The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-10-11

He was speaking of a condition that had
existed for approximately 20 years.
In a telegram to the Chronicle-Star and
Advertiser on August End, l945, Mr.. McCul-
Tough said:
g. the company's appropriation OF one
quarter million dollars to be spent SOLELY
IN CONNECTION WITH THE STREAM
POLLUTION PROBLEM was arrived at on
the basis of engineering plans as complete as
possible with existing knowledge of posi-
bilities, but it is pointed out that the sue
cessful carrying out of plans necessarily de-
ponds upon the equipment which must be
obtained"
One year and four months later, this
money has been spent the equipment OBJ
tanned, installed and in operation, and what
do we see?
A few weeks ago we saw tons of fish
slaughtered in Tallahala creek, and probably
we would nave again seen this condition
dow the entire length of the Leaf and Pas
cagoula rivers if heavy rains had not diluted
the slug" of ~effluent discharged by the
corporation. We see Masonite blaming the
condition in Tallahala creek on Laurel sew
age, and the wastes from other plants along
the streams. Yet while Masonite was closed
down for seven weeks lower Tallahala creek
restocked itself with fish, despite Laurel
sewage and wastes from other plants.
We agree with Masonite that a certain
amount of pollution is inevitable where in
dustry exists. We also agree with Masonite
that pollution laws must necessarily strike
a sane balance in the supervision of the dis
charge of industrial wastes if industry is to
live and thrive.
But we disagree with Masonite when it i'm
plies that the benefits of a few sportsmen
only and a few fish in a minor stream are
involved.
As we said before, an entire river system
and the livelihood of several thousands fami-
lies is involved, and we see no sane reason
to sacrifice them in the face of Masonite's
refusal to take positive steps to end this
pollution.
We refuse to believe that Masonite's own
chemical research laboratory. which has pro-
duced this marvellous product and thousands
of uses for it, could not, over a 20-year period,
discover a solution to this simple fact of
chemistry. The solution exists and Mason
ties own chemists know, and have known it.
We know Masonite is not the only offender
in our state, but Masonite is by far the larg-
est and most persistent, and if Masonic
proves itself bigger than the laws of our
state we may as well tear up our pollution
laws and prepare ourselves for a mess of
sinking industrial sewers in our state 20 to
30 years from now.
And if we allow this to happen we. the Mis-
sissippi people, will be the economic losers
Director Freeman of the State Game and
Fish Commission, says that Mississippi's fish
ing industry brings in "$7, 500, 900 annually
and feeds 100000 people" This does not take
into consideration the millions of dollars and
the thousands of people who derive their in
come from the operation of fishing and tour
list camps, sporting goods stores, hotels, nor
the thousands upon thousands of tourists
that come annually to our state to fish in our
now abundant streams. The total of all this
makes Mississippi's rivers by far its largest
industry, and one of its largest sources of
income.