The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-06-30

ct Will EclCItlCS W lile uSsSSSHlSup VA
lands held by foreigners in Mississippi.
This paper says that two-thirds of tho
land in Pearl River county is owned by
outsiders and that it is assessed at
less than one-fourth what it is worth.
What is here stated as TO facts as to
Pearl River, is also true of almost every
county in the State. Immense tracts
of lands are being held by outsiders
for an increase in price, which Is com
ing fast, it is assessed at only a small
per cent of what it is worth and there
by pays but little of the amount nee
essary to bring about the increase.
All lands should be assessed at some
thing like their value and the foreign
holder has no right to complain at pay
ing his share of tax to be used in max
ing his property more valuable. 1t Is
within the power of the assessors and
supervisors to remedy this evil and 1t
certainly should be done.
The writer's contention for the pat
ronage of home industries, everything
else being equal, is too well known 10
the readers of this department. In the
recent adoption of school books for the
use in the State for the coming five
years the only publication offered by a
Mississippi concern was a set OF copy
books. These books were prepared by
a lady who ranks as one of the leading
educators of the South, they were got
ten up in excellent shape and were
offered as low as any frst-class copy
book. A very strong point in favor OF
this home book was that the text OF
copy was historical facts concerning
Mississippi. 1t not only taught tho
child to correctly form letters and words,
but impressed upon the mind pertinent
facts concerning the State. While the
right of the Commission to adopt any
book it pleases is not questioned, it
does seem that the Mississippi book
should have been given the preference
over one published in Chicago. So
long as we fail to encourage our South
ern people to furnish matter of this
character, so long will they fail to do
50. A start should be made in this di-
rection so that we can in the future cut
loose from the domination of Bosting
and the East when is comes to books
for the use of our children.
Wesson estimates that it pays the me-
gro washwomeu $4,000 per year for a
very poor service. The proposition is,
to take a portion of this sun and estab-
fish a laundry that will make a spe-
cialty of the family wash. The scheme
has been tried in one or two Mississippi
towns with splendid success and Yves
son will likely put the project into ex-
ecution. If such laundries are gem
orally successful it means that one
means of support for the negro women
has gone.
Don't forget to write some friend in
a distant state of the advantages OF
living in Mississippi. Send for someo OF
the Greater Mississippi bulletins and
mail him one of them. A little work
OF this kind by a number of our cit
liens will soon begin to show highly
satisfactory results in the way OF secur-
ing desirable citizens to take up the
waste lands and make our grand Old
State blossom like a rose. Try this
Scneln0 anu ''0 ''s 20
The weather has been fine during the
past few weeks and crop conditions
have improved wonderfully. Inc 1ar-
mers have had an opportunity OF pun,
ing their crops out OF the grass ana
the outlook is much brighter than
some weeks since. With fair condl-