PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON LAN
THURSDAY, SEPT. 27. ISM
Big Boy, Take A Bow!
by A. a Giapio
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. XLIX Number 39
BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter
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The County's Financial Plight
THE audit X)i Macon County's books, the report of
which was made public this week, offers plenty of
food for thought for taxpayers.
In some respects the report is quite gratifying; in
others it is distinctly disappointing, if not downright
alarming.
All of us are glad to hear that the county's records
are efficiently kept and that "the affairs of the coun
ty under the present administration have been very
ably, efficiently and economically carried out ;" but
one wonders at the same time what the commission
ers intend to do about the bond default of $70,200.
There is plenty of money owing to the county in
taxes long past due taxes to take care of this de
fault; but little has been done to collect these delin
quencies. Although tax sales have been ordered and
held for 1932 and 1933, no sales of land for delin
quent taxes for the years 1928 through 1931 have yet
been held, albeit the tax moratorium legalized by
the last General Assembly has expired. Delinquent
taxes for these years alone amount to considerably
more than the sum needed to wipe out the county's
bond default ; but unless definite steps are soon taken
to collect these delinquencies, the county might as
well erase them from the books and those who make a
habit of paying their taxes prepare themselves for an
increased levy on their property.
The audit shows the county had a fund surplus on
June 30 of $166,471.25, more than enough to meet the
budget for two years or longer; but as long as this
surplus appears on the books alone, instead of in the
county treasury, taxpayers may expect no improve
ment either in the default situation or in the county
tax rate. If proper steps had been taken at the prop
er time, most of this surplus might now be in the
treasury; but it will be a pleasant surprise if the
county is ever able to realize fifty per cent of it.
Many of the delinquent taxes now listed as assets are
utterly worthless, and if the lax policies of tax col
lecting which existed in this county prior to 1932 are
allowed to continue, practically all of these delin
quent assets will be voided.
Not only could the county meet all bond payments
now due, if it could collect existing delinquencies;
but it also would have a large balance on hand which
it could use to advantage in buying anticipated bonds
at a considerable discount; which would mean a sav
ing to taxpayers in the future.
Disclosure in the aduit report that $5,466.92 in tax
certificates for the years 1925 and 1927 are missing,
demands immediate investigation and action to locate
these certificates, or, if they cannot be found, to place
the responsibility for their disappearance. Macon
county taxpayers already have suffered because of a
similar loss of tax records and they should not be
willing to sit idly by and permit such an occurrence
to happen again.
Soil Our Chief Asset
THE greatest asset of any agricultural section is its soil. For that
reason it is distressing to learn
so ere stage on many thousands of acres in this county and that its
worst ravages have occurred in the valley of the Little Tennessee which
by all rights should be the most fertile land in this entire region.
A report just made public by a soil specialist of the Department of
Interior after making a survey of the 10 westernmost counties of
North Carolina shows that Macon ranks third in the amount of dam
age done. More than 25,000 acres were reported seriously, eroded,
nearly 10,000 acres abandoned on account of erosion, and approximately
23.000 acres eroded in lesser degrees. In view of the fact that only
a comparatively small portion of this county's total area of 332,800
acres is cleared land, and that it is on this cleared land where most
of the erosion occurs, these figures are painfully significant.
Government forestry forces, with the assistance of the Civilian
Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority, are doing much
to check costly erosion on government property; but it remains for the
individual land owner to cope with the situation on his own property.
Some farmers already have taken
topsoil by planting lespedeza and
. I '11 ' 1 - - I 4
terracing tneir ninsiaes ana cunsuutuug tnccx uauis wnere necesv;
Those who fail to take such constructive soil-preserving measures
where necessary will wonder some
yield them a living.
that soil erosion has reached a
steps to prevent the loss of their
other crops of similar nature, by
if -1 .1
day why their farms no longer will
THROUGH
CAPITAL
KEYHOLES
BY BESS HINTON SILVER
HOPES TO CRACK WHIP
Representative Tam C. Bowie, of
Ashe County, has given up hopes
of running for Governor in 1936
and tells close friends that he will
back Congressman R. L. Dough ton
if the latter seeks to succeed Eh
ringhaus. At present Mr. Bowie is
tearing his shirt for Representative
Willie Lee Lumpkin, of Franklin,
for Speaker of the 1935 House.
Bowie hopes to control the next
session of the House and thinks
his best bet is to elect Lumpkin
Speaker. The grapevine reports
that Mr. Lumpkin might give Mr.
Bowie the chairmanship of either
the House appropriations or finan
ces committees.
STRATEGY
Capitol Hill has the Speakership
campaign figured out this way
Robert Grady Johnson, of Pender,
in the lead with Lumpkin and
Laurie McEachern, of Hoke,
running hard for second place.
The dopsters predict that in
the end either Johnson or Mc
Eachern will withdraw and combine
forces to defeat Lumpkin. The
gentleman making the sacrifice is
expected to be rewarded with the
chairmanship of one of the import
ant committees and a place on one
or two other good ones. That
makes sense if you understand the
game of politics.
SECRETARY OF STATE
The old grapevine has trotted out
a potential opponent of Stacey W.
Wade for his post of Secretary of
State in 1936. Editor J. B. Bonton,
who publishes several weekly news
papers and lives in Benson down
in Johnston County is said to be
toying with the idea that he would
make a good Secretary of State.
Editor Benton long ago cultivated
a taste for things political and is
a former Chairman of the Johnston
County Democratic Executive Com
mittee. HORSESHOES-
Proponents of the proposed re
vised constitution see a lot of four-
leaf clovers and horseshoes in the
Supreme Court's decision that the
changes in the basic law cannot be
voted on this November because
the repeal election last year was a
"general" election and the first af
ter the General Assembly voted to
submit the document to the will of
the people. Nobody realized better
than the proponents that the new
I jj
constitution was doomed to defeat
at the polls. Both sides agree pre
vailing unsettled conditions make it
a bad time to vote on anything as
important as a constitution.
MAKING POLITICAL HAY
Women Democratic officials are
forming their lines for the Novem
ber campaign. Mrs. Charles W.
Tillett, Jr., of Charlotte, recently
elected vice chairman of the State
Democratic Executive Committee,
and Miss Mabel Penny, of Raleigh,
Recently elevated to the post of
vice president of the Young Demo
cratic Clubs of North Carolina, are
letting no grass grow under their
feet and are actively engaged in
field organization. These two wom
en take their politics seriously and
know the advantage of getting in
the first punches. No activity on
the part of Republican women is in
evidence in Raleigh.
CONSIDERED A BET
If Clyde R. Hoey, prominent
Shelby Democrat, doesn't run for
Governor in 1936 he will embarrass
more than one political prophet in
North Carolina. Around the State
Capitol it is considered a sure bet
that Mr. Hoey has already made
up his mind to enter trie lists.
Lines re already being drawn be
tween Hoey supporters and back
ers of K. L. Doughton in Raleigh
with Hoey unquestionably the fav
orite on Capitol Knoll.
JUST WONT DIE
Despite the fact that he has an
nounced that he is "too busy" to
make a campaign for Governor, the
rumor machine still rates Julian
Price, president of the Jefferson
Standard Life Insurance Co;, of
Greensboro, as a potential threat
in the coming race. Price's friends
haven't given up hope of his run
ning and it is largely (eir en
thusiasm that is keeping the
Greensboro man in the political
news.
NOT ALL VIRTUE-
, All you have to do is read the
newspapers accounts of investiga
tions of election charges to learn
that the primary system of selecting
party candidates is not the instru
ment of political purity it is sup
posed to be. From all accounts a
primary can be just about as cor
rupt as a party 'convention and
much more expensive.
COMES TO BAT
George Ross Pou, former Execu
tive Director of the State Highway
and Public Works Commission took
a lusty swing at diversion of
Highway funds in a recent article
written for Carl Goerch's weekly
magazine "The State." Proposing
an amendment to the State con
stitution which would prohibit di
version of the stupendous tax bill
ot lar Hee. motorists. . tne former
Director pointed out the need of
improvement of rural roads, used
largely by farmers, decent wages
for employes of the highwa
partment and safety on the public
roads. He asserted a tax should
be used only for specific purpose
for which it is levied.
JUST COASTING
Wallace Winborne, of Marion,
Chairman of the State Democratic
Executive Committee, is taking his
time about Opening headquarters in
Kaieigh. Yviiile' he has made no
announcement regarding delay in
starting the campaign i.jratu
might not be a bad guess that the
textile strike has had something to
do with it.
NO CHANGE-
The State Highway and Public
Works Commission and Governor
Ehringhaus are taking their own
sweet time in naming a chief engi
neer to succeed John Waldrop who
was killed in an automobile accident
but Charles Upham, who held that
position when Frank Page was
chairman, is still considered in Rae
eigh as the best bet to get the job.
Upham knows the State road sys
tern as well or better than most
candidates for the job and is said
to be the choice of the uovernu
He came to Raleigh to confer with
high-ranking friends of Ehringhaus
about the post and is said to have
agreed to quit a better paying j
in Washington to get back in North
Carolina.
WANTS A SCALP-
Political wisdom vendors are now
quoting Judge M. V. Barnhill as
warning that if no other candidate
can be found to oppose Senat
Josiah W. Bailey the Judge him
self will tackle the job. There is
much sentiment for returning Mr.
Bailey to the ranks of a private
citizen being voiced at present but
the difficulty seems to be in get
ting a man's-sized candidate to
make the race. Many names have
been mentioned but so far no one
has answered the call.
Jacobean Furniture
The term Jacobean, as applied to
furniture, refers to furniture made
in the period between 1603 and
1625, or an imitation of it. If it
is geunine Jacobean furniture it is
an antique.
y 4
The two things that cover a mul
titude of sins are charity and the
code.