Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-03-26
SYSTEMATIC THE STATES
BUSINESS.

lhAA AAcN FAa
dawning upon this state in the
way OF settled conviction that
we must get out of the old way Of
haphazard living from hand to
mouth. as shown by the new
ideas Of agricultural high schools,
improved methods in farming,
etc, there comes a most serious
problem for the law makers of
our state and that is, how to r.
nance systematicly the entire
states business.
The old soldiers must be cared
for: the common schools must be
supported; the hospitals for the
insane at Meridian and jackson
which contain about two thous-
and inmates, the Deaf and Dumb
and the Blind Institutes, the Uni
versity, |. |. Il c.. the a. & NJ.
Co lege, the State Normal College
and the negro college at Rodney,
and number Of other hospitals,
experimental farms and all that.
takes now more than four and
one half million dollars per year.
That is a very large sum. We
have Ueen paying only six mills,
which means $500 per thousand
per year. This is the state tax
only. On top Of this is our coun-
" and city tax which, in Oxford,
has reac he'd the enormous fig
ure of about s25 90 per thousand
in addition TO the above. This
should make US think. This
means that our law making body,
the legislature. must systematic
our business. But how can they?
Where will the cut come from?
We have the finest prison sys-
TEN in the United States. The /.
big papers OF this country say .
that we are making more money
and have n better system than
anywhere in America. Well, We
are proud of that. We do clear
about three hundred thousand 4
dollars per year on our state
farms, but we can do better than I
that. We should sell the Bel .
mont and Oakley farms; they
are being run at loss. and
We learn that the legislature is
trying to sell both these farms.
Then, too, the experiment sta
tons ought to be done away
with. This money ought to be
given the agricultural high
schools-bring this close to the
people. The y. & VI. college and
the |. /. 4 c. must cut out the
preparatory" departments, they
have lodged this for years. The
fact is the agricultural high
schools will soon do away with
much need for the A. i VI. and q
large part OF the girls school a,
Columbus. These are good
schools and doing good work but
.hey are costing foo much. The
Normal college at Hattiesburg ii
a good school, but it ought never
10 have been established; thil
department should have been at
tatched to one of the other stat
schools-there is business il
running that school as a sepa
rate institution. The fact is
would pay the state even now {
combine the entire four biI
schools, and If something as bo
dome to run them in a simple
cheap and systematic way an
discard all politics aud foolish
ness. there Is going tc be a revo
luton. They have not been ru
in a bushes way; they hay
spent too much money. 1t Is
we'll known fact that Clinton an
Millsaps are getting more for tn
small amount of money the
have than the big schools. Ths
ought not TO be; these college
A.ust DE run economically; ther
must not be such extravaganza
any longer. They must be III
like a careful business ma
would run his private bushes:
Therefore, the state must begi
noT to systematic her business
she Haust send her ablest an
best men to the legislature. W
are now entering a crucial stat
OF affairs; the boil weeyil, bank
breaking; old debts are becomin
heavy, taxation is burdensom'
rery 5s1rtlensoBie, already and "
must have q new order OF thing