The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-05-03
BY NoLLE t. ROBERTS

appearing these DAYS in District
5 in Western Jackson County,
have an entirely different mean
ing 10 the citizens there than
they would TO residents Of our
| coast cities. To a Pascagoula or
Moss Point resident, such signs
hold some interest but uually only
cause irritation that a time-con-
Stunning detour must be made.
But to the rural resident, who
has rogged in the mud during
| > ct weather and smothered in
the oiist during dry periods, such
signs pre- beautiful sights, often
marking the beginning Of the
last step in bringing the standard
of living in his community to a
par with living conditions any
where.
In a decade of progress re-
sulfing from the extension of
rural electricity and the coming
of substantial industry to the
county. the era of kerosene
lamps. wood stoves. hand
pumped water. and hand-to-
mouth economy has given way
TO better days and many of the
rural homes now have all of
the conveniences found in resi-
dences in the city.
But the coming of better and
heavier cars, the increased timber
industry, and the days of work
bus transportation wreaked ha-
voc on the already tired roadbeds
until many men who put hard
earned money into new automo-
biles saw them become old long
before their time on a daily diet
of mud and holes with which
even the best engineering can not
compete.
The asphalt road, with all of it's
inperfections, is a God send in
comparison to unpaved roads; and
persons who can remember hours
spent pushing and heaving on a
car which has slipped in the ditch
on a wet clay hill are not prone
to complain about aehole or a bit
of roughness here and there.
But even with the advent of
running water, electric lights and
refrigeration, the farmer or farm
born is still inclined to sheer
cynically at the harried city
dweller whose aim in life is to
get a small farm and take it
easy. For anyone who knows
a single-tree from a wagon tongue
knows that a farmer works
harder hour-for-hour, day-for-
day, and year-for-year than
any shipfitter who eve swung
a maui. People who live
on a farm do so for love of the
soil or for elbow ROOM unless
they are financially independent
or r forced to remain on the
farm because they have no other
alternative.
We learned this week, how
ever, that there is a way to live
on the farm, have elbow room,
be vour own boss, and at least
relatively, take it easy. The
answer is right here in Jackson
County. 1t is chicken farming.
The thought first occurred to
US the other morning as we ate
an egg packed in New York. The
chances are the egg eaten by you
other city-twellers this morning
was packed there also. Or in Min
nesota. Since eggs do not be-
come better with age, we thought
the matter forth investigating.
The investigaftion revealed
that the two million OF so eggs
produced in Jackson County
last year just aren't enough.
According to Henry L. Girot of
Ocean Springs. manager of the
United Poultry Producers As.
ISOLATION since il was formed
Is years ago. if is not one-third
enough. MIR. Girot says six mil
lion eggs at least could be dis
posed of and that he has eve
seen too many eggs produced
here and sees little prospect of
it happening.
AS head of his association,
which he formed with four other
men in 1929, Mr.. Girot supervised
the handling Of a million and a
half eggs produced in West jack
70 County last year.
In l943, he handled nearly
twice that many for ever a CO
operative is not exempt from the
BLACK Market plague. But in
spite of the price jumpers and the
feed shortage, Mr.. Girot paid the
l27 members of the association
more than SIS, 900 last year, a
yearly average of 1873 cents per
dozen for their eggs.
Most of the l27 900 dozen pre-
MUM eggs went to coast hotels
and restaurants, with Is percent
gong to New Orleans during the
peak season and 5000 dozen a
week going to Keesler Field when
the association could spare them.
Mr.. Girot says the demand was
greater than the supply even in
the bottom of the depression and
the money going into the hands
of the producer last year was