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After turning Louisiana over to Governor Allen, Senator Long was again delayed in getting on the national stump. Senator-reject Broussard had started a court contest against his successful opponent. Huey Long, smart lawyer who took a three-year course at Tulane in one, decided to postpone his departure until after the court hearing Oct. 5. Then, he said, he would "tell 'em plenty."
Pointing with Pride. During his four-year rule in Louisiana energetic Huey Long has made a public record to which his partisans point with pride. He reduced property assessments 20%. He distributed 600,000 free school books. At his free night schools 175,000 illiterates over 21 learned to read & write. From a third-class institution Louisiana State University has moved up to an A-1 rating. Its enrollment has been increased from 1,800 to 5,000. Louisianans can now attend it for as little as $20 per month. Senator Long is responsible for 2,500 mi. of new paved roads, 6,000 mi. of new gravel roads. He built the $5,000,000 State Capitol, the $150,000 executive mansion, the State University's $1,500,000 School of Medicine at New Orleans. Thanks to him, twelve new bridges are about to span Louisiana rivers; the contract for a Mississippi bridge at New Orleans has been signed. The R. F. C. last week lent $13,000,000 to build them. Charity hospitalization in New Orleans has been increased from 1,800 to 3,800 patients per day and bus excursions arranged to carry the rural sick in town. Insane patients, taken out of locked beds and handcuffs, have been treated with modern methods. As Governor, Senator Long doubled the capacity of the State cotton warehouse at New Orleans, effected a cut from $1.60 to 26¢ in the insurance rate on public dock property.
Viewing with Alarm. These accomplishments have not silenced many a Louisianan who views the Long record with utmost alarm. The "Kingfish's" critics point out that he has raised the State's indebtedness from $11,000,000 to more than $100,000,000. The public payrolls have been loaded down with his fawning followers. Under him New Orleans has slipped from second to fifth among U. S. ports. Prisons are so overcrowded that last week Governor Allen had to release hundreds of offenders to save money. The gasoline tax has been upped from 2¢ to 6¢. A 4¢ tax is imposed on 15¢ cigarets. Last week Senator Long ordered 100 highway police to stop tax-dodgers from smuggling gasoline and cigarets into the State, warned them not to molest liquor 'leggers. Soft drinks, life insurance premiums, electricity and corporate capitalization are also heavily taxed. Enemies of Huey Long vehemently declare that his tax program has definitely hurt Louisiana business, driven new industries from the State.