reign, and the com
munity that becomes lax only in
Nites just such occurrences.
The problem Of a market for the i'm
mense quantities Of truck being raised
In Mississippi at present, and a large
nnual increase, presents itself to the
farmer who has not investigated con-
ditions as they exist. There is a fear
that it will be overdone and the
market Quilted. There is no immedi-
ate danger of such a condition. Years
ago all the produce used in New York
and other large cities was raised in
the suburbs, it being necessarily late
in coming on the market, or raised at
great eXepnse under glass. At present
the people of Chicago are feasting Off
the crops of Mississippi while the
trucker in that section is planting his
see There is no possibility of the
business being overdone while the
Northern country is gaining in popula-
ton and the cities dependent on us
for vegetables. If one-half the lane
in Mississippi was raising vegetables,
there would be a ready market for the
early stuff. and with proper handling
a demand for that which comes on
later. II get meas about over
doing the thing for a number of years
yet.
That there is a demand for reliable
labor in Mississippi greater than ever
known before, was proven by the
great number of letters received by
the writer after the dailies stated sew
eral days g that he had arranged
for any quantity Of Italians to work
In the fields and factories. The re-
port. as published, was slightly wrong
arrangements having been made with
n reliable Italian immigration agency
TO furnish labor, but the numerous re-
plies prove hat there is a large de-
mand for a good and reliable class of
labor. A letter has been received
from the Royal Danish consul at New
Orleans along the same lines as the
one reported as having been written
to the Louisiana Bureau of Agricul-
ture. While the class of immigrants
considered by the consul are by far
the best that car be had here. as
stated before, the drawback to secur-
ing them lies in the act that we have
no bureau to handle such matters, and
an individual or corporation cannot
get proper representation. having to
wait until other States have had their
pick. 1t is to be hoped that the legis-
lature will remedy this defect at its
next sitting.
Yazoo City has organized a company
for the construction and operation of