Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-12-15

kets and Il Is idle for US to think that
Ia their moving we are increasing 81
ficiency. These negroes have gone
INTO the industrial life Of the North
and East, where they are receiving
greater wages than they received Ii
Mississippi, but they are aiding in the
manufacture OF goods which we in Mis-.
sissippi are buying, and we are consn
quently paying for whatever increase
In wages they are earning and what
ever loss In efficiency may have result.
ed from their removal. In other words,
instead OF using the products Of their
handiwork In Mississippi at the price
prevailing in Mississippi, we are buy.
ing that product from the North and
East at the prices prevailing in the
North and East. and whatever profit
there Is to the manufacturer leaves
Mississippi and goes to those states.
Identically the same thing Is taking
away our white population. The Amer.
lean boy and girl who have worked
hard and secured an education are
looking about for the most profitable
field to engage their own talents They
find Mississippi without cities. They
find It without any manufacturing CEN
ters and without any manufactured
product except lumber and cottonseed
They find an agricultural situation that
Is uninviting. In other words, they see
Mttle to appeal to them to give to the
state that educated them the product
OF their own brain and energy, and so
they, too, are flowing away, not to be-
come laborers or wage earners, bu.
to become the captains OF industry in
other states.
Why then should we not have and
why do we not have manufacturing
development in Mississippi compar-
able with that at least of adjacent
Southern states? 1t must be due to
one of three things-either to a lack
OF natural advantages, or to lack ,of
intelligent management and labor in
the state, or the attitude Of the state
ITSELF We believe that in natural ad.
vantages there is as much in Missis-
sippi to appeal to the business world
as in any state Our climate is good,
our soil is productive, our people con-
genial, and the opportunities for the
development of electric and motive
power are superb. do not therefore
think we are handicapped, at least Sc.
riously, by natural disadvantages.
Neither do think we are lacking ID
such intelligence as Is required Sue
cessfully to manage and operate indus
tries and Industrial affairs II In these
two things we are sufficient, it must
follow that there is something in the
attitude of the state that is preventing
its industrial development, and the at.
titude of the state in my opinion Is the
exact reason for our present situation
This attitude is not found in the
eagerness with which each community
stands ready and anxious to invite into
its midst any kind OF industry that Of
fers employment to its labor and
market to its farmers This attitude
Is to be found in deeper causes and
these causes are the laws that have
been enacted and the manner in which
they have been enforced for the last
thirty years.
The Revenue Raids.
) About thirty years ago, just at the
time when the fee system in Missis.
sippi was abolished, our legislature es-
tablished the office OF revenue agent,
at the time primarily to enforce the
collection of taxes on fee basis.
Gradually this power has been extend
ed, and today the revenue agent is au,
thorized, in addition to back taxes, ap-
parently to bring any kind of suit that
can be brought in the name Of the
state to recover any penalties or fines
that may be due the state, and to re-
ceive as his compensation twenty per
cent Of whatever he RECEIVERS. In other
words, the name and the credit and
the power Of the state have been
lodged in this particular officer, with
the Injunction to proceed to the col.
lection Of every penalty that can be
collected in the name Of the state.
Not only this, but our Legislature for
the same period Of time has been sys.
tematically enacting laws so oppres.
sive and burdensome that well de-
velsped and general industrial life is
impossible. This legislation began in
the enactment Of laws taking away
from Industrial concerns common law
defenses and subjecting them in all
cases of accidents or injuries practi-
cally to the payment Of whatever sum
= jury might award. Not long ago the
representative Of the largest industrial
indemnity insurance company operat-
ing in the state told me that the pre-
miums for indemnity insurance were
higher than in any state in the Union.
We know, of course, that the industry
that Is protected must bear this cost,
and to the extent that this cost in Mis-
sissippi exceeds the cost In other states
to that extent would industry In Mis-
sissippi be handicapped in competing
in the open market with industries To-
Gated In other states.
Out Of these conditions have arisen