The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-03

schools had barred the four children of Antonio Grandich, charging that their great great grandmother was part negro. The father of the children protested be- fore the courts that the blood in the veins of his children was Indian and not negro, and won out in the lower court, but the court of last resort holds that it makes no difference what the mixture that white schools are for children that are white to the bone.
 ' WOULD INCREASE RATES
 The railroads doing business in Mssis- sippi have appealed to the railroad com mission for permission to increase freight rates about 15 per cent on intrastate business, and they are cited to be in Jackson at the June 5th meeting, when their arguments will be heard, as will representatives of the commercial bodies who wish to oppose the increase. It may be that the railroads will get higher rates somehow, but permission to charge them will hardly come from the Mississippi railroad commission just now.
 POTATO SLIPS WANTED
 The Central Cooperative Marketing as- sociation of this city has received an order for a quarter of a million potato slips, but the prospect for getting them is not promising. In an ordinary year such an order might have been filled but not now. The spring has been so very dry that sweet potato vines have made small growth, and the average farmer has no more than enough to plant his own patches. However, if there should happen to be any farmer who has a surplus Of slips or vines he might communicate with the secretary of the Jackson Board of Trade. Jackson is anxious to see more land devoted to sweet potatoes than ever before, and is HxY nla6 ,,r,lI Il thing possible to supply demands TOT spills or cuttings. The acreage here is very large, in spite of the dry weather and difficulty of getting them to live, but should this section get soaking rain before July thousands more acres will be planted hereabouts.
 WARNING TO NEGROES
 Governor Bilbo received a telegram day or two since from the mayor of East St. Louis, urging him to do his best to stop the exodus of Mississippi negroes to that section of the country, as they were the cause of the riots that have taken place here this week. The gov ernor was not in Jackson, but if he had been, he could have done nothing ex- cept to advise the negro to stay away from St. Louis, or to stay in old Missis- sippi, where they are welcome. This ad- vice has been given very freely hereto fore, not only by the governor of the state, but by influential men everywhere as well as by the more sensible negroes, and yet the exodus continues. Thousands of negroes have left MissIssfppr Tor the north and west during the past few months. Many of them have procured work there at better wages than they received when here, but it is said that they save even less, their expenses being much greater, and large numbers of them have returned to their old homes Many of those unable to get back have been writing their old employers, especially on the farm, to send them money to pay their way back to Dixie As a result of the exodus of negroes thousands of acres of land are idle this year when it should more than ever be producing something to eat. Governor Bilbo will no doubt issue a warning on his return to Jackson, but it will be a waste of paper and ink, as the negroes are not going to pay any attention to him or anypody else.
 CROPS ARE UNPROMISING
 Jackson men who have recently been out over the state report that the prps- poets for crop of corn and cotton &re might poor. Corn averages about a foot high and what little cotton there is to be seen along the railroads looks red and stunted. Tn many places cotton was replanted, and because of the dry May mas never shown above ground. How ever, more corn and other food crops have been planted than every before and it is believed Mississippi will do her part in feeding herself and the balance of the world.
 HAVE FOUND NO OIL
 The Pittsburg and Shreveport capital ists who are exploring the Jackson oil field' have as yet found no oil, gas, or other valuable asset Their wells are now down to a depth of about G36S0 feet, and it is understood they are both going as deep as 45OO feet unless they strike some thing before that depth. The expert oil men and geologists who have been brought here to pass Judgment on the field have given it as their opinion that oil would be found at something below the 3500-foot level, for the reason that it is believed the Caddo oil strata dips down here to that depth.
 NEGROES FOR THE ARMY
 Captain Pickering, U. s. A. attaehe here, has been ordered by the war de- partment to enlist 67 honest, educated Mississippi negroes to. be sent to the negro officers training school at Des Moines, la, and has given notice that the examinations will be had the 3d and 4th of June The more intelligent ne- groes of Jackson, and who are the lead CTS of their race in Mississippi, have is- sued a call for a strong rally of the best negroes in the state, telling them this is the best opportunity they will ever have