Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 23

West Point Industrial Boom Bonded To The Past "MM fourth Dave Cottrell was the industrial agent for Mississippi Power Company, and West Point had a young city attorney named T.J. Tubb. Cottrell and Tubb began discussing mutual concerns and what they decided they needed was "finding a way to build a factory with public money." Tubb gives Cottrell the credit. "It was probably Dave's idea," he says. Tubb has been city attorney for 45 years.

His practice is comfortable in his paneled office across from the county courthouse. He doesn't need the credit. THE IDEA was a bond issue. But there was no provision for constructing an industrial facility using a public bond issue. There was, however, a city provision for building a school facility under a bond issue.

And there was also a provision whereby, after the building was completed, the city could declare the facility a surplus and dispose of it accordingly. So that is what they planned to do, treasury, and that financed the $75,000 building. Knickerbocker hired nearly 100 people and started making shorts. About the time the plant opened. Hugh White was elected governor.

The story goes that White caught wind of what West Point had done, and liked the idea so well that when he took office in 1936, it became the model for his statewide BAWI (Balanced Agriculture With Industry) program. In 19ti5. industry overtook agriculture in Mississippi. In West Point, it happened sooner. "WE'VE BEEN growing ever since the bond issue," Tubb says.

"That was the beginning And now that industry is spreading its branches over Clay County, the old school building stands with its windows painted out. a root cut oft from its growth. It. was suggested to Tubb that they put up an historical marker in front of the building. "Well," Tubb said.

"It's not that old." But the town knew it. "We had contact with Knickerbocker (an Eastern U.S. manufacturer of men's shorts) before the building went up," Tubb says. The local newspaper, in July 1934, chronicled the guise by urging the electorate to pass the issue in a front-page streamer: "VOTE FOR VOCATIONAL SCHOOL BUILDING WHICH MEANS A $300,000 ANNUAL PAYROLL FOR WEST POINT." The bond issue was for $50,000. To pass, it required a majority of the qualified electors not just a majority of those voting.

It passed. 520 to 40. "THE PEOPLE were going nuts to get something in here." Tubb remembers This was just a dead town, and when the Depression came, it was in a helluva shape." Finding a buyer was. naturally, a problem under the unusual arrangement. So I suggested to the citv that they sell the bonds to themselves." The people had also given the city approval to use $25,000 already in the WEST POINT Of the 4,000 people em-ployed in industry here, none of them work in the big factory building across from the Chamber of Commerce.

The building is large, made of brick and the windows are opaque white. Over the door it says "Big Yank Corporation," but Big Yank operates out at the Industrial Park now. The old building is a warehouse. Meanwhile, industry is carried on all over the city and Clay County. The chamber, In its town-promoting pamphlet, one like all chambers publish, refers to West Point as "one of the most balanced cities in America.

The industrial picture of Clay County is one of "bright optimism." it says. "The growth and fame of our industrial community is on its way to being legend." IT WAS A FARM community, strictly a farm community, until the Depression. Then it suffered. Townspeople were jobless. The town needed jobs.

It needed industry. It needed a way to get industry. It had never been done before in Mississippi. COTTRELL had spearheaded a prior project financed bv public subscription, but a Mississippi city never had passed a bond issue to provide for private industry. Actually, the bond issue- never said that C-Thursday, February 3, 1977 CI)C ClanOn-LCDgCt 1 City Council Pots increase is denied.

"New construction would be practically eliminated," he said. King added to that threat Wednesday by saving his company will not provide Jackson's viewers with an independent television station unless the council approves the increase. City Commissioner Thomas Kelly said Wednesday he could' support the increase if the company committed itself in writing to bringing an independent station to cable viewers here. Capitol Cablevision has contracted with Southern Sa-telite Services to bring Atlanta's independent WTCG to Jackson cable viewers, via satelite, King said after Wednesday's meeting. He added, however, that the company will not provide the service unless its rate increase request is approved.

Kelly moved Wednesday that the increase be granted. But he withdrew the motion, at Mayor Russell Davis' request, after the city's director of emergency operations, Charles Wilkinson, complained that cabie TV facilities had not been made available for Section 20 of the city's seven-year-old contract with Capitol Cablevision states that "in case of any emergency or disaster, the company shall, upon request of the city, make available its facilities to the city for emergency Wilkinson said Wednesday he sent two letters to King in late 1975 seeking an appointment to discuss "ways and means" of providing the access. Three appointments were scheduled with King. Wilkinsons said, but all were canceled and nothing has become of his inquiries. King said Wednesday he canceled the 1975 appointments with Wilkinson because he was busy with arrangements to provide the Home Box Office feature to cable subscribers.

He said he never received Wilkinson's second letter. King said he ordered "hotline" equipment Wednesday that would provide Wilkinson with direct and immediate access to cable viewers during emergencies. He is scheduled to meet with Wilkinson Friday to discuss the equipment. King said he will appear before the council, again next Wednesday to seek the rate increase. Cable TV Rate ike By ROBERT PAYNTER Clarion-Ledger Stjff Writer The Jackson City Council Wednesday tabled a proposed cable television rate increase until contract provisions allowing the city to use cable facilities during emergencies are complied with.

Jeffrey M. King, general manager of Capitol Cablevi-sion. Wednesday asked the council to raise cable television rates here from $5.50 to $6.50 per month and from $9.52 to $14.29 for initial installation. He told the council "the rate increase is absolutely mandatory" if the company is to continue expanding its system. King threatened last week that any additional construction on the system, which now serves about 68 per cent of the city, "would be cut back severely" if the rate hanks' Mayoral -w litz' To Begin 15 VA', '3s.

i IS 1 iJmAr 4 -t I 4 i By ROBERT PAYNTER Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer At 10:30 a.m. today, City Commissioner Douglas Shanks plans to step from his south Jackson home to announce he'll run for mayor of Jackson, a position he says he's wanted since he was a teenager. The announcement will be the first outward sign of a Shanks organizational drive that's been building for four or five months in preparation for an assault on Mayor Russell Davis' incumbency. Shanks' announcement will be the second in what has become an active political week here, and will raise to three the number of announced mayoral candidates. DAVIS, a Democrat, said several months ago that he would seek reelection.

And Hinds County Prosecuting Attorney Dale Danks announced Monday that he would enter the May 10 Democratic primary. The winner of that contest will face the Republican nominee. But Shanks, a Republican, apparently is entering the contest with a more fully developed and more active campaign organization than either of his opponents. "We believe in doing our homework," Shanks advertising consultant Gene Clark explained this week. Already, Shanks has a poll, conducted for him by a North Carolina political consultant.that says the 30-year-old commissioner would have been the easy winner over Davis if Jackson's general mayoral election been held last December.

THE TELEPHONE poll of 306 registered voters, conducted Dec. 8 and 9 by De Vries Associates, of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., said that 40.7 per cent of Jackson's voters were committed to or leaning toward Shanks, as compared to 36,5 per cent for Davis. The remaining 22.8 per cent were either committed to other possible candidates, were undecided or refused to disclose their preferences. "If the undecided voters and those who refuse to tell their voting intention are removed from the sample," according to Shanks' poll, "the committed vote is 54.7 for Shanks and 45.37r for Davis." Danks, who said Tuesday he has taken no polls himself, added he had no comment on Shanks' survey other than that "the most important poll of all comes on election day." Davis could not be reached for comment. "IT LOOKED super," Shanks campaign manager John L.

Gainey, said this week of the De Vries survey. "Anybody who sets out to beat us is going to have to take a ne- Livestock Show Begins Today At Fairgrounds Douglas Shanks gative stance. They're going to have to take shots at us." Meanwhile, a $1,450 "opening day (media) blitz" has been scheduled to maximize the impact of Shanks' announcement, Clark said. A total of 13 30-second "fireside chat type ads" seven of them in prime time have been purchased for Shanks on the city's three television stations for tonight and Friday night, said Clark, of Gene Clark Advertising, the firm that handled the advertising for Shanks in his 1973 campaign for commissioner. Also, Clark said he has purchased three ads in the Friday editions of both of Jackson's daily newspapers.

CLARK SAID the "announcement day blitz" was designed mainly to "draw attention to the campaign" and to make known some of the stands on issues Shanks plans to take. After the initial push, Clark said he would be "laying back on media" until after a Feb. 22 referendum decides whether Jackson will retain its current commission form of government or change to a mayor-council form. If the proposed mayor-council form is defeated, local officials have speculated that the constitutionality of the city's three-man commission form would be challenged In court. A POSSIBLE result, they say, is that the June 7 municipal elections could be enjoined and the current city administration frozen in office until the challenge is decided.

"There is a certain degree of uncertainty in the air" because of the pending change-of-government referendum, Gainey said. He said, however, that the Shanks campaign "is moving on the premise that it (mayor-council) will pass and that there will be an election in June," See Mayor, Page 12C The 12th Annual Dixie National Livestock Show begln-stoday at the State Fairgrounds in Jackson for 18 days.Officials expect entrantsfrom 45 states.An Appa-loosa show will be held at a the Coliseum all day today, with an Appaloosa sale to be held at 8 p.m. today at the Coliseum. Other events will include sheep, beef and swine judging, several rodeos, a quarter horse show, a paint horse show and a parade at 10 a.m. Feb.

12 on Capitol Street. One of the sheep entered In the contest (above) couldn't get any food so it decided to eat a sign Instead, while the men (at right) exercised their horses for the upcoming events. StaM Photos bv Mark ScWrKotsKy.