A REPORT
To The People Of Cherokee County
Sixteen months ago, y cu, the citizens of Cherokee County
elected me to represent you in the North Carolina General
Assembly. It was my privilege to serve you there for nearly
four months -
Since the General Assembly adjourned, there have been
and continue to be services which I have been able to render
the citizens of my county of Cherokee, above and beyond
the four months representation in our Legislative Halls.
It has been a privilege to serve so many of my neighbors in
their individual problems relating to our State Government
However, beyond those services, I wish to make the follow
ing report -
REPORT: Fishing License Bill:
House Bill No. 930, commonly known at the "Fishinr Bill", passed during the Ses
sion of the 1953 General Assembly abolished short-term NONRESIDENT fishing licenses
As a result the tourist industry of our County as well as In other sections of our State
has been adversely effected.
This is a copy of the letter from
Representative Thomas J. White
of Lenoir County, co-sponsor of the
Fishini License Bill -
Similar letters or committments
have been received from the ma
jority of those members sponsor
ing the original Bill -
During the past 10 months, after the General Assembly adjourned. 1 have been working to correct the injustice created by thb
law. I have kept after the Legislators who sponsored the bill; I have appeared before the Wildlife Resources Commission; I have
contacted the Board of Conservation and Development As a result of these efforts, I am prepared to introduce an amendment in
tht next General Assembly, if you return me to that body, that will make legal, one and five day fishing permits.
This is a copy, of a Resoultion
passed by the North Carolina Wild
life Resources Commission after
my appearance before that (Toup
protesting the end of one and five
day fishing permits.
Dear Diek:
I am clad to have your letter of January 5. I understand and can appreciate the
situation resultinc from the Bill referred to in ybur letter, which was Introduced by
Joe Fowler and myself at the 1953 session of the General Assembly. I recret exceed
incly that the practical workinr of this Bill caused trouble in yonr County, and while
perhaps we should have forseen this trouble, it was not forseen at the time, and
those who drafted the Bill strongly recommended it as a beneficial measure for the
State.
You may count on me, if I am privileged to return to the House, to help you in
connection with a Bill to correct the situation existing in your County and your section.
I do not knqw whether some of the lakes and tidewaters mentioned in your letter
other than those in your section should be exempted or not, but this should certainly
be given careful consideration.
I am glad that you have the backing of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission, and so far as I am concerned yon can tell th? boys in Cherokee that
you are just the one to get this matter straightened out and that I will help you do
It.
With best wishes, and assuring you that it was a real privilege to be associated
with you in the Legislature. I am
Sincerely yonrs
Thos. J. White
REPORT ? Hospital Ai Andrews:
Thank You, Mr. Ferebee
Dear Dick:
I know that you will be interested to know that we now have met every require
ment of the North Carolina Medical Care Commission in our effort to establish a
hospital district embracing Graham County, Valleytown and a portion of Murphy
Township in Cherokee County and Clay County. This area is now set and recognized
by the North Carolina Medical Care Commission as a hospital district and the hospit
al committees are now proceeding to raise their local share of the cost of building the
district hospital.
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the very valuable assistance
you have been to the hospital committee and myself personally in getting this hos
pital district established. Being in Raleigh, you have been very valuable to us in
making appointments with the North Carolina Medical Care Commission for us and
rendering many other services that helped us materially.
Your cooperation is sincerely appreciated by alt of us.
Cordially yours,
Percy B. Ferebee
Chairman, Hospital Committee
I should like to call your attention to the fact that It WILL NOT be necessary for addi
tional taxes to be levied to pay for the proposed hospital. This is due solely to the efforts
put forth by the hospital committee of which Mr. Fere bee Is Chairman.
REPORT ?Telephone Service Pledge:
Darin* my campaign for election to the 1953 House of Representatives, I promised
the cltisens of the Martins Creek area to help them obtain telephone service -
As a result of my pledge to the eHisens of the Martin's Creek Community, I have
continually been in contact with Mr. Linn Garibaldi, President of the Western Carolina
Telephone Company requesting telephone service for Martin's Creek area, as well as
other rural communities of Cherokee County.
At the present time the engineers of the telephone company are making a study of
a survey taken which includes a requestor ill additional telephones in the county. This
study should be completed by the latter part of May, at which time a meeting will be
held In Murphy to discuss the project in detail. Knowing Mr. Garibaldi as I do, I feel
sure that be will do everything possible to provide aa much service as is practical from
his company's standpoint and from the cltisens' standpoint
County Agent G. H. Parley has rendered, and is rendering, a great service to the
people of the County In this survey. ,
OFFICIAL RELEASE
NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
At a meeting in Raleigh the Wildlife Resources Commission went on record
as willing to support action by the 1955 Legislature to amend the Law abolishing short
term non-resident fishing licenses to exempt aritficial impoundments natural lakes and
tidewaters. Thus reservoirs such as Hiawassee, Chatuge, Santeetlah, Fonlana, Lakes
such as Waccamaw, and areas such as Currituck Sound would be legal fishing grounds
for nonresidents holding one-day and five-day permits.
REPORT ?School Teacher Salary Vote:
Due to the fact that I voted for a lOCr raise instead of a 12increase for the
teachers, I have been criticized by some of them because, I am sure, that they didn't ful
ly understand exactly what happened. I should like to explain as fully as I possibly can,
with the space I have, exactly what did take place -
I.Early in the legislative session I went on record as opposing the proposal for
setting aside $17,500,000 for a cash operating fund. It was my belief that the citizens
of the State had paid this money in taxes and they should receive services for it. Had
these funds been set aside the teachers would not have received an increase, in my
opinion, without an increase in taxes.
2 When the proposal for a 12M> '< increase came before the Hous^ of Represen
tatives, it was explained that should the entire 12'i Cr be granted, a deficit would be
caused in the budget of our State. After hearing this and having som^ knowledge of
State fiscal affairs, I was sure that should the legislature adjourn leaving an unbalan
ced budget the sale of the school bonds in which everyone in Cherokee County was
interested, would be seriously effected. It stands to reason that the money market
of the world would not buy a bond for an interest rate we could afford when they
could not see how we were going to meet our appropriations - As it was, I voted a
gainst the 12' if r'r increase but voted for a 10 ri increase - Later on that same day,
an amendment was offered under which the teachers and State employees would
receive the additional 2'i '< increase should funds be available at the end of the
fiscal years 1954 and 1955. This. I voted for because if there was money available, I
certainly wanted the teachers to have it, as you know, this amendment passed.
3 I should like to point out at this time, though it is not commonly known, that I
was a co-introducer of the bill which provided for a minimum retirement of $50 month
ly for teachers and State employees at the age of 65 with twenty years' service - Prior
to this, some teachers received only S6 or S7 per month -
4 I was also co-introducer of the bill that requires all school buses to be routed
within 1 j mile of any school child who lives more than Hi miles from the school to
which they are assigned.
The teachers and citizens of the County may rest assured that I feel that the child
ren of our State are our greatest asset and that it is our responsibility to provide ad
equate facilities and teachers with the finest certificates so that they may receive
the education that they deserve and which we owe to them.
REPORT ?School Bonds:
Thank You, Mr. Hodges
Dear Dick:
I want to thank you for the assistance you cave in the special bond election. We can
all be proud of the results and I know it is a source of satisfaction to yon to know that
you made a substantial contribution to such worthy causes.
I hope the State will have your continued interest and energy in-public affairs.
?o
Yours very truly,
Brandon P. Hodges
What this School Bond money means to Cherokee In Dol
lars and Cents:
? From $25,000,00# of the School Bonds, Cherokee County schools will receive a total
of $178,755.45 - County schools - $7S,?96.0?, Murphy schools - $56. 062.64 - Andrews
schools ? $48,396.85. The formula under which the counties will participate in the re
maining $25,006,000 has not been decided upon at this time ?
To Carry Out My Efforts To Amend The Fishing License Bill To Get Back One And Five Day Per
mits And To Take Advantage Of The Seniority Gained By Past Service In The General Assembly
I Respectfully Solicit Your Support In The Democratic Ptimary May 29,1954.
Richard (Dick) Mauney