The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1910-03-25
MlPORJM MEASuRfS.

MOGTAU NEASufS.
During the rush Of the closing
days OF the Legislature Il Is not IN
probable that soma very important
will Be overlooked. and
the time to which they are entitled
devoted to bills of far less worth.
Legislative wisdom will be shown
by a careful discrimination between
such measures according to their
importance, and q devotion Of time
to those Of most value to people
generally.
The pure food bill, putting our
State in line with the Federal gov
eminent, and with most of the
States Of the Union, should be
pushed to the front. While it has
but little opposition, it needs to be
given active attention. We should
no longer be made the dumping
ground of adplterated, misbranded,
inferior and injurious food-stufs or
drugs, and this law will give us the
needed protection.
Mississippi ought to appropriate
$4,000 or $4,000 a year for soil
survey, under the supervision Of the
Geological Commission and thus
secure the cooperation and an equal
sum from the Federal government.
Work is now progressing in two
counties, Adams and Noxubee, and
should be going on in at least half a
dozen. A correct knowledge of the
soils is the basis of the successful
and scientific agriculture, proving
what are the elements of each type
of soil, and what they are best
adapted to.
The single board of trustees for
ali the educational Institutions will
do away with friction between them,
and if the terms are sufficiently
long, will insure the colleges against
being prostituted for political pur-
poses. No one administration
should be given the power, through
changing the board of trustees, to
turn out of the college all who held
good positions and to put in such
places, men whose chief claim is
their political services. Our colleges
can be absolutely secured from all
such abuses, by having a majority
of the board, IN each administration
those holding over. If the board
prove themselves unfit and it is
made to so appear to the Governor
and Legislature, they could be re-
moved by legislation, or the number
of the board changed, but it would
take both the Legislature and the
Governor to make such a complete
change during one administration,
The county attorney bill has
passed the Senate and is now in the
House. 1t will do more to deter
crime, and make justice speedy and
inexpensige, than any one measure
that has been before the Legislature
Instead of being Ishmaelites, with
every mans hand against them, as
District Attorneys often are, they
would have local counsel, always
effectively assisting, familiar with
the case, With the juries and wit.
nesses. Hopeless eases could be
thrown out and needless witnesses
disposed with at the beginning o1
court; much cost saved and all good
cases put in best condition fol
speedy trial, attention being given
to them between the courts by local
counsel.
The State Board of Health and
the advancement of instruction in
public health and hygiene, is en-.
titled to primal consideration. The
Legislature proposes to pay 100000
a year for fighting diseases against
cattle and hogs, against the cattle
tick and hog-eholeFa especially
While this is a wise and helpful use
to invest money in, the protection Of
the public health against consump-
ton, typhoid fever and other pre-
ventable diseases, and the consequent
general improvement of health and
the prolongation Of life, is of vastly
more importance. Under improved
health instruction and regulation,
in some States, preventable diseases
are greatly renuced, and the genera