The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-08-12
Overtime Editors

ZA1LkZ~
The oil and gas industry in
Louisiana furnishes employ
ment for 10000 persons. who
earn total wages of $l80-million
annually, the MIDI Continent OIL
and Gas Association announced
last week. That's a big payroll
for any state, and Louisiana is
certainly to be congratulated
for turning a natural resource
into industrial employment and
~payfolls that benefit such a
large portion Of the people. The
payrolls come from big refin-
cries and allied industries.
These are high wage level in
dustries, too, which is evidenced
by the fact that the average is
better than $4,000 annually. In
addition, there are indirect ae-
tiVities, made possible by oil
production, which add consid-
erably TO the total economic
benefit of the state. There's the
item of $44-million in severance
taxes during the last year; then
the ports of New Orleans and
Baton Rouge realize substantial
revenue from the oil tankers
that carry both the raw and re-
fined product along the u. S.
coast and To foreign countries.
We wish some of these eco
homie benefits could be brought
to our own state, which con-
tinues to increase in import
ance in the production of oil
and gas. However, the jobs pro-
vided by the oil and gas indus
try in Mississippi are few and
far between except for direct
drilling and exploration opera
tions. One small refinery at
Yazoo City, another at Heidel-
berg. No exports out of either
of Mississippi's ports. It's being
piped to Louisiana for refining
in, or export from, that state.
We saw the same pattern APP
piled to our timber resources.
Minimum wages TO forest work
ers, but the timber was export
ed to other states for processing
into wood products and shipped
back to us in the form of a
thousand-and-one useful, every
day articles.
Mississippians got the har-
vesting wages, but the pay for
skilled workers went to plants
and factories in Indiana, Mich
igan and other states. We are
coming back, insofar as timber
is concerned, with our paper
plants and pulpwood. But at
this point, that Is beside the
question. Our forests years ago
could have been the natural re-
source on which to build a new
economy for our state. We sim
ply missed the boat. We're in
process of doing the same with
our oil. Royalties go to a com
paratively few individuals. q
few fortunes will be made, some
wages will go to oil field work.
ets, communities in the imme-
diate vicinity will be benefited
But the day will come when the
oil and gas are gone. Along the
lines of the present pattern,
Louisiana, Arkansas and other
states will get the broad bene-
fits that come from industry
and p~ayrolls. We will get the
transient benefits.
Our oil and gas. as was oui
timber, could now be the factor
to bring a new economy to oul
state. There should be some
means of translating it into in.
dustries and payrolls in Mis-
sissippi into pipelines or re-
fineries supplying tankerS ply.
ing out of Mississippi ports
into the opening up of new
technical fields of employment
that will keep the greatest nat
ural asset We have, our young
men and women, at home in,
stead of sending them to Other
states to find employment com.
mensurate with their abilities
And Me- s