The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1946-09-05
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
~ HAZEL sRANNoN

~ HAZEL eRANNoN
Durant was the first city in the
state of Mississippi to take advan-
tage Of the BAWI legislation passed
originally when Gov. Hugh l.. White
was in office.
A building was erected by Durant
and it has been occupied ever since
by the Durant Manufacturing Com
pany. This company has proved to
be a good citizen. 1t has given good
jobs attracting high class labor to
Durant and its employees have made
good citizens of Durant.
Within q few days the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen are going to call
a $50, 1000. bond election to build an
addition to the Durant Manufacture
ing Company enabling the company
to double its floor size, its product
ion and number of its employees.
In addition the company is going
to pay yearly rental which will,
within a 20-year period, pay fully
the entire principal and interest ex-
pended by the City of Durant. Thus
the addition actually will not cost
the taxpayers of Durant a single
cent.
The industrial payroll of the Du-
rant Mfg. Co. and the payroll of the
Delta Chenille Co, which came to
Durant later have proved to be real
assets to this community.
We are certain the majority OF
qualified voters in Durant will favor
the bond issue when it is called by
Durant city officials at an early
date.
Every Mississippian is justly proud
of being a citizen of one Of the
great agricultural states Of the
nation. We are proud Of the pro-
duction record of Mississippi farm
ers during the war. With reduced
labor and few new tools they have
produced bumper crops to meet the
needs of the world. The income
from Mississippi's agricultural pro-
ducts has reached q new all-time
high since Pearl Harbor.
But there IS another truth that
all Mississippians must face and
the sooner this truth is faced frankly
and squarely the better for every
man, woman and child in III state,
whether they live on the farm or
in town.
That truth is just this-so long
as Mississippi depends largely upon
raw production for its income just
50 long will Mississippi remain the
poorest state in the nation.
For example, with the highest
agricultural income in its history in
1914 Mississippi's per capita annual
income totaled only $4,000, the low
est in the nation.
The answer to this problem Is
more processing, more manufactur-
ing, more industrial jobs and pay
rolls in Mississippi so that a sound
balance between agriculture and in
dustry may be enjoyed.
Realizing this fact the Mississippi
legislature in 1914 enacted the "Bal-
ance Agriculture With Industry Act"
which gives to municipalities and
other governmental subdivisions the
right to issue bonds for the erection
of industrial buildings which can
be leased to private industry.
Mississippi communities, because
of this BAWI Act, thus have some
thing to offer industry that the COM
munities of no other state have. In
stead Of asking industry to locate
in the community, build a building,
install machinery, employ local peo-
pie and finance the entire operation,
Mississippi communities can say to
industry: "You provide the machin-
cry, supply the know-how, hire the
people, provide the payrolls and we
will erect a modern industrial build
ing to meet your needs. You can
lease it with an option to buy il you
so desire in the future"
Industrialists are attracted by this
proposition for many reasons. 1t cuts
down their initial investment. 1t
proves that local people have faith
in their own community when they
ere willing to invest local funds in
a building. It gives the industrialist
confidence in the community and its
people. In fact, the entire plan is
Just plain, down-to-earth sound bust
ness. It's good horse-sense. 1t is the
plus which we nov have in Mis-
sissippi.