The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-02-15
Pork Barrel Legislation

hospital, to give doctors a place to treat
their patients, and modern equipment almost
completely lacking in many counties.
Where are the hospitals? Reading a dis
patch out of Jackson this week, accounting
for the $25,000,000 already spent or ear
marked, we see not a word about pubic
health or regional hospitals. We see $1,000
600 boost for the common schools for the
next two years. Considering the fine state
of our roads, and the deplorable state of the
schools and public teaching-due to lack OF
state support-it would have been a better
day for Mississippi if three million had been
voted for the roads and sixteen million for
the schools, the equipment, the teaching
stats for want of which the state will suffer
for another generation.
We see another item of 81, 500, 900 for re-
pairing and expanding Of state buildings"
That's in addition to $1,000, 900 for a new
office building, which is needed. AT least
half of that $2,500,000 item, ii seems to US,
is pork-barrel, too.
The legislature voted $1,000, 900 for vari-
Gus types Of loans to veterans. That's a good
bill, but let's not get the idea the state is
giving this to the boys. They pay it back at
four percent interest. The real pork-barrel
give-away is tucked away in those road bills.
Then there is 100000 for a Central
Farmers Exchange; $1,000. 600 for a state
zeal SCHOOL pisuuusuuU iof q Dituu 5CuoOl.
These are good measures too. but it is the
same story as the schools; compared to the
road bills. the farm exchange and the bad
lY needed schools to train blind and deaf
students into useful citizenship are given
far too little. A first-rate school can train
the average blind child or deaf-mute to
specialized skills that will make him a self
respecting and self-supporting citizen. This
is our idea of real economy. even If the
srsktal ~AaA 10 kt~LAa tkan = n~n~pnx lfla
the one we have at present. which keeps
these children in drearY, depressing and
obsolete institutions. The graduates"
of institutions like the latter are more apt
to be on relief rolls for the rest of their
lives. This is to state 1t in its coolest terms.
without bringing in the sentiments of
Christian charity.
With only three million to go, the plan for
a four-year medical school has not come up
yet. That will cost 100000. We nave been
told that the plan has no chance, and we
hope the idea is dead. Such a school, as we
have repeatedly said, and demonstrated from
actual facts and figures, will not be n part
as effective in supplying doctors to MissiS-
sippis rural counties as vii la program for
the building of four regional hospitals. If any
program has claim upon what is left, it is
the regional hospitals plan, and not he four
year medical school.
nus 9@o,oov'oVo plus was largely Tue
product of the two percent emergency
sales-tax, passed way back there in the
depth of the depression. 1t seems to us that
with the state coming money hand over fist,
the emergency" is over. 1t is time to repeal
this sales tax. We see no reason why the
average consumer in Mississippi, the fellow
who pays two cents on every dollar of meat,
bread and milk he buys, should go on build
ing roads for politicians.
Let US take occasion to add this; there
is a case to be made for rural county roads,
and We think the rural folks should be en-
titled to adequate roads, passable in any
weather and sufficient to the traffic in the
county. However, it is our contention that
county funds and state funds appropriated
in the federal program are adequate for this
purpose if properly expended. This question
we intend to discuss in detail in an editorial
next week.