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LIBERAL
PROGRESSIVE
INDEPENDENT
VOL. L, NO. IT
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1935
$1.50 PER YEAR
SOIL EROSION
LOSS IS HEAVY
Terracing Demonstrations
To Be Given Friday
And Saturday
BY F. S. SLOAN
Macon County Farm Demonstration
Agent
Soil erosion is costing the farm
ers of Macon county more each
year than any other one thing. It
has been found at soil erosion ex
periment stations that on slopes of
7 to 8 per . cent there is a loss of
106 tons of top soil per acre per
year on bare Jand, 85 tons per acre
on the same land when producing
row crops such as corn, and ap
proximately one-halt ton when
sowed to lespedeza or red clover.
Such figures as these do not show
the actual loss until an analysis is
made of the soil that is washed
off to show the amount of plant
food it contained. This has been
done by some states and it was
found that in the 108 tons there
was a loss equivalent to 3,400
pounds of 3-8-4 fertilizer per acre
per year. Most farmers have not
realized just what loss they were
bearing because it has been gen
erally figured that the land was
here and even if some of it did
wash away there was plenty more
and that the worst thing that hap
pened was the gullies that resoled
from the heavy rains, but now they
are finding mat because of this
loss the crop yields have continued
to go lower and lower.
Control Methods
In controlling erosion several
things are very effective but non
of them is a complete cure-alL We
know that broadcast crops such as
lespedeza., red clover, grass, 'am
other drilled crop suich as wheat
rye, and oats are very effective in
helping to hold the top soil on the
hillsides but they will not complete
the job. We also know that wood
land or forest that is in pasture
will not hold the water near as
well as they would if they were
not pastured and that when the
leaves are burned off each year
washes will occur and that this has
been one big factor in preventing
the control of water on cultivated
fields just below the woods. Since
none of the above practices will
control erosion, it is necessary that
we do other things in addition to
these and terracing is the recom
mended practice.
Demonstrations
In ordef that the farmers of
Macon county might have the op
portunity of seeing how a broad
terrace is constructed, two terrac
ing demonstrations have been
scheduled. One will be on the farm
of A. B. Slagle on Cartoogechaye
on Friday, April 26, and the other
on the Lee Crawford farm just out
of Franklin on Saturday, April 27.
Coleman H. Dykes, agricultural en
gineer for T. V. A., will be here
to help lay out the terraces and to
explain and point out the important
factors, and it will be very educa
tional and interesting to farmers
from all parts of the county. These
terraces will be the broad terrace
type and are to be cultivated just
the same as other parts of the
field and will not be just a water
ditch across the field, as is often
seen in the county.
These demonstrations are being
made possible by tfte U. S. Forest
service loaning the equipment for
the two days, through the courtesy
of J. H. Stone, supervisor, and Mr.
Dunbar, who is in charge of con
struction work for the Nantahala
forest.
These two demonstrations, in all
probability, will be the only two
that we will have in the county, so
all farmers are urged to attend
one of these demonstrations some
time Friday or Saturday so that
the" might become acquainted and
understand how these broad ter
races are constructed and the re
sults that can be expected from
them.
Vance Browning
Career of 33rd District
Senator Reviewed by
Raleigh Paper
(Taken from The Raleigfc News
and Observer)
VANCE-Up in Cherokee, Clay,
Graham and Swain counties it takes
a fighter to win a political race
and when a man comes down to
Raleigh to represent the 33rd Sen
atorial district, it's a reasonably
safe bet that in addition to his
other qualifications, he's gone
through a fight and won it.
The current 33rd district fighter
is a 42-year-old Sunday school su
perintendent who has been in
Swain county politics since back in
the early twenties. Senator Vance
A. Browning has a first name that
is the second name of many North
Carolinians and is one of the few
men in the state with the name
Vance not preceded by Zeb. He
wasn't named after one of the
state's idols, but its a good name
all the same.
Down here he does his job as
best he can, but if the folks back
home disagree with him, he sticks
to his guns anyway. That comes
of being a fighter. Take his votes
on the sales tax, for instance.
That's a form of revenue raising
that's not exactly popular up his
way, but he believes it's necessary
in its most virulent form, and he
votes for it every time.
On another form of revenue rais
ing that has been suggested, Vance
Browning is going to please the
folks back home. No believer in
the quaffing of alcohol and coming
from a district that is about five
to one dry, he is going to vote
against any suggestion of liquor
legalization.
Senator Browning's first political
office was attained in 1922, when
he was elected register of deeds of
his home county of Swain. He held
the office until 1924 and two years
later became clerk of the Superior
Court of Swain county, an office
held for eight years, until his elec
tion as Senator.
Born May 9, 1892, it is beginning
to look like Senator Browning may
get in the list of those members of
the General Assembly who spent
their birthdays in Raleigh. He is
the son of C. R. and Kansas Calor
Browning. He attended Oak Gnove
elementary school and Iotla and
Cowee High Schools. No lawyer,
he is an honorary member of the
Twentieth District Bar Association.
A Baptist deacon, he is active in
church and Sunday school affairs
and served two years as County
Red Cross chairman. He married
Miss Nannie Belle West in July,
1915.
Juniors To Hold
District Meeting Here
On Thursday, May 2, the spring
meeting of District No. 1, Junior
Order United American Mechanics,
will be held at Franklin, with Cul
lasaja Council No. 158 as host.
There will be a business session
at 3 p. m., at which time the dis
trict degree will be conferred on
new members, and district officers
will be elected for the ensuing
year. At 7:30 p. m., a public meet
ing will be held, at which a class
of children from the Lexington
Home will render a program, under
the direction of W. M. Shuford,
superintendent.
Charles F. Tankersley, state
councilor; Gurney P. Hood, state
treasurer; Monroe Adams, state
vice councilor, and other state of
ficers are expected to attend.
Plan Entertainment
The young people of the Cowee
community are planning to put on
a big entertainment the night of
Friday, May 3, for the benefit of
the Cowee baseball team. Begin
ning at 8 o'clock in the evening,
a one-act play, .'Taking the Cen
sus," musical program and box
supper will be held in the Cowee
school. The music will be furnish
ed by a string band and a negro
quartet. The public is invited.
Work Started
Of New Conservation Camp
Work was started this week on a
new Civilian Conservation camp in
Macon county, and almost simul
taneously word was received from
Washington that the number of
CCC camps in North Carolina
would be increased from 39 to 85
with the likelihood that most of the
new camps will be in the western
section.
The site of the New Macon
county camp is at West's Mill. An
advance squad from Camp F-19 in
Horse Cove, near Highlands, began
clearing the site this week pre
paratory to the erection of quar
ters. The group consisted of a
leader, two cooks, a first aid man
and other enrollees.
Brigadier General George Van
Horn, army supervisor of CCC
oamps in district B, and Captain
R. H. Haag, sub-district inspector,
inspected the site Tuesday. The
new camp will be known as Camp
NC F-20.
Farm Debt Adjustments
Some Questions and Answers Prepared by
The Farm Credit Administration
(EDITOR'S NOT E Members of the Maoon County Farm Debt
Adjustment committee are Carl Slagle, chairman; C F. Moody, Walter
Gibson. H. W. Cabo and J. E. Lancaster. The
that it will meet oa the first and
offices of the Macon County Emergency Relief Administration. Debt
ridden farmers flaming to prevent loss of their property through
foreclosure may obtain farther information concerning urimrt for ad-
debte from this committee, which also can supply the
blanks for filing applications for adjustments.)
Many distressed farmers have
asked the Farm Credit Administra
tion to explain the Frazier-Lemke
Act and the work of the farm-debt
adjustment committees. The Farm
Credit Administration is the agency
of the government primarily con
cerned with refinancing farm debts
and has prepared this circular with
the intention of giving as much
help as possible at this time. Al
though the answers to the questions
have ben prepared after careful
consideration and study, the accu
racy of the interpretations will de
pend upon future decisions by the
Federal courts.
Questions and Answers
Q. What is the Fraxier-Lemke
amendment?
A. It is an amendment to the
Federal Bankruptcy Act, providing
relief for farmers who are insolvent
or unable to meet their debts as
they fall due.
Q. Could a farmer go through
bankruptcy and still keep his prop
erty under the Frazier-Lemke
amendment?
A. He could retain possession
under the control of the bankruptcy
court for as long as either 5 or 6
years, during which time he would
have an opportunity to buy his
farm back, provided he makes cer
tain payments and meets the other
requirements of the amendment.
Q. Does a farmer actually have
to go through bankruptcy in order
to make use of the provisions of
the amendment?
A. Yes.
Q. Then how does it differ from
ordinary bankruptcy?
A. Mainly in that the farmer is
given an opportunity to buy his
property back and may be left in
possession of the property under
control of the court for a certain
length of time.
Q. Since nobody wants to go
through bankruptcy if it can be
avoided, is there not some other
way through which a hard-pressed
farmer can get help?
A. Yes. Forty-two states have
farm-debt adjustment committees
formed for the purpose of helping
farmers readjust their debts.
Q. What are these debt-adjustment
committees?
A. The governors of these states
on Erection
Other camps in this county are
NC F-9, Franklin; NC F-19, High
lands; and NC F-10, Aquone. These
camps are now receiving new re
cruits to bring their enrollment to
present capacity.
According to dispatches from
Washington, the national CCC en
rollment will be increased from
353,000 to 600,000, and the number
of men on conservation work in
North Carolina will be increased
from 7,800 to 21,250. Enrollment
of new men for the increased ca
pacity is. to begin June 15 and con
tinue through August
The enrollment age for junior!
a ' -a ..
ii men nas Deen changed trom
18 to 25 years to 18 to 28 years
and the time which they may re
main in camp extended from 12 to
18 months.
. Announcement is expected soon
of the selection of other sites for
new conservation camps in the
Nantahala National Forest area.
third Friday of
have appointed state-wide voluntary
committees which, in turn, have
recommended to the governors, for
appointment, the members of coun
ty farm-debt adjustment committees
composed of public-spirited citizens
who donate their time to advising
farm debtors and creditors how to
proceed in working out their debt
difficulties, and helping them se
cure equitable adjustments of over
burdening debts.
Q. Why should they do thie?
A. Hundreds of thousands of
farmers became involved in debt at
times when prices of farm com
modities were much higher than at
present and they now find them
selves unable to pay these debts.
They are willing to pay as much as
the land will support, but cannot
pay more. A farmer overburdened
by debt cannot conduct his fanning
operations successfully and cannot
be a normal purchaser in the com
munity. There are thousands of
cases in which the farmer must
either quit and try a new start or
else readjust his debts. Otherwise
he will struggle along hopelessly
on a losing basis only to lose his
farm eventually.
Q. What legal status do these
committees have?
A. They have no legal power to
enforce their recommendations.
They only suggest equitable ad
justments and endeavor to secure
the cooperation of both debtors
and creditors.
Q. Are these debt adjustment
committees serving without pay?
A. Yes, for the most part, al
though in some instances a part of
their expense is paid from State or
Federal emergency relief funds.
They are rendering a public ser
vice in helping to meet this emer
gency. (To Be Continued)
Dr. McCracken Postpones
Visit to Franklin
On account of the date conflict
ing with the annual meeting of the
North Carolina Medical society, Dr.
J. R. McCracken, eye specialist of
Waynesville, has announced that he
will not make his regular visit to
Franklin on the first Monday in
May, but will be here on the first
Monday in June.
TAX REFUNDING
BILL ENACTED
Authorizes 5-Year Notes
For Delinquent Taxes
For 1927-31
Representative J. Frank Ray's
bill to authorize the refunding of
Macon county tax sales certificates
and to postpone foreclosure pro
ceedings for delinquent 1927-31 taxes
was passed on final reading by the
state senate last Friday. It pre
viously had been passed by the
house.
Under terms, of the .bill, the
county is authorized to accept any
time before April 1, 1936, five-year
notes for the face amount of un
paid taxes for the years 1927, 1928,
1929, 1930 and 1931. The county
commissioners are authorized to
institute foreclosure proceedings for
delinquent taxes for these years
anytime before October 1, 1936.
, Discount Provided
For those who wish to pay their
taxes in cash for the years 1927
31, or who redeem tax notes he
fore maturity, the bill provides a
10 per cent discount
Representative Ray has introduc
ed two other bills relating to Ma
con county taxes, both of which,
according to last reports from Ral
eigh, were in the hands of a senate
committee. One of these measures
would authorize postponement of
foreclosure actions for the collec
tion of delinquent 1932 taxes to
October 1, 1935. The other would
direct the county commissioners in
1935 and 1936 to levy only such
taxes for debt service and other
purposes as the taxpayers can pay
and retain their homes, not ex
ceding $1 on the $100 valuation.
The commissioners, under this
measure, would also be authorized
to adjust the bonded debt of the
county with bondholders and ne
gotiate refinancing of the county
debt. After 1936 the commission
ers would decide annually whether
an emergency still existed and
would have authority to levy taxes
accordingly, their findings being
subject to a review by the courts.
This measure, according to infor
mation received here, is opposed by
the state local government commis
sion on the ground that it might
hamper efforts of the commission
to assist the county in negotiating
debt settlements.
Other Rills Pending
On April 10 Representative Ray
obtained passage by the house of a
bill he had introduced providing
for an increase in jurors fees in
Macon county to $2.50 a day and
five cents per mile for one round
trip betwen residence and court
house. The measure was sent to
the senate, where it was referred to
a committee.
A bill to except Macon county
from the absentee voter's law was
introduced in the house by Mr.
Ray on April 16 and referred to
the committee on elections and
election laws.
5 Franklin Scouts
Leave for Chapel Hill
Five Franklin Scouts, accom
panied by Jim Hauser, assistant
scoutmaster, left early Thursday
morning for Chapel Hill to take
part in the Dogwood Festival.
About 1,500 boys from all parts of
North Carolina are expected to at
tend and participate in the festival
activities. The Franklin boys will
have an active part in demonstra
tions of signalling, first aid work,
compass work, tracking, fire-fighting,
axemanship, fire building and
also will be in a gigantic pageant
to be held Saturday night.
Members of the Franklin troop
going to Chapel Hill were Bobby
Brown, Bobby Porter, Verco Wat
kins and Harry Higgins. The boys
will camp on the university campus.
They plan to return to Franklin af
ter attneding divine services Sun
day morning.