The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1946-01-18
Coast Counties" Are Charged With
Highway Bribery BY Legislature
Committee Checking Vehicle Statutes
Jackson County
Cleared BY Sen.
Byrd's Statement


The state legislature in Jack
son received a Seathing indict-
ment of highway police and motor
vehicle Inspection officials along
the Gulf Coast" this week in
the report Of a special inveStigai-
ing committee charging wholesale
abuse. bribery and hiiaeking on
the part OF county ana municipal
officials"
Neither the names of the coast
counties nor of specific officials
accused of corruption were nam
ed in the report, but the document
said that collected evidence had
been turned over to both the FIJI
ana the proper courts for action,
Jackson county was unotfieialiy
given a clean bill of health by
Senator Jesse Byrd of LeekSvil,e.
representing Jackson, George,
and Greene counties, who was
reached by telephone in the
State Senate late Thursday by
the Chronicles Star.
"our Investigation produced
evidenee,N Senator Byrd said,
that Jackson county is probably
the cleaneSt county on the coast,
The conditions described in the
report of the investigating conf
mittee relating 20 the extortion
by local officials proving on in
terState commerce were not found
in Jackson county"
Senator Byrd said that the
corruption was found chiefly in
Hancock county. with some ir-
regulari.ieS also reported in Har-
riSon county,
rms report Vas addressed aud
distributed to Governor Thomas
l. Bailey, Lieutenant Governor
Fielding L, Wright, House Speak
er Walter SillegS and members of
the Legislature,
From the beginning of our
Investigation MAY, l944l COM
plants we're made and evidence
presented to us of repeated
abuse. bribery and hiiaeking on
the part of some of the county
and municipal officials on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast" the of
fetal report stated,
4" In some counties on
the coast, county and municipal
officers, according to testimony
and evidence, seemed to have or
ganixed a racket of bribery and
corruption. and levied a tribute
ON operators of motor vehicles
Of out-oi-State concerns and lndi-
vidualS, They could easily do
this because the rates we've ex-
eeSSive and most if not all, of the
operators violated the laws TO
some extent
Preyed On Public
justices of the peace. deputy
SheriftS, mayors and eonStables
seemed to have divided certain
| portions Of United States High
way 90 tOld Spanish TEain among
themselves and then proved upon
the travelling public thereon In
many instances the fines collect
ed never reached the county
treasury and. in most eases, only
a cash bond Was taken. which, of
course wsS illegal. and no part
If the money Was ever turned
over 10 the proper county treas
ayV
The formal report made a Se-
rieS Of recommendations in the
form ii bills that the Joint House
senate committee : proposing at
the current session The bills
! provided that the present motor
vehicle commission - abolished
aaa the whole administration at
matae vehicle business oe chang
Ell one OF the aiilS would abel-
lsh the pFactiee et county hired
highway patTelmea Jackson
eauntv IS one ~ ne loug couD-
ties n this state Whisa uses this
system
TIE report AS Submitted hv
Seaataa Oscar = Wetle j., of
Naueaa chairman Il thN eemm b.
Zee senatas Jesse II Byrd.
teakakVtae lNaa represents
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