The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-07-22


run a picture of Edgar Forten-
berry, who left Wednesday
after six years as resident agent
in Pascagoula. The bureau evil
IDENTIFY wants Edgar to remain
ineonspicuous. As he stands six
feet tall and weighs 245 pounds,
that is a feat even the FBI
could hardly pull off. Forten-
berry, a native Mississippian,
goes to Lake Charles, La, as
resident agent. Both he and Mrs.
Fortenberry said it was hard
leaving the good friends they
have made here. To lessen their
inconsistencies (and keep track
of county events) they have
subscribed to the Chronicle
Star and Advertiser. We wish
Edgar good fortune in a new
post that appears to be a pro-
motion.
&t
Walter Tschuppik, visiting
German editor making a sur
vey of the South, had this to
say after reading Atlanta news
paper headlines concerning Ku
Klux Klan burnings and beat
ings: THE Khan is just like
Hitler's Fascism, isn't it? That's
bad, very bad" Editor Tschup-
pix drew on his own expert
ences for the comparison. He
spent a year in a Nazi prison
camp, and was exiled from Ger
many in 1888, not returning to
Munich until 1948.
We don't know all the cir
circumstances surrounding the
forced resignation of the Plea
yune, Miss. mayor under threat
of the city's two major indus
trialists to close plants employ
ing approximately 5000 people
and we therefore hesitate to
comment on the subject. How
ever, there is one fact that
stands out like a sore thumb.
When any one industry or
group of industries dominates
the political life and thought
of an entire community it con
stitutes a dangerous. unhealthy
and undemocratic situation =.
just as much so as if any one
individual or politician did the
dominating.
Senator Stennis says that he
will introduce an amendment
to the new wages and hours
bill exempting employees en-
gagged in processing of agricul-
tural commodities (meaning for
the most part cotton gin and
compress workers, insofar as
Mississippi is concerned). I'm
der the law now in force such
workers in an "area of produc-
ton" are exempt, and the in
depreciation of this by the
wages and hours division is
that no town of more than 5000
is considered an "area of agri-
cultural production" Senator
Stennis says one of his reasons
for the proposed amendment is
that virtually all congresses
and many gins are located in
towns of more than 5000. AS
we recall il virtually all cotton
gins are located close to the
fields that produce the raw cot
ton, and we believe that if SEN
ator Stennis, who knows Mis-
sissippi as we'll as any man in
it. sincerely searches his mem
ory he also will recall that fact.
At the same time the Delta
Council is advocating A bill to
establish a federal revolving
fund" for surplus farm COM
modities which would be sent
to foreign countries in exchange
for strategic materials. What
this, in effect, means is that the
federal government would use
surplus cotton purchases to fl
nance the buying of strategic
materials from foreign sources.
OF course, it is incidental to the
whole plan that the price of
cotton and cotton products
would be maintained by the
federal government at the ex-
pense of the general public.
Senator Eastland, we hardly
need add. is sponsoring the bill.
The two foregoing para
graphs are a curious common
tary on States Rights thinking.
The same group that wages a
fight for revolving funds and
other agricultural subsidies that
benefit the plantation operators
and owners. are also solidly be-
hind an amendment that would
exempt the workers who pro-
duce the cotton from minimum
wage standards. People can't
buy unless they earn enough to
maintain a reasonable standard
Of living and industry can't