THE franklin press AND THE HIGHLANDS MACONIAN
THURSDAY, DEC. 31.
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Published every Thursday by The Frankhn Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. LI
Number S3
BI^CKBURN W. JOHNSON.. EDITOR AND PUBUSHER
.1.. P„., rn«r«. Franklin. N. C. as s«cond class matter ^
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year
Six Months
OlA. XVXUiitiio ^i.uu
Eight Months 05
Single Copy
Dfeath on the Highway
WHILE the year’s tally of automobile deaths is
not yet complete, the figures already available
'make it clear that the record of 1936 is higher than
that of 1935. About 37,000 persons were killed m
motor accidents in the twelve months. This bnnp
the total number of persons killed in America by
motor cars, in the 15 years since records began to
.be kept, up to above 425,000. That is more by half
•than all of the Americans who have been killed m
all our wars from the Revolution down to the
World War. The motor car has become the na
tion’s deadliest weapon. With 2,000,000 more cars
on the roads, we may expect even more highway
deaths in 1937.
Those who have given this subject the closest
study agree that the blame for most of these
motor killings lies not with the car or the loa ,
but with the driver. There are still twenty states
'in which no license is required to_ drive a car; m
imany others, the examination of drivers for licenses
is so perfunctory that possession of a driver s li
cense is no proof that its owner is a good driver.
The most dangerous place to drive is on a wide,
well-paved highway on a clear day. That is where
and when motorists get careless. Sunday is the
most dangerous day in the week, Wednesday the
safest Twice as many persons are killed by cars
'between 7 and 8 o’clock in the evening as between
7 and 8 in the morning. ...
The motor death rate in the cities is coming
down, by reason of better lighting, more e^ctive
traffic control, and better enforcement of the trat-
fic laws. The rate is going up in the country. It
would take more money than the tax:payers would
stand for to light and police a million miles of
^^The solution of the problem would seem to be
the better education of drivers, not so much^in the
art of driving but in what might be called motor
manners.” If every driver behaved on the road
with the same consideration for others that he
shows elsewhere, the toll of motor murders might
be greatly reduced.—Selected.
by A. B. CHAPIN j
‘^vielidng 1936
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BARTON
tempt by bowing the knee to the
god of wine, yet seemingly in cele
bration of the birth of the lowly
Nazar ene ?
Good Men are Scarce
Every once in a while somebody’s name will be
mentioned and everybody present will say:
“He’s a good man.” But how often are most of us
moved to pay that tribute to one of our fellow
citizcns ?
The truth is that good men are scarce. Good
men, that is, in the sense of being first-rate work
men at their trades or professions, honest and up
right, in all their dealings with others, mdependent
and self-reliant, industrious and sober. The high
est tribute one man can pay to another is to say
“He’s a good man.” .
Of how many in any community can that be
said? How many farmers are really good farmers.
How many workers in any trade can be relied up
on to do an honest day’s work, and do everything
as well as it can be done?
From all over the country the complaint is heard
that good men are scarce. Industrialists are say
ing that there is a real shortage of competeni.
workers, in spite of all the talk about uneniploy-
ment. Good men are seldom unemployed and
never for long. i
Public attention has been directed m these rec
ent years to the plight of those who, for one rea
son or another, have not been able to earn a living.
It might be a good idea to pay a little attention to.
the good men who have got along without callin^g
for help. They are the “forgotten mem Maybe
there are a lot more of them than we rea ize. They
are not heard from so loudly as are the second
■raters and the no-goods. Selected,
YES, BLESSED—AND EASIER
It is customary for all writers
and speakers to do something par
ticularly sweet and tender about
Christmas—and quite properly so.
At no other time of year does so
much of the goodness of human
nature come to the surface. Stern,
repressed people open up; lonely
people emerge from their seclusion
into waiting companionship; the
miserly develop a streak of semi
generosity; the hearts of the mul
titude of fathers and mothers are
lighted with a brighter glow of af
fection for the youngsters ; laughter
and friendliness and good fellow
ship seem to be everywhere.
But there is also another side to
the picture. The very happiness of
the fortunate is a more acute re
minder of bow unevenly the good
things of life are passed around.
On those who already have too
much ,are showered a profusion of
gifts and gadgets, while those who
have too little are made only more
keenly aware of their lack.
At the risk of sounding a sour
note I venture to remind the for
tunate members of my congregation
that they are fortunate, .and that
they ought cheerfully .and grate
fully to undertake whatever re
sponsibilities that fact involves. If
you are called upon to give to
those less lucky; if you are sup
porting some relatives who have
had a tough break, for heaven’s
sake don’t grumble or think you
are abused.
A friend of mine, wise in years
and experience, has a private pen
sion list as long as your arm of
poor relatives, ex-employes, and
beaten folk of every sort. I saw
him the other day in the act of
drawing his Christmas checks. He
shook his head. “Takes a lot of
dough,” he said, “but one thing I
know: I’d a lot rather .be on the
giving end than on the receiving
end.”
lit is said in the Book from
which Christmas takes its name
that “it is more blessed to give
than to receive.” It is also easier.
Bating story of public service. The
following paragraph in it, however,
made me stop, look and listen.
“The chief function of the legis
lative division continues to be a
determined and continued opposi
tion to the host of bills introduced
each year (at Albany) which are
inimical to the best interests of
the City of New York.”
This means that the City of New
York’s chief law officer conceives
it as part of his duty to see that
“lobbying” is continuously and ef
fectively carried on in the interests
of his bosses, the tax-payers. He
is absolutely right, of course.
Then why isn’t the officer of an
industrial corporation equally right
in considering that he has a duty
to present to members of the legis
lature or Congress the arguments
against any piece of legislation
which threatens the interests of his
bosses., the stockholders?
Once, Tor a period of a week, I
myself was a “lobbyist.” A certain
measure was proposed which would
have been harmful to the publish
ing business, and a group of us
went to Washington.
One Senator said: “You gentle
men do us a service by coming
down here. So many thousand bills
are introduced that we cannot pos
sibly know .about all of them. The
only way we can prevent an unin
tentional mjury is through getting
the facts from the people who
would be hurt.”
Legislators are the servants of
the people, not their bosses. Even
“a cat may look at a king”—and
even a tax-payer ought to have a
right to look at and talk to a
Senator.
(Copyright, K. F. S.)
Miss Mildred Moore is spending
the week with friends at Sylva.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Johnson, of
Asheville, have been visiting Mr.
and Mrs. Z. D. Buchanan.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Higdon spent
Christmas with the family of Mr.
Davis Dean at Etna.
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Sanders and
son,, of Canton, spent Christmas
with Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Downs.
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Davis and
children, accompanied by Ruth and
James Downs and Mrs. Eva Rob
inson, of Canton, visited relatives,
here Saturday.
Lon Thompson and brother, Jesse
Thompson, visited their homes here
during the Christmas season. They
have returned to work at Charles-
i ton, S. C. , J
Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Smith and
daughter, of Sylva, spent Christ
mas here with relatives.
Robert Sanders, of Canton, is
spending some time with his father
and other relatives here.
Billy Buchanan, of Copper Hill,
Tenn., spent several days with his
father. Uncle Ben Buchanan, of
upper Watauga.
Miss Emma Hyatt has returned-
to Western Carolina Teachers col
lege after spending the holidays;
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W..
C. Hyatt.
Arthur Mincy and J. R- Berry
each lost a cow Monday. Dr. West,
veterinarian, pronounced it a case
of poison. A small quantity of
arsenical powder left over
bean spraying last summer had
been accidentally spilled where c(WS
could reach it—the only cause that
could be found. Farmers should .use
care with these poisonous sprays.
SOME MERIT IN LOBBY
You might think the annual re
port of the Corporation Counsel of
the City of New York would be a
dull document, but niy friend Paul
Windels has made it a truly fasci-
Lake Emory
By LUTHER ANDERSON
The Christmas season has come
and gone with about the usual cel
ebration and performances, some
appropriate, some inappropriate.
■Judging by accidents on highways
and by what one could see in pass
ing, the drunken revelry was up to
normal. Say, worshippers of Bac
chus, why not choose some other
than the Christmas season for your
Bacchanalia? All Fools Day, for
instance? Why treat the example
and teachings of Jesus with con-
RABBIT CREEK
We are glad to report an in-
crease in our population by
moving of Mr. and Mrs. J.
Pendergras and family mto our
community. , a
Harold Cabe spent the week-end
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J-
R. Cabe
Miss Evelyn Kinsland and Miss
Esther Seay, from W. C. T. C.,
spent the holidays here. _
Wayne Franklin, who is attend
ing N. C. State college, spent the
holidays at home. .
The Lake Emory staff was a '
most disorganized during the '
mas season. But as school c
ring again we expect to get going
once more. And to those who read
this column we express our
wish; May the coming year
the worst you ever shall see an
the best you ever have seen.