The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1961-12-28
But Why Leave Us Out?
Compulsory Utilization Pushed By NC
A EditoriaD

against Dy the M1SSlSSlppI-AidUdIu lJlVlSIOH u lie Will
Continent Oil and Gas Association, an organization of oil
and gas companies and producers which compose one of
the most highly organized and w~el-heeled lobbying groups
in the state.
At the present time the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas
Association is pushing a compulsory unitization law that
would affect every small land holder in the state who owns
potential oil and gas producing property. The Association
hopes to get this compulsory utilization bill passed at the
1862 session of the Mississippi Legislature. AS a part Of
this campaign they ran an advertisement in November on
The utilization question in the newspapers of the state.
That is, they ran the ads in every paper except the
four Mississippi newspapers owned and edited by Hazel
Brannon Smith of Lexington.
This is why we say we have been Disseminated against.
Why? The question naturally arises.
Mid-Continent ran the advertisement in the Holmes
County Herald in Lexington, a newspaper with about one
fifth as many subscribers and possibly ten per cent as many
readers as The Lexington Advertiser, which has served the
people of Holmes County for more than 124 years, a news
paper owned and edited by Mrs. Smith.
Mid-Continent did not run the advertisements in The
Durant News, although it is the only newspaper in Durant.
also in Holmes County. The Holmes County Herald has
practically no subscribers in Durant. The News, too, is owned
by Mrs. Smith.
Normally an association like Mid-Continent wanting to
see a bin enacted into law would run such an advertisement
in every newspaper in the state. Certainly money is no OBJ
ject to the rich and powerful oil and gas producers who
support Mid-Continent. x1~~N~@s
So the average citizen would wonder why the Leying-
ton editor was thus singled out.
But when it is remembered that Holmes County State
Representative Wilburn Hooker is chairman of the House
Conservation Committee to which the unitization bill is
referred for action, the picture becomes very sharp and
clear, at least to the citizens of Holmes County for Rep
Hooker is one of the organizers and the main financial sup
port of the Holmes County Herald. He is a member of the
Executive Committee and its board of directors at the pres
emit time, the committee charged with trying to get enough
money to keep the Herald going.
Now as an individual citizen Wilhurn Hooker can fight
me any way he chooses and | will have it out with him on
a local level To date / have largely ignored him and his
gang and their frantic efforts to keep their newspaper alive.
In this connection he has solicited advertising for the Herald,
which he has every right to do.
He has gone farther = and asked people not to adver-
tie in The Advertiser. This is promoting a conspiracy and
is illegal, as we'll as Immoral and revolving. But even here
| will still deal with Mr.. Hooker on a local level.
But if and when State Rep. Hooker uses the office be-
slowed upon him by the people of Holmes County to influence
and advance his own economic self-interest, then it is time
10 call a halt. That time is here and now.
Now, this is what | should like to know:
Was the discrimination against the Lexington editor
by Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association inspired by it's
desire to incur favor with State Rep. Wilburn Hooker?
This seems hardly possible since Rep. Hooker was author
of the unitization bill and enthusiastically, though unsuccess-
fully, sought its passage in the last session Of the Legisla-
ture.
Could it be that the discrimination against the editor
was a pay-off to Rep. Hooker for services rendered? p
The people of the whole state will be interested in the
answer to this one because unitization is one of the most
highly controversial measures to face the 1862 session. And
informed people know that much is involved.
If a group like Mid-Continent can be influenced or in
Inundated in any way, for any reason, to use these cheap
tactics on a lone woman editor, what more could it be con-
trained to do under additional pressure? How far will it
go to get the compulsory utilization bill passed?
Without going into the merit or dement's OF unltlza-
ton itself land we have not yet made up our mind on IT.
we would say that the apparent methods and tactics being
used to push utilization are highly questionable, to say the
least, and need a close examination and study by all IN
terested citizens of the state = most of all by the mem
bers of the Legislature to whom we must look to protect
and defend the peoples interest.
Ak &#