The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1937-10-14
Editorials
ON DIFFERENT1ALs-wAcE AND FREIGHT

The wage differential between the north and the south
in 1893 was 335 per cent. This spring it averaged zig per
cent, according to Christine Sadler, feature writer of the
Washington Post, writing in THE INDEPENDENT WOMAN,
publication of the national federation of the Business and
Professional Womens Clubs.
While individual plants in the south pay as low as Is
cents per hour, Miss Sadler said, the average industrial wage
is 44.2 cents. The average of the nation is 566. Hourly
wage rates in the south increased 1919 per cent from 1888 to
1886 while in the north during the same period they IN
creased I91 per cent.
These figures indicate that equalizing forces are at work
and making Roadway. Enlightened public opinion is one
OF the main factors in making the Roadway gained:
Zone Of the most tangible 'injustices' the south has had
to combat, if one wishes to forget the tariff, is the freight
dlfferential," Miss Sadler said.
In that she is right.
1t is not generally known that freight rates OUT of the
south are higher than INTO the south. Nor is it known
that shipping from one point in the south to another is not
as cheap as shipping from two points in the north Of like
distance. Northern manufacturers make much fuss and bal
lyhoo about the wage differential but they keep quiet about
the freight rate differential.
That ~somthing will be done about the freight rate differ
entail eventually is a hope shared by every newspaper in the
south. Further hope of the realization of this dream is held
now due to the fact that President Roosevelt will meet
southern governors at Warm Springs Thanksgiving to dis
cuss freight rates.
Joining in the rate for equalized freight rates is the IVA
and the Interstate Commerce Commission.
We believe that out of this conference will come some
thing Of much value to the south and something that will
aid the progress of MssHsippi's industrial campaign.
Mississippi Treated
Miss Sadler treated Mississippi in her article, Machine
Age Goes SOUTH, as the IfSt state 10 make a OeIlHlte Du
as a state for industry. She says: 1T is of little use for
Mississippi to expect to compete with the other Southern
states by following the old industrial pattern, but she is
being pointed to as a state that might benefit greatly from
the new chemical industries designed to use agricultural pro-
ducts and their basic commodity. Already she is making
starch from sweet potatoes"
With that view we heartily concur.
We are at heart a sentmentahst. We cannot bear to
see our beautiful Southland marred up with belchlng smoke
stacks and ugly factories. the calm stiffness of the south
ern morn split into by the screening whistle of a call to
work. Yet we are, practical enough to know that this quiet
stiffness cannot go on forever and communities stay ALIVE.
Thus we take the lesser of the two evils and want industry.
But we want DESIRABLE INDUSTRY.
We do not want to see the state of Mississippi cluttered
up with any industry. Rather we would have Mississippi
and the south continue to have lower per capita income.
fewer automobiles. telephones. highest illteracy rate.
less money for schools.
Mississippi is lucky in that it has an industrial campaign
headed by such men as Hugh White, Harry Hoffman, Frank
England and S. A. Klein. These are men of broad vision
who will investigate thoroughly before any industry comes
into the state by the route of a state or municipal bid.
For that reason we are confident Mississippi's indus
trial problem will be solved and every community in the
state prosper because of it.