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Second clui mall privileges authorized at Franklin. N C.
Puolished every Thursday by The Franklin Press
THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1958
Time For New Look
Isn't it time to take a new look at the U. S. larm
problem ?
These things are happening on the farm front :
The government spends billions ? of your
money and mine ? to support farm prices.
That means higher food prices lor the con
sumer, and thus more inflation.
inseparable from price supports are the re
strictions that grow ever more artificial and
complicated ? restrictions aimed at limiting pro
duction of agricultural crops.
But surpluses continue to pile up. That is, the
restrictions don't work.
And the very existence of these surpluses tends
i.to further depress farm prices, and hence demand
more price support. Furthermore, under the pres- -
ent system, there seems only one practical way'
to get rid of the surpluses ? by sacrificing the
farmer; by making him pay, either through more
severe acreage reduction or lower price supports.
Those things have been happening, for a long
time. But today there is a new element in the prob
lem. Beyond the maze of economic factors is a hu
man one that is more important than all the others
combined.
For today, despite all the huge expenditures and
all the regulations, the small farmer in America is
being driven from the land as relentlessly as the
kulak was driven from the land in Soviet Russia,
a generation ago. In a single recent year, the farm
population of this country dropped by one-eighth !
/Aside from the matter of justice to the millions
>of individuals affected, that is a major problem of
national policy; because the small farm, as a way
of life, is historically recognized as having been one
of the chief factors in making America great. Life
on the farm developed such American traits as in
dependence, self-reliance, a sense of responsibility,
a certain toughness of moral purpose. There are
reasons for that: the farm chores for the boy or
:girl, the life close to nature, the quiet and occa
sional solitude of rural life indelibly affect char
acter. Furthermore, not only is this way of life
worth-while for itself; all our urban progress has
been based on the new blood, the new ideas, the
new character, the cities have drawn from the
country.
* *
But, we are told by the experts, technology has
doomed the small farm. It takes fewer and fewer
people, it is said, to grow more and more food;
and so the small farm is economically obsolete. The
trend is toward a few huge, industrialized farms :
and, we are assured by government officials, agri
cultural economists, and even some farm leaders,
.the passing of the small farm is inevitable.
Nonsense! It is not inevitable! In this day of
government control of almost everything, virtually
nothing is inevitable. We use the power of govern
ment to .save other things we think worth saving.
VVe can save the small farm, too.
But we can't save it taking the defeatist attitude
so many so-called leaders do take. And we can't
save it by putting more bandages on top of the old
ones that cover up a festering sore.
it *?
Isn't it about time for an entirely new approach
to the whole farm problem? We could hardly cre
ate a worse mess than we have. Why not try some
thing: new?
Why not, as a .starter, stop trying to repeal the
law of supply and demand? Let the farmer grow
as much wheat or corn or cotton as he thinks will
be profitable, and let it sell for what it will bring.
Why not, then, recognize that subsidies have be
?come an integral part of American economic life ?
what industry, or profession even, isn't subsidized
in some way? ? and frankly and directly subsidize
the farmer? ?
I
/TVnd why not, instead of doirtg it by keeping
prices artificially high, subsidize the farmer's pur
chases of what he uses on the farm ? machinery,
fertilizer, etc. ? l>asing the amount of the subsidy
on the parity idea?
Finally, why not give the small farmer a break,
the smaller the farm, the bigger the break ; with
the subsidy graduated downward to zero for the
big, industrialized farms? After all, it is these big
farms that .produce most of the surpluses.
* * ?
What would be the effect of such a program?
Here are a few of the things it seems reasonable
to l>elicve it might do:
Eliminate the cumbersome restrictions on pro
duction, that seem both unnatural and unAmerican.
Make it possible for us to do the common sense
and charitable thing ? grow enough food to feed
the millions of hungry in the world, and sell it on
the open world market.
Curl) inflation at the place it hurts worst, the
' food prices the housewife pays.
Stimulate industry by encouraging farmer buy
ing.
End the nightmare of surpluses.
Finally, it might save the small farm.
Commentary
It is an interesting commentary on politics and
human nature that Kerr Scott, the professional
politician, should have appointed Dr. Frank P.
Graham to the U. S. Senate, a man with every
qualification except political ones; and that Luther
Hodges, whose success has been attributed to his
not being a politician, should have named B. E.
Jordan as Scott's successor, a man whose chief
qualifications are purely political.
On Head Of Nail
When home folk criticize the home town, they're
likely to be over-charitable. When strangers are
critical, they are likely to exaggerate. But when
a young person, born and reared here, comes back
home for a visit and talks about the filthy condi
tion of Franklin's streets, and what it is costing
us, he's likely to hit the nail on the head.
That, we think, is exactly what Cpl. Eugene Mc
Donald does in his letter on this page. We com
mend it to those responsible, the officials of the
Town of Franklin.
This Day Of Daze
(The Tarheel Banker)
Sometimes it takes a bit of humor to comprehend how silly
we're being In our attempts to solve our problems. Here's a
letter written by an Arizona farmer to his U. S. Senator re
garding a part of the government's farm program.
We'd heard about the letter, but hadn't seen it until we
found It in The Congressional Record. Here it is:
"Dear Mr. Senator: My friend Bordeaux over in Pima Coun
ty received a $1,000 check from the Government this year for
not raising hogs. So I am going into the not-raising-hog busi
ness next year. What I want to know is, in your opinion,
what is the best kind of farm not to raise hogs on and the
best kind of hogs not to raise? I would prefer not to raise
razorbacks, but, if that is not a good breed not to raise, I will
just as gladly not raise any Berkshires or Durocs.
"The hardest work in this business is going to be in keep
ing an inventory of how many hogs I haven't raised. My
friend Bordeaux is very Joyful about the future of this busi
ness. He has been raising hogs for more than 20 years and
the best he ever made was $400 until this year, when he got
$1,000 for not raising hogs. If I can get $1,000 for not raising
50 hogs then I will get $2,000 for not raising 100 hogs.
"I plan to operate on a small -r.ale at first, holding myself
down to about 4,000 hogs, which means I will have $80,000.
Now, another thing: These hogs I will not raise will not eat
100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you also pay farm
ers for not raising corn. So will you pay me anything for not
raising 100,000 bushels of corn not to feed the hogs I am not
raising? I want to get started as soon as possible as this
seems to be a good time of the year for not raising hogs. /
Octave , Brussard.
"P.S. Can I raise 10 or 12 hogs on the side while I am in
the no-raising-hog-business ? just enough to get a few sides
of bacon to eat?"
Letters
Looks, Sees, Wonders
To the People of Franklin and Macon County:
It Is with anticipation 1 await the arrival of my copy of
The Franklin Press each week, as it is my only connection
with my home town other than letters from my family and
friends.
I have been reading the comments in The Press about the
disgraceful appearance of streets in Franklin. I was home for
a few hours Easter and during this time I had occasion to
see for myself what The Press has been trying to get Frank
linites to see during recent weeks.
A good many people rely solely on tourists for their income.
Can these people actually believe they can attract tourists to
such a filthy town? Do the merchants expect to sell their
goods to tourists who would have to walk through filth
ankle deep to get to a business establishment? If they do,
then Franklin must be cleaned up.
You wonder why the younger generation leaves Franklin
and Macon County In search of greener pastures. Take a
good look at the town of Franklin from the viewpoint of a
tourist or a young man or woman who has his life ahead of
him. Does he or she want to spend his life and rear his chil
dren In a town as fllthv as. Franklin? Not 1.
Being In service and living both on and off a military
reservation, naturally I am concerned with cleanliness and
sanitation which is stressed in the military. Surely the town
officials realize that it is just as Important to keep the
streets clean as It Is to have an effective garbage disposal
system. Surely the sanitation officer or health officer realizes
this and should take Immediate action to make Franklin a
healthful, attractive place to live. The onus is on you, the
town officials, to see that Franklin is cleaned up.
euoene Mcdonald,
Corporal, USMC
Camp Lejeune, N. C.
"Sure I'm Above Water But I Certainly Ain't
High On Th' Hog Now"
rs
ar AKSJJHr
Strictly Personal
By WEIMAR JONES
I always admired Kerr Scott,
but was never one of those who
worshipped him. To me, he was an
exceedingly human personality.
That meant he was beset with
the frailties of ordinary humans
? and was lovable for being so
human.
He could be, and sometimes
was, crude, ruthless, vindictive.
But, as Is true of most of us, his
worst faults were really exagger
ations of virtues. The crudeness
often was plain speaking ? surely
a virtue in a politician! ? gone
out of bounds; the ruthlessness,
a part of the drive that enabled
him to get things done; and the
vindictiveness, an exaggeration of
the intense loyalty that was at
the center of his character.
I never knew him intimately,
but my few contacts with him
made me feel I did: and because
his was such a vivid personality,
memories of those contacts float
ed up from the sub-conscious, as
clear-cut as if they had happened
yesterday, when news came of his
death.
? * ?
The first time I recall seeing
him has a strictly personal signifi
cance. At the end of his campaign
for governor, he came to A. B.
Slagle's camp, on Nantahala, for
a rest. Nobody was supposed to
know where he was; but I learn
ed, and went to see him, taking
Mrs. Jones and our 12-year old
daughter, Elizabeth, along.
Cordiality itself, the governor
shook hands with all three of us
? and for days Elizabeth kept
her right hand tied up in a hand
kerchief. so nothing would rub off
the governor's handshake!
m * m
Two incidents illustrated a
phase of Mr. Scott's character
I greatly admired, his honesty.
Shortly after he announced for
the U. S. Senate, I met him in
the lobby of Carolina Inn, at
Chapel Hill. I'm naturally poor
at placing people, and the light
in the Inn wasn't good; so I
hesitated to speak. But he recog
nized me immediately, and called
me by name.
"How are you getting along
with your campaign?" I asked.
I expected the confident, if not
boastful, reply characteristic of
the professional politician. What
I got was a grin, and this succinct
confession:
"I don't know."
And early in his administration
as governor, I published in The
Press an open letter to him, critic
al of some of his acts. As a matter
of courtesy, I sent him an advance
copy, with a note. I expected no
reply.
But I got one. And again there
was amazing honesty.
Perhaps because what I wrote
was, on the whole, friendly, taking
the tack that he was too big a
man and had too fine a program
to spoil it with petty politics,
his note was one of appreciation,
with the suggestion between the
lines that perhaps the criticism
was deserved. And that from a
politician, flushed with victory!
? ? ?
Mr. Scott was often defeated
in politics, and sometimes in sar
casm. Most newspaper people in
the state recall one time he got
his comeuppance.
At the annual N. C. Press As
sociation Institute, Oovernor Scott
was present to present the news
paper awards. One went to a staff
member of the Asheville Citiaen
Times. Those papers had strongly
opposed Scott In the primary; and
when D. Hiden Ramsey, then gen
eral manager of the Asheville
papers, arose to explain the staff
member was not present, but that
he (Mr. Ramsey) would accept
the award, Mr. Scott's biting re
ply was:
"I hope, by next year, if a Citi
zen-Times boy wins an award,
those newspapers will have money
enough to pay his way down here
to get it."
The hall rocked with laughter.
A year later, a Citizen-Times
man again won an award, and
when he came to the front to re
ceive it from Governor Scott,
everybody remembered what had
happened the year before ? and
Governor Scott was shrewd e
nough to know they remembered.
So he drew a big laugh when he
simply commented he was glad
the Citizen-Times was in better
financial shape this year than last.
Later in the evening, when Mr.
Ramsey was called on for a re
port. he asked permission to pre
face it with an explanation. This
was the explanation:
"Our newspapers are no better
off this year than last, but with
the Fair Deal in Washington and
the Scott administration in Ra
leigh, we have decided there is
no longer any need to take
thought for the morrow."
This time, the crowd howled ?
and Kerr Scott grfnned!
When Governor Scott came here
to dedicate the new Macon Coun
ty schools, he made a big hit ?
but couldn't resist one opportunity
to tell off his political foes.
Highlands made quite an oc
casion of the governor's visit, and
everybody was present for the
luncheon or dinner or whatever it
was given in his honor. But Ken
Scott hadn't forgotten how, in
the primary election, he had dont
poorly indeed in Highlands. And
so, when he was called upon to
speak, he opened his remarks ?
amid embarrassed silence ? b}
saying he was glad to see so many
Highlands people; "when I was
here last, there wasn't anybody
at home".
On that same trip, there was
a bit of chivalrous thoughtfutness.
that undoubtedly never will be for
gotten by those affected. For the
trip to Nantahalk School, Mr
Scott put all the ladies in the
party into the big governor's car.
with the No. 1 license plate, to
lead the motorcade, while the
governor himself rode in an ordi
nary automobile, farther back, in
line. lv
Kerr Scott was. first of all, a
human being, and was beloved as
such. People loved him, in fact,
not so much in spite of. as because
of, his human frailties.
But he; was not an ordinary
man.
For my money, two acts stamp
him as one possessing elements of
greatness. The first was his de
termination. against an odds, to
get tfrre farmer out of the mud.
The second was his courage in
breaking all precedent to appoint
Dr. Frank P. Graham, a man who
hud neither political standing nor
experience, to the U. S. Senate.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Looking Backward Thraagh the Files of The Prtss
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
<1SW>
I
"Poke sallet" will soon be on hand.
i
Last Friday was a gloomy, raw day, with snow on the
mountains ? a rare combination of green and white.
Mr. J. A. Deal's hack overturned with his daughters one eve
ning last week, and deposited them In the corner of the fence.
But slight injury resulted to the young ladies.
25 TEARS AGO
(1938)
Franklin is to have a fine new two-story brick building on
the old Sloan corner facing Main 8treet and the courthQuse
square, Joseph Ashear, owner of the property, has announced.
About 75 friends and relatives helped Mrs. Nancy Cardon
celebrate her 69th birthday at her home In the Oowee section
last Sunday.
10 YEARS AGO
Mrs. John Bulgln was elected president of the Franklin
Parent-Teacher Association Monday night.
Charlie Sutton and Harley Stewart were named county
managers for Kerr Scott's gubernatorial campaign this week.
C. N. West attended the Rotary convention In Asheville last
week. ? West's Mill Item.
4 I
James Hauser was chosen president, and Miss Kate McOee
vice president, of Macon County Young Democrats last Wed'
nesday night.