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LIBERAL INDEPENDENT
PROGRESSIVE
VOL. L, NO. 2
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, JAP 10. 1935
$130 PER YEAR
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1
POWER RATES
ARE REDUCED
Changes Said To Amount
To a Reduction of 15
Per Cent
Since the first of July last year
the Nantahala Power and Light
company, which serves electricity
consumers in Franklin, Andrews,
Robbinsville and Cashiers Valley,
has reduced its rates, in three
schedules. These reductions, notice
of . which was recently filed with
the state utilities commission at
Raleigh, amount to a cut of about
15 per cent, according to power
company officials, and will save
consumers from $3,000 to $5,000 a
year.
Stanley Winbornt, state utilities
commissioner, was quoted in a news
dispatch from Raleigh as stating
that the Nantahala company had
informed him the reductions would
put its rates at 62-100 of a cent
above the TV A rate, if the differ
ence between taxes on the Nanta
hala and the TVA is considered.
He pointed out that the Nantahala
pays 19.7 per cent of its gross re
ceipts in 'taxes, according to of
ficials of the company. The gross
revenue of the Nantahala company
from domestic and commercial us
ers last year was said to be about
$21,000.
The latest rate reduction made by
the Nantahala company became ef
fective December 20. It was in
the residential lighting schedule,
which formerly called for a flat
energy charge of five cents per
KWH, in addition to the demand
charge of $1 per month for five
rooms and 10 cents extra for each
additional room. Under the new
schedule the demand charge re
mains the same, but the energy
charge has been reduced to three
cents per KWH for all energy con
sumed in excess of 25 KWH, all
under that amount remaining at
five cents.
Last July the company changed
its combination schedule for resi
dential lighting, cooking, water
heating and refrigeration, eliminat
ing all demand charges and estab
lishing a rate of three cents per
KWH for the first 200 KWH and
two cents for the excess energy
consumed.
In October the commercial ser
vice lighting 'rate was changed.
The base charge in this schedule
formerly was six cents for the
first 1,500 KWH per month, with
a charge of three cents for all
enercv consumed above this amount
o
This was changed so that the three
cent rate applies to all power used
above 100 KWH. The demand
charge of $1 for the first half KW
contracted, plus 50 cents for each
additional KW contracted continues
in force.
Macon Circuit Has
First Quarterly Meeting
The Rev. Mr. Rawlins, presiding
elder of the Waynesville district of
the Methodist church, conducted
the first quarterly meeting on the
Macon circuit Sunday at 'Union
church. i
Dr. Haymore To Conduct
Meetings Here in May
- The First Baptist church has se
cured the services of Dr. James
Monroe Haymore, Baptist evangel
ist of Atlanta, Ga., for a series of
meetings to begin May 19.
Dr. Haymore is known over a
large part of the southern Baptist
convention and has held pastorates
on some of the leading churches in
Georgia and was a pastor in Ken
tucky for a number of years. He
was superintendent of evangelism
for the Baptist state convention of
Missouri for five years and ' has
held meetings in the largest Bap
tist churches in that state.
Ray to Raleigh
Says He Contemplates No
New Local Laws
J. Frank Ray, Franklin attorney,
left Sunday for Raleigh to assume
his seat as Macon county's repre
sentative in the General Assembly,
which convened for its regular bi
ennial session Wednesday.
It is Mr. Ray's first term in the
legislature. His father, the late J.
Frank Ray, was an outstanding fig
ure in the assembly for many
years, having served both -in the
house and the senate for a number
of terms exactly how' many no
one seems to recall
Before leaving for Raleigh Mr.
Ray said he had no local legisla
tion in view at this time and de
clined to state whom he would
recommend for appointment to the
county school board.
Concerning state legislative mat
ters, he said he favored retention
of the sales tax and higher pay
for school teachers.
BOARD STUDIES
DEBT PROBLEM
Seeks Names of Firms En
gaged in Refinancing
Negotiations
Preliminary steps looking toward
action to refinance Macon county's
bonded indebtedness has been tak
en by the board of county com
missioners, it was learned this
C. Tom Bryson, register of deeds
and clerk of the board, said he
had been authorized by the board
to request the' local government
commission at Raleigh to recom
mend the names of organizations
engaged in negotiating 'bond re
financing. He added that he had
written the commission and ex
pected soon to receive a reply.
No definite plans of refinancing
the county's debt have been sub
mitted to the board as yet, Mr.
Bryson stated. Members of the
board, however, are known to real
ize the' importance of the debt
problem and are giving it their
close attention, hopeful of finding
some solution that will wipe out
bond defaults without an undue
burden upon the taxpayers.
Half Holiday
Courthouse To Close at
Noon On Saturdays
The Macon county commissjon
ers Monday authorized a half day
hohday on Saturdays for court
house officials and employes.
The board adopted a resolution
empowering the register of deeds,
the clerk of court and the sheriff
to close their offices at noon on
Saturdays if they saw fit to do so.
"The NRA has shortened hours
for nearly everybody else," one
courthouse official said. "So we
might as well go on NRA, too."
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
In 1918 the independence of the
republic of Armenia was recognized,
but in 1920 a Bolshevik movement
set up the Armenian Socialist Sov
iet Republic, and Armenia is now
included in the U. S. S. R.
SUBSTITUTE FOR SUGAR
Saccharine is the imide of ortho
sulphobenzoic acid and is called sci
entifically orthobenzoicsulphinide. It
was discovered by Ira Remsen and
C. Fahlberg in 1879 in the course
of an investigation carried out at
Johns Hopkins University, Balti
more, Md. It is a coal tar product.
It must be remembered in using it
that it is many times sweeter than
sugar. About 1-8 grain tablet is
sufficient for a cup of coffee or
tea.
Bond Sentiment Changing;
Increased Supply of Water
Seen Necessary for Cannery
EDITORIAL
An Opportunity of a Lifetime
FRANKLIN has a fair chance of obtaining a coopera
tive marketing organization and cannery which would
increase this community's annual income by many thous
ands of dollars.
It is estimated that the first year of operation the
cannery and the, marketing center together should put
upwards of $75,000 into the pockets of Macon county
farmers. Besides, the cannery would employ between 100
and 125 men and women when in full operation. That
would mean a payroll many times larger than any the
town now has. And, of course, more money in the pock
ets of Macon county farmers will mean more money in
the pockets of the folks in town. If the countryside pros
pers, the town wilL
Everybody realizes, or should realize, thai this coun
ty needs im .proved marketing facilities for crops, es
pecially truck crops. The cannery and co-op or
ganization would go a long way coward fulfilling this
need. The Tennessee Valley Associated Cooperatives,
backed by Uncle Sam himself, would supervise the can
nery and supply the operating capital. If the TV AC puts
the cannery here, there need be no fear that it will be a
flash in the pan. It will be.the best thing that ever
happened to this community.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime. But there is
small chance, that we will reap the benefits of it unless
tne Town or Franklin can assure the TV AC an ample
supply of water for the cannery. That means 40,000 to
50,000 gallons of water a day a third of our present
supply, which is barely ample for present demands.
If that is not sufficient argument to convince the
people of Franklin that they should approve the water
improvement bond issue in the special election January
22, we fear there is little hope for the future progress
of the community. If the average taxpayer isn't willing
to pay a few dollars more taxes a year to insure an ade
quate water supply for himself and to provide enough to
take care of reasonable expansion, especially when it in
volves such an opportunity as the TVAC has offered us,
the inevitable conclusion is that we have reached that
point of collective shortsightedness and self-satisfaction
Which makes future development of the community or its
residents most improbable.
It is sincerely hoped that the people of Franklin will
not allow their better judgment to be hampered to the
detriment of their own welfare by petty play upon per
sonal animosities, or that they will be misled into 'ac
cepting the unauthoritative propaganda and unfounded
opinions of streetcorner wiseacres, who know more about
anything and everything than all the universities in the
land, in preference to the findings and recommendations
of reputable engineers.
Questions on Bond Issue
Answered by Town Board
Following is a copy of a circular
letter sent to Franklin residents
this week by the board of aldermen
answering questions concerning the
proposed issuance of $91,000 bonds
for water and sewer improvements:
Franklin, N. C.
January 7, 1935.
Members of the Town Board are
being asked many questions in re
gard to the bond issue. Since this
is an issue of vital importance, it
seems well that the Board should
acquaint the voters with some of
the salient facts. To do this, we
undertake to answer some of the
questions that are being asked.
1. What is the amount of bonds to
be issued?
A $75,500.00 for water supply and
extension of mains; $15,500.00
for disposal plant and extension
of sewer lines. K
2. Are they to be voted oL to
gether or separately? J
A Separately.
3. To whom will the bonds! be
old? V
A To the United States Govern
ment.
4. What will be the rate of in
terest? A 4.
5. How does this1 compare with in
terest on previous bonds?
A Interest on previous bonds has
been 6.
6. Is there a gift to the Town in
connection with the construction
of water and sewer systems?
A Yes, 30 of all cost of labor
and materials will be paid for
by the Government. The bal
ance of the expenses will be
paid out of the money derived
from the sale of the 4 bonds,
which are sold to the Govern
ment. 7. Does all the money used in both
project come from the Federal
Government in Washington?
A Yes.
8. Is the present water system
adequate?
A No. With normal rainfall, there
is no room for expansion, either in
population or industry. In time
(Continued on Page Six)
Registration Reaches .470;
Election To Be Held
January 22
Sentiment in the municipal bond
issue campaign began to shift this
week with proponents of the $91,
000 issue for water and sewer im
provements warning that failure of
the bonds to carry in the special
election January 22 might jeopar
dize Franklin's opportunity of ob
taining a large produce cannery to
be operated by the Tennessee Val
ley Associated, Cooperatives.
Belief that the likelihood of estab
lishment of the cannery here would
depend in a large degree upon an
increased supply of water was
heightened by a statement of J. E.
Barr, TVAC cannery supervisor, in
a letter to F. S. Sloan, Macon
county farm agent. The letter,
mailed from Waynesville January
5, contained this statement:
"I cannot lay too much stress
on the water question, as a can
nery of this size will use in the
neighborhood of forty to fifty
thousand gallons per day and can
not operate without it At some
of the plants now established the
water question is serious and we
could hardly consider establishing
more plants unless we were sure
the supply would be sufficient for
the needs of the cannery."
Unusual Opportunity
"The citizens of your county,"
Mr. Barr concluded, "should not
look upon this project lightly, as
an opportunity of this kind may
not be presented to them in a long
time to come."
Mr. Sloan reported that Mr. Barr
had informed him the cannery
would employ between 100 and 125
men and women when in full
operation, and that the farmers of
the county should receive the first
year between $75,000 and $100,000
as a result of establishment of the
cannery and a co-op marketing or
ganization to be operated in con
nection with it.
The amount of water deemed
necessary for the cannery, it was
estimated by town authorities, is
equal to about one-third of the
present supply and this supply is
barely sufficient to take care of
present demands.
470 Registered
George Carpenter, appointed reg
istrar for the bond election, has
been kept busy registering voters
during the past week. He reported
a total registration at 10 o'clock
Thursday morning of 470. He said
he could venture no opinion as to
the outcome of the election, but
added that there had been a con
siderable change of sentiment in
favor of the bonds during the past
week, judging by the comments of
registrants.
"Most of them at first seemed
against the bonds," he said, "but,
as far as I can tell, more and more
of those registering are in favor of
them. I can't say how things will
be by the time of the election."
Books Close Saturday
The registration books will close
at 6 p. m. Saturday, which also
will be challenge day.
An issue of $75,500 bonds is pro
posed for water improvements, and
$15,500 for sewer improvements.
The Public Works Administra
tion has approved the projects and
agreed to buy the bonds at par on
a four per cent interest basis, and
to donate thirty per cent of the
cost of labor and materials, if the
bond election carries.