About Southern school news. (Nashville, Tenn.) 1954-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1955)
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
