THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACQNIAN
THURSDAY, JAN. 17, 134
anil
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
r
ir we HAD TO THAW OUT
It" vaic uaa ta ftina trm ill "mm
OLD P0M9 SO TWG COW C0OLD ftNK H
POMP TO
WT
VOL. XL1X
Number 3
WATS
PAGE TWO
, LiJJ. ..... 1 I 1 1 -
Wouldn't We Squawk ? i by A. B. Chapin
r ; v
FOR
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
How Much Can Uncle Sam Owe?
HOW much money can the United States Government
owe before its credit becomes impaired and it can't
borrow any more?
We don't pretend to know the answer, but the latest
estimates we haye seen from Washington place the figure
a great deal higher than used to be thought possible.
At the beginning of the depression the national debt
was about 16 billion dollars. That was about 10 billion
dollars less than the peak of war-time; we had paid off
more than a third of the national debt in ten years.
At the end of 1934 the national debt was about 28i2
billions, or 24 billions above its previous highest level.
At the present rate of borrowing the debt is increasing at
the rate of about 4 billions a year.
A year ago we were told from Washington that the
nation could stand a debt of 35 billions and not be harm
ed. Now from the same sources we are told that a
Federal debt of 50 billions would not be unbearable or
result in harsh taxation to pay the interest. At the pres
ent rates of interest on Government loans, it would take
about IV2 billions a year to pay the interest on 50 bil
lions, and the tendency of interest rates is downward.
If we add to the possible 50 billion of Federal debt
the 20 billions of state and municipal debts, the burden
upon the entire people of the , total load of 70 billions
would be about $560 for every man, woman and child.
The present per capita Federal debt is about $225. In
Great Britain the national debt burden is about $973 a
head; that of France is $470, while Germany, which re
pudiated and liquidated most of its debts by inflation,
carries a debt load of only $94 a head.
How large a debt a nation can carry depends upon
how confident its people are that they can pay the in
terest. It also depends upon how soon the bonds fall
due. England has some bonds which run for 99 years,
requiring only a trifling percentage annually for sinking
fund purposes. There are some railroad bonds outstand
in this country which run for more than 100 years. We
commend the idea of very long maturities for future
Federal borrowings. Selected.
A Noble Cause
IT WAS a splendid idea to make President Roosevelt's
birthday the occasion for a great national drive for
funds for the aid of sufferers from infantile paralysis.
Last year more than a million dollars was raised from
the balls and parties that were given in several thousand
communities on January 30th.
This year, we understand, seventy per cent of all the
money raised by the "Birthday Balls" will go to hospitals
and sanitariums in the territory where the money is rais
ed. This is entirely right and proper. There are some
69 hospitals equipped to care for the 200,000 or more
children who are victims of this frightful disease, and
every dollar that is contributed will enable them to ex
tend theis care to those whose parents cannot afford to
pay for treatment.
The other thirty per cent of the funds raised -this
month are to go to pay for further research work into the
causes and prevention of infantile paralysis. It is still
obscure to the medical world, the precise method by
which children are infected; and no effective means of
prevention has been discovered. Hundreds of able re
search workers are studying the problem, and the better
they are supported and equipped, the better the chance of
finding out how to curb the ravages of the disease which
makes cripples of tens of thousands of children annually.
We can think of no nobler service that the people of
our community, or of any community, can render on
Wednesday, January 30th, than to "throw a party,"
charging a fair admission fee, and send the money so
received to the Birthday Ball Committee at the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel, New York. With more money in the
hands of more people than there was a year ago, and a
general feeling that the crisis is past and that recovery
is in sight, this year's appeal for this worthy purpose
ought to result in at least doubling the amount of money
raised throughout the nation last year. Selected.
What Comes of Writing Poetry for the Press
THE following story may serve as a warning to those
children of men who follow the inner whisperings of
the muses and then to make a matter worse persist in
sending for publication such attempts at rhyming:
An angry man dashed into the editor's office. "Look
here," he cried, "I wrote a poem about my little son, and
began the verse with he words:
" 'My son, my pigmy counterpart.' "
"Yes?" replied the editor.
The poet pointed to tlpe poem in the paper.
"Read that," he stormed, "and see what your fool of a
compositor has done!"
The editor read:
"My son, my pig, my counterpart."
North Carolina Christian Advocate.
MOftNIMO-
COPfEe
IF WC MAT TO TAKE OGIL feEStflAoT, M I ftLlLl
' " i r5
HAD TD FfcCGXE
IF VIC HAD TO WALK TWO MILES TO SCHOOL ?
F TUe Boy FeiEND
E6ft?f TIME WE HAP A VAKVt gHff ?
STtPP
Public Opinion
RANDOM THOUGHTS
ON THE BOND ISSUE
1. We should -endeavor to escape
fire here as well as hereafter.
2. A nickel held close to the eye
will hide the dollar just ahead.
3. Facts are worth more than
gossip.
4. An animal that is hidebound
cannot grow.
5. A wet and dry issue does not
always concern strong drink.
6. If a town die, shall it live
again? Look at the ones that
have died.
7. A way to keep the trace
chains from rattling is to press on
the collar.
8. Building a town is an uphill
job. Backing straps are not neces
sary. 9. "The first shall be last and
the last shall be first"
10. "You can lead a horse to
water but you can't make him
drink" certainly not if he has to
suck to get the water out of the
pipe.
11. It is better to do something
than nothing.
12. It pays to play ball with
Uncle Sam.
A VOTER & TAXPAYER.
IS IT WORTHWHILE?
For the past few weeks I have
been reading a series of articles in
The Press-Maconian about the in
stallment of a cooperative cannery
at Franklin and the issuing of
bonds for the purpose of obtaining
money for a new water and sewer
system.
Someone will ask if there is any
relationship between these two.
questions. Do the proposed new'
water and sewer systems mean
anything to the farmers of Macon
county? Yes, there is a very mark
ed relationship, and in this article
I will try to show that 1f the water
and sewer bonds are approved and
issued by the Town of Franklin
that the farmers of the county will
be benefitted greatly.
If the bonds are issued and sold
for the purpose of installing the
new water and sewer systems, it
will not only make the town more
complete but also will furnish em
ployment, perhaps take many per
sons off relief rolls. By assuring
a plentiful supply of water to the
town the year round, the commun
ity will have a better opportunity
to grow and Franklin will be in
position to supply plenty of water
for the cannery. It is impossible
to estimate what this cannery will
mean to the farmers of the county
and to the town as well.
Farmers in Macon county are
handicapped for lack of a market
for their produce. They do not
grow as many vegetables as it is
possible for them to grow because
there are no reliable markets. If
a farmer grows truck crops ex
tensively, he has to wait in de
spair for some peddler to coihe
along and offer him a pittance for
his summer's work. He is forced
to sell at a low price because he
has no reliable market in his home
town, and there is no competition
among the buyers. Macon county
is a good truck farming section.
It is properly located and could be
come one of the outstanding coun
ties in North Carolina, if the people
will only cooperate. Will they?
We will have to if we are ever go
ing to get off the rocks.
If a farmer had a market for his
produce, he could pay his taxes,
buy more farm machinery, buy bet
ter and more feed for his livestock,
purchase more clothing, furniture,
even candy for his baby, chewing
gum for his sweetie and a pack of
cigarettes for himself on Sunday.
In fact, the town would get all of
his money. If the farmer has mon
ey, the townspeople will have it
soon.
The cannery will furnish employ
ment to many and will give farm
ers who do not sign a contract to
market' their produce at the can
nery a better price for their pro
duce, for truckers will have to pay
more. In my judgment, a coopera
tive cannery will be a lifesaver for
Macon county.
"There is a tide in the affairs of
men which, taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune."
Get the new water and sewer
mains for the town and the can
nery for the poor farmers. Do not
turn opportunity away, if by chance
it should knock.
If the townspeople want our mon
ey, they had better help us get the
cannery. Get those bonds over.
Get the water and I think we can
get the cannery.
Respectfully submitted,
CARLOS A. ROGERS.
outside assistance, it is encouraging
to know that approximately two
thirds of the "migrating" families
have made their own plans for
resettling;
The government is planning to
purchase about 1,000,000 acres in
the immediate future. The "new
pioneers" who leave the farms
where life has been a hard, unequal
struggle for mere subsistence will
be assisted ly work in the newly
created public forests and parks
until their farms are started.
The nation needs fewer acres in
cultivation; it needs parks and for
ests. Several million citizens de
serve a better chance. The social
order will benefit by the retiring
from cultivation of submarginal
lands. Christian Science Monitor.
SUBMARGINAL LAND
It is announced in Washington
that the $25,000,000 public works
funds allotted for retirement of
arid land has started to work.
Buying is underway in the Dako
tas, Montana, the Southeast, and
Far West. The exact locations
will be kept secret in order to
prevent speculation by land com
panies. Harry L. Hopkins, relief admin
istrator, is quoted as saying, "We
might as well use the land for
some really social purpose, and give
the people who have been strug
gling with it a chance to get along
on decent farms."
Such a movement as this is a
wholesome example of valid federal
aid. To those who fear that in
dividual initiative is lessened by
FIFTH OF INCOME
FOR TAXES
The American people are now
paying $9,500,000,000 every year in
taxes. That is what it costs them
to keep their various governments
in financial fuel.
It's a fifth of everything that is
earned in a year in the United
States, which means that for every
five dollars represented in the na
tional income, one of them must
go to some public treasury some
where. The ratio is outlandishly too
high.
Some waste occurs along the line,
of course, but that's not the ma
jor reason for this extravagant
cost of government. Mainly, it
rests with the people who lie awake
nights trying to think up some
new form of public service they
need and can get if the political
wires are working. Charlotte Ob
server. ' j
NEW FORESTS
The purchase of additional lands
for national forests will be aided
by $10,000,000 allocated by the
President in addition to the $20,
000,000 set aside in 1933 for the
purchase of 6,000,000 acres of for
est lands.
Why Suffer From
Headaches?
There is no need, in this day of
modern medical remedies, to suffer
headaches, neuralgia, head and
chest colds, rheumatic, female and
other general pains. We have a
new, scientific preparation easy td
take that will bring relief Trv
our SPECIAL NO. 3 TABLETS
only 25 cents a box. Why endure
painful aches when it is utterly
unnecessary. We guarantee No ?
Tablets to give satisfaction. Sole
only at ANGEL'S DRUG STORE
FRANKLIN, N. C