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PAGE TWO THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN THURSDAY, JAN. 3, 1935 His Winter Chores by A. B. Chapin Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press At Franklin, North Carolina Telephone No. 24 VOL. XLIX Number 1 BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year ' $1.50 Six Months 75 Eight Months , $1.00 Single Copy .05 When Is Relief Necessary 117HAT is the truth about economic conditions in Macon county and, for that matter, in the state and nation? Is there really as much destitution as official reports indicate and, if so, is it a result of this thing we call "the depression," or is it a situation that has .existed for many years but has just now received official attention? Is the necessity for emergency relief actually as grave, as we have been told, or are case workers learning what most employers have long known that there are a great many folks in the world who are constitutionally opposed to exerting either their brain or their brawn to obtain a livelihood? There is no gainsaying there are more than a few worthy persons in every community who, be cause of afflictions, mental deficiencies or misfor tune, find it impossible to earn a living. "The poor we have with us always," says the Bible. Case workers have given them a new name "unem ployables." Regardless of the nomenclature of their classification, they deserve all the relief, help or charity they get, as well as sympathy. But these other relief cases folks who are able to work, but who can't or at least don't seem to be able to make a living they are the problem just now. According to a report compiled by S. R. Crock ett, farm foreman in the Macon county emergency relief organization, there are 3,468 such persons in this county. It is almost unbelievable one-quarter of our population on relief rolls. This brings up the question of what constitutes the necessity of relief. We have heard reports of some families receiving relief when they had barns full of feed and pantries full of food, of others who turned down opportunities to work lest they be disqualified for relief. Doubtless, these reports are somewhat exaggerated, but very likely there also is consider able truth in them. The demand for farm products is greatly re duced, it is true, and farmers have found difficulty in selling their crops at a price enabling them to buy the things they needed but could not grow. A generation or so past, however, marketing con ditions in this section were much worse than they are now. There were no paved highways and rail roads to furnish an outlet for farm products. Yet hundreds of mountain farm families managed to live comfortably, to rear families in happiness and to give their children improved opportunities. They did it by raising on their own farms nearly every thing they needed to eat and, in many cases, by making their own clothing. They didn't fear a drop in the livestock or produce market nearly so much as they did a drought. They were more concerned with weather cycles than with economic cycles. No, we do not advocate a return of the old mode of living; but we would like to see a revival of the independent spirit of our forefathers, a return of their initiative, industry and fortitude. Without the self-reliance of the pioneers who builded a civilized nation out of a wilderness, there is little hope of recovery from our present plight. No amount of governmental relief will solve the problem tuiless our people learn to help themselves. A significant statement in Mr. Crockett's report was that of 581 families on relief rolls in this coun ty, only 98 had gardens. Yet 483 of the families were engaged in farming. No wonder so many need assistance ! If relief were withdrawn, perhaps they would learn to grow enough to eat. Necessity is a cruel teacher, but her pupils usually learn well. Society can and will care for the unfortunate the "unemployables." It can even render assistance to the victims of economic chance, temporarily at least. But it cannot support the lazy, certainly not on the basis of dur so-called higher standard of living. THROUGH CAPITAL KEYHOLES BY BESS HINTON SILVER CAPITAL MANAGER? It's being kept pretty quiet but there is an under-cover movement to have the Legislature change the government of Raleigh from the commission form to a city manager form with a Board Councilmen, according to the Capital City grape vine. The present Raleigh City Commissioners have been from one ; row to another almost since the day of election and even the man on the street can sense sentiment for a change in government. None of the Wake county members of the General Assembly have express ed themselves publicly on the sub ject but pressure for the change in your Capital City is about as sure as death and taxes. COST OF TALKING The order of the State Utilities Commission reducing Southern Bell telephone rates in 58 North Caro lina communities has received a de lay by order of Superior Court Judge W. C. Harris. The court injunction halts the proposed re ductions in rates until the com pany's appeal is heard in Superior Court which may be in January or several months later. The Util ities Commission, aided by the of fice of Attorney General Dennis G. Brummitt, is ready to fight to the last ditch for the approximate ly 12 per cent cut and reliable, although non-quotable, sources are of the opinion that lower phone rites are just around the corner. FERTILIZER Governor Ehringhaus and Com missioner of Agriculture William A. Graham are going to bat for low er fertilizer prices in North Caro lina. The Governor writes that he is unable to understand the upping of fertilizer prices in 1934 over those of the year previous and wants Mr. Graham to assemble data and attend a conference on the subject to be held in the na tion's capital in the near future. Fertilizer and gasoline prices have been worrying the Governor almost as much as the increase in tobacco prices has pleased him. BUDGET MESSAGE What's in the report of the Ad visory Budget Commission to the General Assembly is a closely guarded secret and newsmen snooping around the offices of printers for the State haven't been able to learn much about the bud get recommendations. You can put one thing in your pipe and smoke it, however, that is, that the budget proposal will contain a suggestion for reenactment of the sales tax with some revisions. It may be liberal enough to suggest that the sales tax can go by the board if the legislators can find the money elsewhere. The Budget Commis sion is friendly to the administra tion and Governor Ehringhaus has publicly stated that the "emergen cy" for which the sales tax was enacted has not passed you get what that means. The message al so may contain suggestions for higher teacher-pay. . DIVERSION Don't be surprised if anti-sales tax leaders urge that four or five millions of dollars from the taxes paid by motorists and truckers for building roads be diverted to re place the sales measure. Farmers living on the secondary road sys tem may not object to (his but they want the boles filled up and the bridges repaired before their gasoline and license taxes go for some other purpose. Most of them wouldn't object to lower automobile taxes but that is only a dream if half the folks after a slice of highway-fund pie get it. NOT WORRIED At one stage of the game it look ed like the State Revenue Depart ment might be in for a good drub bing at the hands of the Legisla ture. It is still highly probable that attack will be made on the State's collecting agency but the record on increased revenues will stand Commissioner of Revenue A. J. Maxwell and his Executive As sistant Dr. M. C. S. Noble, Jr., in good stead when they are called on the carpet before committees that will themselves be harrassed by need of money to fill appropria tions promises. Money makes the mare go in the General Assembly as well as in the colleges and pub lic schools. SITTING PRETTY ?- Friends of Governor Ehringhaus have spent weeks checking over names of members of the General Assembly and are wearing big smiles these days. Administration stalwarts avow that His Excellency is sitting on top of the world with a good majority of friends in the Senate and are confident that no anti-administration bloc of danger ous proportions can be organized in the House. But with all that some Raleigh political writers profess to hear rumblings of trouble' coming for the Governor on the eve of the Legislature. MARRIED LIFE Watch for a movement in the Legislature to pass a law against married women serving as public school teachers. Alexander B. An drews, of Raleigh, has compiled some figures which show that ap proximately 4,000 married white women are teaching school in North Carolina. Some States have rules against employment of mar ried women in the schools where single ones are available and senti ment for such a law in North Caro lina has been cropping out in spots recently. GETTING TAUT Political lines are drawing tight er in the Capital City these days and you need not be a political wise man to sense the forming of groups behind the favorite candi dates for Governor and the East ern Senate seat in the classic of 1936. Probably the most pronounc ed single groups are those behind Governor Ehringhaus and Senator Josiah W. Bailey and there's no longer any doubt many people want the Governor to oppose Mr. Bailey. Other blocs are forming in behalf of Clyde R. Hoey, of Shelby; Con gressman R. L. Doughton and Lieu tenant Governor A. H. (Sandy) Graham for Governor. Doughton and Hoey may make some an nouncement shortly but Governor Graham is expected to hold his peace until the end of the legisla tive session. LIQUOR- Several months ago it was a gen erally accepted opinion that this General Assembly would shy away from any efforts to change North Carolina's dry laws but as the time for convening draws nearer the 1 prohibition question has stepped boldly into the spotlight of specu lation. From all indications the Drys still have the situation well in hand but a lot of folks can't figure out just what is happening to bring out an apparent change of sentiment in some quarters. You can find plenty of officers of the law suffering headaches since Vir ginia legalized liquor and Tar Heels began week-end excursions into the Old Dominion. Some of these same arms of the law privately express the hope that something will be done to liberalize the State's liquor laws at the coming session. RIDING A WAVE- Unless some dark-horse steps out into the light Thad Eure and Le Roy Martin will be unopposed for reelection as principal clerks of the House and Senate respectively. The speakership race is still un certain quantity but here's the line up of candidates in the order that most of Capitol Hill wise ones place them according to strength Robert Grady Johnson, of Pender, first with Laurie McEachern, of Hoke, running a clese second and Willie Lee Lumpkin, of Franklin running third. How accurate this estimate of strngtH is will be de termined in the Democratic caucus on the night of January 8.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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