The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-07-08

Inc addition OF a lO6x5O foot
swimming pool at Magnolia
State Park, as proposed by the
State Building Commission, will
be a facility that will make the
park one of the finest recrea-
ton areas on the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf Coast Research Lab
oratory has already given a
world of publicity to the park
and Ocean Springs area. The
whole hearted backing of the
Laboratory by the state college
board promises IL a healthy and
sound future. The laboratory it
self will be a boon not only to
the Mississippi Coast, but TO the
entire Gulf Coast from Florida
to Texas. The benefits will be
accomplished through research
and the devising of means of
developing the natural resources
Of the fabulously rich Gulf
waters.
If and when the pool is built
we would like to zee more trails
cut through the scenic area, and
enlarged picnic grounds. The
rental cottages are also attrac-
tive but seem badly in need of
a general face lifting. Also, a
campaign of publicity concern
ing the park and its recreation
al facilities would double and
treble the present attendance.
All this could be done this win
ter. and next summer would
e Ocean Springs with one of
the most valuable assets of any
community on the Gulf Coast.
.
This Is the type Of develop
ment that the Gulf Coast needs.
rather than the garishly-lighted
honkey-tonks that line a good
portion of the scenic drive from
Biloxi to Bay st, Louis. The
beach front and views of the
Mississippi Sound are, of course,
factors that make the Coast a
recreation area and vacation
land. However. lack of coming
and planning is resulting in a
welter of so-called might clubs"
and restaurants being built be-
tween the highway and the
Sound. particularly along that
stretch between Biloxi and
Gulfport, thus destroying, or at
least seriously damaging the
thing that, in the first place,
made the Coast what il is.
A proposed natural gas pipe
line from New Orleans to Chi
cago would require 500-million
cubic feet of gas daily, a large
portion of which would be
drawn from Mississippi fields to
supply industries in midwest
cities. which in turn will pro-
cess Mississippi's raw products
and ship them back to us for
sale. It's the same old story,
and a sad one. II would be
tragic to see our oil and gas 60
the route our other natural re-
sources have, Oil and gas could
be the factors to raise the eco
nomic level of our entire state.
But with our raw oil being
shipped out of the state for re-
filming and our gas being piped
to industries in other cities and
states. Mississippi's return is
p~itifully small except for a few
private fortunes in royalties to
landowners.
Raymond Emmert of Zanes-
vile. O., now claims the
worlds record for being buried
alive. Fed through a pipe, he
spent Is days in an improvised
coffin. Although exactly OPP
posite to flag-pole sitters, EN-
merits feat accomplishes the
same end. Just what personal
glory there is in lying on your
back underground for As days
we fail to e most of us
can look forward to a pretty
long seige of that particular
pastime. and we see little use
in praeticing for it.
State Senator Fred Jones of
Inverness. chairman of the Sen
ate penitentiary committee.
sharply disagrees with the gen
eral legislative investigating
committee in its glowing re-
port on the state penal insti-
tute at Parchman. Insofar as a
money : making institution is
concerned, Senator Jones says,
Parchman ranks high. On the
other hand. he adds, its pro
gram of rehabilitation is viz
tually non-eXistent. In words
of considerable wisdom. Sena-
tor Jones says that social good
that would accrue from re-
facilitating offenders would by
far offset the profits (around
$500.0 600 a year, derived from
driving them with a bullwhip
from sunup to sunset in order