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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—Feb. 3, 1955—PAGE 9
Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss.
FFICIAL Mississippi has moved
easier and faster in mobilizing
against desegregation of its public
schools than in activating a program
to fully equalize the dual system.
The road-block is the voting of
mcreased taxes sufficient to provide
20 million dollars “new” money an
nually to bring Negro schools and
opportunities up to the standards of
those provided the whites.
Face to face with the added cost
of equalized segregated schools, offi
cials are unable to find any taxpaying
group volunteering to back them up
at the moment.
Instead, revenue-raising commit
tees of the Mississippi legislature,
now in special session solely for the
purpose of removing the disparities,
are being told by each group pro
posed as the source of some of the
needed funds, to “tax the other fel
low—we can’t stand it and remain in
business.” At the same time, the
groups are insisting that segregation
be maintained.
OTHER STEPS TAKEN
The present situation is in contrast
to:
1. Blue-printed plans of officials to
equalize immediately all phases of the
dual system in a movement designed
to gain support of Negroes to con
tinuance of segregation on a “volun
tary” basis.
2. The one-sided vote ratifying a
constitutional amendment authoriz
ing the legislature to abolish public
schools if Negroes refuse to accept
fully equalized opportunities and fa
cilities.
3. The appointment of an estimated
1,100 attorneys as special assistant at
torneys general by Atty. Gen. J. P.
Coleman to act for school officials who
are made defendants in suits aimed
at ending racial segregation. They
are authorized to “represent, in co
operation with the attorney general,
any school district or any public
school official in any suit or other
legal proceedings which may here
after be instituted for the purpose of
impairing or destroying separate
schools for the white and Negro races
in Mississippi.”
4. Legislative authorization given a
25-member Legal Educational Ad
visory Committee, headed by Gov.
Hugh White, to command the ap
pearance of witnesses in hearings to
determine the reaction in local com
munities to efforts to enforce the
United States Supreme Court’s inte
gration decision. The testimony
would be used in support of the state
using its police power to maintain
segregation for “peace and order.”
5. Voter ratification of a constitu-
l mnal amendment raising the educa
tional qualifications of applicants for
registration as qualified electors, ad-
mittedly designed to curb widespread
registration of Negroes. (Of the esti
mated 500,000 qualified electors in
1 !ssissippi, a county-by-county sur-
' e y by Atty. Gen. Coleman disclosed
°my 22,107 Negroes in the group.
v ith about 10,000 of them since be
coming disqualified through failure
Pay the $2 a year poll tax and for
°ther reasons.)
TTi
on nere 1S n ° unanimi ty, however.
a way to provide immediate
equalization of facilities.
RESENT tax STRUCTURE
ississippj’s present tax structure
f Reared to 25 million dollars a year
r Public schools.
cy tate i ^ e P ar t m erit of education offi-
nu ’ a . on ^ w ith the legislative reve-
wih committees, estimate it
to l a ta ^ e ^ million dollars annually
•pL utlc h a full equalization program
k accounts for the needed addi-
20 million dollars.
Was , S ?f lew bat confusing situation
of ,, e ” by the 1954 regular session
anti„- e e gislature, due to the then
r ulin 1Pated adverse Supreme Court
eoo-if, on the state’s “separate but
Pk Program.
y ear e session approved a two-
salayj e< t Ua llzation plan for teachers
tratio^f’* trans P° r tation and adminis-
the k- to , cos t 68 million dollars for
dol] ar ^ enruum - That was 18 million
more than was approved for
the two-year period by the 1962
legislature.
However, the 1954 assembly pro
vided only 50 million dollars for the
two years, earmarking 34 million
dollars for the current 1954-55 ses
sion, and only 16 million dollars for
1955-56. The lawmakers were unwill
ing to vote the entire 68 million dol
lars in advance of the Supreme Court
ruling.
The current special session must
not only provide for the 18 million
dollars, but an additional two million
dollars to provide for full payment
of salaries under the new “experi
ence and training” formula, applic
able regardless of race. The added
two million dollars results from the
upgrading by teachers of their de
grees.
With that leveled off, the current
session, or the regular assembly meet
ing in January of 1956, must then
shape a public school budget on the
basis of 44 million dollars a year—or
88 million dollars for the 1956-58 bi
ennium in contrast to the present
two-year 68 million dollars program.
LIST OF SCHOOL NEEDS
The 44 million dollars a year needs
are as follows:
For full equalization of teachers
salaries, transportation and adminis
tration, 38 million dollars (now 34
million dollars).
For annual payment of bonds
planned for launching a 60 million
dollar Negro school building pro
gram, six million dollars. The inter
est on the obligations would be paid
by the recipient school districts un
der a bill now before the special ses
sion. The building program is new
and will ultimately require 118 mil
lion dollars—the amount of facility
disparities estimated by the state de
partment of education.
The proposed building program is
planned in such a way that Negro
schools must be equalized before the
funds are spent on new white build
ings. In the meantime, “credits”
would be set up for white schools for
later use.
To speed closure of the “gap,” the
proposal would allocate funds to Ne
gro schools on the basis of $15 per
child in average daily attendance,
while those for whites would be
based on $12 per child.
PROPOSED TAX CHANGES
Tax increases proposed as the
source of the needed additional school
funds include:
1. Raise 2 per cent sales tax to 3 per
cent for an estimated $15,500,000 a
year added revenue. If certain ex
emptions are removed, mostly on
agricultural products and to non
profit co-op and municipal electric
power associations, and the gross in
come of doctors, lawyers, architects
and accountants subjected to the
three per cent levy, an additional
three million dollars annually would
be realized, or 18 million dollars.
However, labor unions are opposed
to the sales tax increase, along with
JACKSON, Miss.
A new national organization, obvi
ously stemming from the United
States Supreme Court’s public school
integration decision, was formed at
a meeting in Jackson, Miss., on Jan.
22. It is called “The Federation for
Constitutional Government.”
Temporary chairman is J. U. Barr
of 801 American Bank Building in
New Orleans, a former leader in the
States Rights movement. Mr. Ban-
announced formation of the federa
tion. but did not divulge the names
of those who met with him for that
tmrnose.
“The meeting which resulted in
the organization of ‘The Federation
for Constitutional Government’ was
held as a result of a widespread de
mand for some coordinated effort to
secure a return to constitutional
government,” he said. “There is a
strong sentiment throughout the na
tion that government should be exer
cised under the constitution—that we
should have a government of laws
operators of city bus lines. Also some
legislators insist they will oppose the
sales tax increases unless corpora
tions, particularly the producing oil
and gas industry, are likewise tapped
for additional revenue.
2. Increase cigaret tax from four
to five cents a pack for an additional
$1,300,000 a year. Opposition has not
crystallized on this proposal—the
lone one in that category.
3. Boost oil and gas severance from
six per cent to seven or eight per
cent, with the smaller or one per cent
raise capable of adding $1,100,000 a
year in new revenue. That industry is
opposed to being “singled out” and
contends its overall tax bill is higher
than in any other state.
4. Place a one-cent-a-bottle tax on
soft drinks for an estimated five mil
lion dollars a year. That industry is
likewise opposed to the levy.
5. Enact a 20 per cent “surtax” on
income, amusement, franchise, estate,
oil and gas, finance companies, insur
ance companies, oil distributors and
“black market” liquor, for an esti
mated six million dollars a year. The
tax would be added to whatever is
due on present rates. Objecting to this
plan is Gov. White and the Missis
sippi Manufacturers Association, both
contending it would be disastrous to
the state’s program to bring in new
industries to balance off its one
sided agricultural economy.
6. Raise gasoline tax from seven to
eight cents a gallon and earmark the
anticipated $5,600,000 a year from
state aid rural roads which now get
that amount annually from the gen
eral fund. Enactment of the tax
would permit use of presently di
verted funds for schools and other
ordinary operations of state govern
ment, rather than, as Gov. White
said, “use bread and meat money for
roads.” Gasoline distributors are
against this levy.
7. Boost timber severance tax 100
per cent for an additional $350,000 a
year. Opponents said such an in
crease would seriously affect the
industry which now adds 375 million
dollars a year to the state’s economy
in the processing of timber.
The proposed tax increases add up
to $37,350,000 a year with only $1,-
300,000 (cigaret levy) not under
strong opposition pressure.
NEGRO STANDS DISAGREE
While the special legislative session
debates activitation of the plan offi
cials feel Negroes will accept, a sharp
clash has occurred between two
strong Negro groups on the integra
tion question.
Dr. T. R. M. Howard of the all-
Negro town of Mound Bayou in the
delta’s Bolivar County, president of
the Regional Council of Negro Lead
ership, insists, along with the Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, that the
Supreme Court’s integration decision
be placed in effect in Mississippi.
Dr. Howard, who served as spokes
man at a biracial conference called
last July by Gov. White at which
Negro leaders rejected a proposed
“voluntary” segregation plan condi
tioned on immediate equalization, has
accused some Negro educators with
“yielding” to official pressure. He has
and not of men.”
Mr. Barr said “the purpose and
scope of the federation will be na
tional and not sectional.” He added
that “the movement for this federa
tion can be termed a ‘grass roots’
movement for a restoration of fun
damental principles to the govern
ment of our nation.”
He said he was authorized to set
up executive, finance, and legal com
mittees in the states represented at
the organization meeting. He listed
them as Louisiana, Mississipoi, Ala
bama, Florida, Tennessee. Georgia.
South Carolina, Texas. Arkansas, and
North Carolina.
A resolution Mr. Barr said was
adopted at the organization meeting
states:
“The major objectives of the na
tional committee shall be to promote
constitutional government, including
the preservation of the independence
of the legislative, executive and ju
dicial departments; the preservation
of the sovereign rights of the sev-
also charged that newly-formed Citi
zens Councils, composed of “white
males dedicated to preservation of
segregation,” are using “economic
pressure” on Negroes seeking civil
rights.
Dr. Howard disclosed that the
NAACP has launched a fund-raising
program with one million dollars as
its goal, to offset the asserted “eco
nomic pressure.” He said funds are
being sought for deposit in the Tri-
State Bank at Memphis, Negro insti
tution, for use in making loans to
those who are threatened.
The Negro physician said fraternal
organizations, insurance companies
and individuals are being urged to
deposit funds in the Memphis bank
for use in making loans. Bank officials
said the money will draw the regular
interest rate of 2% per cent, and will
be loaned out at six per cent “on
sound collateral.” Dr. Howard also
explained that “this is not a give
away” program, but one based on
businesslike transactions.
$10,000 DEPOSITED
Bank officials at Memphis disclosed
that thus far $10,000 has been de
posited for use in the loan program.
That disclosure was made after Dr.
Howard had told the Mississippi
Progressive Negro Voters League at
a meeting in Jackson, that $100,000
had been subscribed. He later said
the report of the Jackson meeting
was erroneous.
Meanwhile, Dr. H. H. Humes, presi
dent of the Mississippi Negro Baptist
Convention and editor of a Negro
weekly newspaper at Greenville,
challenged Dr. Howard’s statement
that certain Negro leaders had
“buckled under” to the proposed vol
untary plan.
Dr. Humes said Dr. Howard had
agreed to work with the governor on
a “long range program for the de
velopment of the schools in Missis
sippi” and that Dr. Howard had
“agreed with Gov. White that any at
tempt to integrate the schools in Mis
sissippi at this time would be most
disastrous on the part of both the
Negroes and the white people.”
Dr. Humes charged that Dr. How
ard “has not done anything for the
advancement of the Negroes in the
Mississippi delta” and that “he does
not care if there is not one school
built in Mississippi, integrated or
not integrated.”
Another development is the estab
lishment of a field office in Jackson
by the NAACP. Serving as its secre
tary is Medgar Evers, a graduate of
the state’s Alcorn College for Negroes
and World War II veteran, who un
successfully sought admittance to the
University of Mississippi’s law school
last year. Evers’ application was re
turned by the Board of Trustees of
State Institutions of Higher Learn
ing for asserted failure to comply
with all entrance requirements.
Following return of Evers’ appli
cation, the board outlined a new en
trance procedure under which appli
cants must gain recommendations
from at least five alumni of the
school where entrance is sought, all
residing in the home county of the
applicant.
eral states, and the preservation of
individual liberties, all of which are
guaranteed by the federal constitu
tion; to secure the nomination of
candidates for office who subscribe
to these principles; to resist the nom
ination of leftist candidates for pres
ident and vice president and other
offices, and oppose the adoption of
socialistic platforms;
“To seek in every honorable and
legitimate way to prohibit the prac
tice and to nullify the effects and
consequences of executive agree
ments or orders, and of decisions of
the federal courts and the United
States Supreme Court which have
wrongfully abrogated, modified or
amended the provisions of the Unit
ed States constitution which reauire
a separation of powers between the
three great departments of govern
ment, and of the 10th amendment
which reserves to the states and the
people all powers not expressly
granted by the constitution to the
federal government.”
Also recently developed is an as
serted situation in some counties
under which funds allocated under
the state’s 1954 salary-transportation-
administration equalization program
are not being allotted as mandated
by the legislature.
A group of Negro educators called
on Gov. White to ask for an investi
gation of the situation. They said a
special allocation for supplementing
salaries of “all” principals was being
used solely for white principals, and
that in distribution of school supplies
to “all” schools Negro schools were
being discriminated against.
Gov. White assured the Negro
leaders that the discriminations
would not be tolerated, and that an
investigation would be made. Mem
bers of the group are among those
willing to accept “voluntary” segre
gation, conditioned on immediate and
full equalization of their schools with
those of the whites.
At the moment, attention is focused
on the legislature and what it will
do to provide the necessary funds for
a “trial run” of the voluntary plan
COMMITTEE EMPOWERED
Unlimited power to conduct hear
ings and command the appearance of
witnesses to ascertain the effect of
enforced public school integration on
“law and order” in local communities
has been voted a 25-member Legal
Educational Advisory Committee by
the current special session of the
Mississippi legislature.
House Speaker Walter Sillers of
the heavily Negro-populated delta
county of Bolivar and champion of
segregation, was one of the authors of
a resolution vesting the far-reaching
authority in the committee headed by
Gov. Hugh White and composed of
state officials, constitutional lawyers
and private citizens.
Speaker Sillers explained to the
legislature that purpose of the au
thority to lay the groundwork for
possible use of the state’s police pow
er in preserving segregation on the
basis of “law and order.” He said tes
timony taken at hearings would sup
port the state’s position if challenged
in the courts.
Subpoenas and process issued by
the committee would be served by
sheriffs in the 82 counties.
The resolution also continued the
life of the advisory committee cre
ated at the 1954 regular session to
work out plans for preserving segre
gation. the United States Supreme
Court’s integration decision to the
contrary notwithstanding. It was this
committee which sponsored a public
school abolition amendment to the
state constitution which has been
ratified by the voters and made a
part of the document drafted in 1890
Here is the authority vested in the
advisory group:
To take testimony of witnesses and issue
subpoenas and such other process neces
sary to compel the attendance of witnesses
at hearings of the committee, and-or sub
committees, and requiring the production
of books, records, papers, and other forms
of evidence, in the same manner and
under the same penalties as the chancery
and circuit courts are authorized and em
powered by law to do;
Appoint special officers and-or agents
who are hereby authorized and em
powered to serve all subpoenas and other
process issued by said committee;
Take such action as may be directed by
the committee to compel obedience to
said process:
Direct its subpoenas and process to any
sheriff or deputy in any county of this
state who shall serve same as directed by
the committee or any of its subcommit
tees;
Witnesses may be paid the same fees
for attending meetings or hearings of the
committee or subcommittees of the com
mittee as are now paid by the aforesaid
courts or either of them;
Pay the county officers, and-or the
special officers and agents of the com
mittee, the same fees now allowed for
service of process for either of the afore
said courts;
Said committee and its subcommittees
are hereby authorized and empowered to
issue the process provided for herein and
do any and all acts and things necessary
to carry out the purposes of this resolu
tion.
Other authors of the House con
current resolution (No. 10) are, like
Speaker Sillers, members of the ad
visory committee. They are Reps.
Russell Fox of Claiborne County; Joe
Hopkins of Coahoma County; Icey
Day of Attala County; Ney Gore, Jr.,
of Quitman County; Hilton Waits of
Washington County; John Junkin of
Adams County, and Maurice Black of
Carroll County
New Federation Formed In Mississippi