The Neshoba Democrat., 1921-12-22

so'pVi ~ HONius 10 the prOIlIaDe mar.
kets and it is idle for us TO think that
In their moving we are increasing ef-
ficiency These negroes have gone
into the industrial life Of the North
and East, where they are receiving
greater wages than they received in
Mississippi, but they are aiding in the
manufacture OF goods which we in Mis-.
sissippi are buying, and we are conse-
A quently paying for whatever increase
4 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 20 those states.
If Identically the same thing is taking
Yaway 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
4 find 1t without any manufacturing cen.
ters and without any manufactured
product except lumber and cottonseed.
They find an agricultural situation that
is untnviting. In other words, they see
little to appeal to them to give to the
state that educated them the product
or their own brain and energy, and SO
they, too, are flowing away, not to be-
come laborers or wage earners. but
to become the captains of industry in
other states.
/ Why then should we not have and
why do we not have a manufacturing
development in Mississippi compar-
able with that at least Of adjacent
Southern states? 1t must be due to
i 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.
s1ppi 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.
i riously, by natural disadvantages.
Neither do | think we are lacking in
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-
, ilppi was abolished, our legislature es-
tablished the office Of revenue agent,
at the time primarily to enforce the
, collection of taxes IN fee basis.
, gradually this power has been extend.
J ed, and today the revenue agent is au
: thorized, in addition to back taxes, apr
: parently to bring any kind of suit that
can be brought in the name of the
: state TO recover any penalties or fines
: I.lat may be due the state, and to re-
: eeIYe as his compensation twenty per
cent OF whatever he RECEIVERS. In other
r. 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
J the same period Of time has been sys-
tem2tically enacting laws so oppres.
siye and burdensome that well de-
} yeloped and general Industrial life ia
impossible This legislation began in
, Fthe enactment Of laws taking away
from industrial concerns common law
| oefenses' and subjecting them in all
cases of accidents or injuries practi-
| cally to the payment Of whatever sum
a 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-
t mlums 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 10.
! Gated in other states.