Evening star., 1939-08-27
Industrial PLANNING
Places Mississippi
On Way 10 Progress
utiIizution Of Stote's
Raw Materials Also
Has Aided Formers
~ the Associated Press.

JACKSON, MISS, Aug. Lo.-1H he
team of B. A. w. I. and chemurgy
pulling together, have in a few
years made an industrial State out
OF backward, rural Mississippi, pro-
viding a noteworthy example OF
what industrial planning can do.
B. A. W. l., cryptic, unattractive
word without meaning elsewhere,
here symbolizes the balance agri-
culture with industry program which
last year showed the States factory
output up to $195, 100000 against an
agricultural production of $155,000,-
000-the first time in history that
industry forged ahead.
And this, despite the fact more
than two-thirds of the States popu-
lation still lives on farms; that
there are more farms here than
in any State save Texas; that many
more than half the population is
colored and the State in many re-
spects Is ranked among the Ma
tion's most backward.
The B. A. w. l. program began
In 1896 to draw factories to process
State itself. 1t teamed with che
murgy to find new uses for Mis-
sissippi's resources and agricultural
products, and provide an industrial
face-lifting.
Born a Legislative Act.
B. A. w. I. was born of a legis-
1ative act adopted at an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature in 1896. The
act permits municipalities to OBJ
tain new industries through pub
lie financial channels, but only
after the Mississippi Industrial Com
mission has held hearings to de-
termine If the plan meets certain
standards.
There must be, for instance, suf-
f1cient natural resources to guar
antee operation of the enterprise
for at least 10 years; sufficient I'M
employed labor to furnish one and
a half workers from 18 to 40 years
of age for each job in the new
plant, and sufficient property values
and suitable financial condition so
the bonded Indebtedness for in
dustries will not exceed 10 per cent
OF the assessed valuation.
The commission, if it's decision is
favorable, awards a certificate of
public convenience and necessity"
to the municipality which then may
issue bonds if citizens approve in
an election. At such bond elections
thus far the vote has been 81 per
cent favorable
The municipality then may acquire
land, erect buildings and launch
the enterprise itself, or it may sell
or lease the property, which goes
tax exempt for five years. Towns
running factories have in some cases
found them most beneficial in cut
ting the tax burden.
Had Economy Struggle.
Retiring Gov Hugh White, who
sponsored the program, says that
before 1t was launched Mississippi
had colonial economy struggling
to bring forth ever greater volumes
of raw materials in a hopeless
and exhausting effort to balance
trade that could not be balanced,
and to support social and cultural
structure that could not be sup
ported, so long as it was dependent
upon the practices of unrelenting
extraction"
Mississippi, he said, was shipping
out its cotton, tomatoes, wool and
pulp and buying back it's shirts and
dresses, catsup, blankets and paper.
Not en- houaver todov
Small and big factories are hum
ming all over the State. A re-
markable decentralization program
has accompanied B. A. w. l.; no
great industrial cities are being
developed, instead factories are
spreading far afield to the small
town to insure more stable economy.
The goal is at least one industry
in each of her IS towns of 1900
persons or more.
In the first two years of the
program value of manufactured
products jumped from s12O.O0 900
annually to $190,0OOOOO. industrial
wages rose 43 per cent and the
number of industrial employees rose
26.6 per cent.
Tire Plant at Natchez.
Significant of the changes is that
the largest enterprise attracted by
B. A. w. I. is the Armstrong Rubber
g. Tire Co., at Natchez-the city of
beautiful ante-bellum mansions.
The plant employs 1900 to $500
people and makes 1000 tires a day.
1t is often cited as an example of
advantages Southern locations may
offer in availability of raw materials
and access to markets. Rubber is
landed at New Orleans and barged
up the Mississippi; the country's
finest cotton is at hand; carbon
black is available in nearby gas
fields; the company selling the tires
has distribution centers at Atlanta,
Memphis and Dallas
A. large shipbuilding plant at
tracted to Pascagoula will employ
more than $500 persons and $50
homes for new families are being
built. there
The industrial growth, with tax