PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1935
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. L Number 23
BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year $1-50
Sue Months
Eight Months
Single Copy P
Obituary notices, cards of thanks, tributes of respect, by individuals,
lodges, churches, organizations or societies, will be regarded as adver
tising and inserted at regular classified advertising rates. Such notices
will be marked "adv." in compliance with the postal regulations.
Weaver Turns on TVA
MANY friends of Congressman Zebulon Weaver
have been greatly surprised at the critical at
titude he has recently manifested toward the Ten
nessee Valley Authority, whose broad program
holds such great promise for the development of
this and other tributary areas of the Tennessee
river.
Mr. Weaver's protestation that he is still a
warm supporter of the TVA has the sound as if
uttered with his tongue in his cheek. His sponsor
ship of legislation in behalf of the Mellon-controlled
Nantahala Power' and Light company which would
increase that company's stranglehold in a large sec
tion of Western North Carolina has been an as
tounding revelation to a great number of the
Eleventh District Representative's supporters.
After carefully reading and re-reading the
amendment which Congressman Weaver has pro
posed to TVA legislation now held up in a house
committee, after having been approved in the sen
ate, we do not see how it could have any other ef
fect than to shut the gate in the face of the TVA
in Macon, Swain, Graham and possibly other coun
ties beyond the Balsams. And if the gate can be
closed here, it might be closed on every tributary
of the Tennessee River, thereby confining the bene
ficient effects of the TVA to a comparatively small
area.
We cannot help wondering if Mr Weaver felt
out the sentiment of his constituency before espous
ing the cause of the Mellon interests. Could he
have been misled by the insidious campaign waged
in behalf of the power company last autumn to
turn public sentiment in this section against the
TVA?
Furthermore, we wonder from whom Mr. Weav
er has been obtaining his information. He was
quoted in The Asheville Citizen as having told a
house committee that the Mellon interests paid 92
per cent of the taxes in Graham county, 30 per
cent in1 Swain and 20 per cent in Macon. We do
not know how much the Aluminum company sub
sidiaries pay into the treasuries of Graham and
Swain counties; but an examination of the tax1
books of Macon county reveals that valuations of
the Nantahala Power and Light company are piti
fully small in proportion to other valuations and
that on their vast holdings in tfiis county for the
year 1934 their taxes amounted to only $3,730.29,
less than six per cent of the county's total tax bill.
Although the company owns the Franklin hydro
electric power plant and lines, the great Nantahala
dam site, upon which many thousands of dollars
have spent, and other properties in this county, its
valuation totals only $332,679. The total valuation
for the county is $5,629,764. A year ago the Nanta
hala Power and Light company endeavored to get
a reduction in the valuation of the Franklin power
plant, which was listed at $175,000. Less than a
year before it had paid the Town of Franklin $288,
000 for this same property. In other words, the
power company's valuations are below actual cash
values, while, as everyone knows, most other prop
erty in the county, especially farm lands, are listed
for more than they would bring on the open market.
The Nantahala Power and Light company has
kicked up a big row over the purchase by the TVA
of two small tracts of land in the basin of the
proposed Fontana dam and is blaming TVA for
thwarting development of its properties in Western
North Carolina. Mr. Weaver told a congressional
committee that the company was prepared to spend
sixty million dollars on dam projects. If this be
so, we would like to know what is preventing the
Mellon crowd from undertaking completion of the
Nantahala dam, upon which work was discontinued
five or six years ago? The TVA has done nothing
to blocK this project.
Defending the -T VA's action in making the pur
chases in the Fontana dam basin, Senator George
Norris, author of the TVA act, accused the Nanta
hala Power and Light company of refusing to co
operate with the TVA, to which Mr. Weaver's only
reply was: "That is news to me. I am informed
that the company is anxious to cooperate with the
TVA and stands ready to enter into an agree
ment." The question naturally arises: "What or who
has been Mr. Weaver's source of information?" In
asmuch as J. E. S. Thorpe, Mellon missionary extra
ordinary, has been spending "much time" in Wash
ington, according to press dispatches, one naturally
is inclined to venture a surmise.
We hope Mr. Weaver will look thoroughly into
the TVAs side of the question before he takes
any other steps toward pressing for enactment of
his amendment. The full story very evidently has
not been told. We are reserving final judgment
until it is, but we certainly do not want to see any
legislation enacted which would strengthen the
Mellon throttle grip.
We by no means desire to discourage Mellon or
anyone else in the development of Western North
Carolina's hydro-electric resources, but we certain
ly do not want his or any other group to exercise
such a watertight monopoly that Uncle Sam him
self could not get a foothold.
.. For Better Health
THE Board of Commissioners is to be congratu-
lated on its acceptance of the State Board of
Health's proposal for expansion of public health
service in Macon County.
In the past public health work here has merely
scratched the surface. We have had a county phy
sician, whose duty is primarily the care of the sick
in the county home and jail; but no public health
officer, no public health nurse, not even a sanitary
inspector. Consequently, enforcement of the sani
tary code has been lax and the quarantine law has
been ineffective. Other than free vaccinations for
smallpox and typhoid fever and cursory visits by
a state school dentist, this county has enjoyed very
little of the benefits of constructive public health
work.
Now, beginning July 1, it is to have a full time
county nurse, a full time sanitary inspector, the
supervision of a district health officer and an as
sistant, and its prorata share of the time of a dis
trict dentist ... all at a cost of only a few hun
dred dollars more a year than the county has been
spending on immunization work alone.
In the past the county has spent $900 to $1,200
a year on vaccinations. Its appropriation for the
broader public health service is $1,500 a year. To
this will be added $3,700 from other sources. Some
idea of benefits to be derived can be obtained from
the following program of work to be undertaken :
"1. School health supervision, including physi
cal examination of school children for defects.
"2. Immunization service will be offered by the
district health department, providing for the con
trol of smallpox, diphtheria and typhoid fever.
"3. The perfection of an organization for the
correction of physical defects, such physical de
fects to be corrected by competent physicians of
the district.
"4. The department will conduct an organized
program to reduce maternal and infant deaths.
"5. An adequate veneral disease and tubercu
losis program will be carried out, with the coopera
tion of the local medical profession.
"6. The district health department will con
duct an educational and supervisory program, which
will go far toward correcting environmental sani
tation, with particular emphasis on safe excreta
disposal, malaria control, providing a pure and
wholesome water supply, a pure milk supply, and
pure food within each county in the district.
"7. The department will conduct epidemiologic
al investigations and institute adequate, intelligent,
and effective measures for the prevention of the
spread of communicable diseases."
Good health is any individual's best asset; so,
likewise, is a healthy citizenry the best asset of
any community. Money spent to promote good
health is wisely spent.
In accepting the State Board of Health's offer
the county commissioners demonstrated themselves
to be forward thinking, progressive men with the
best interests of their community at heart.
Oak Dale
The farmers of this section are
very busy working their corn.
Mrs. Minnie Crawford and
Blanche Cope spent Saturday night
with Mrs. Emmie Tallent.
Forest Slagle, of Tellico, was
visiting here Sunday.
Jud Tallent was visiting at Burn
ingtown Sunday.
Lon Mack, of Kyle, spent Satur
day night with his sister, Mrs.
Belle Rice.
Miss Genevia Bryant and Vivian
Crawford -spent Friday night with
Ruby and Allene Roper.
Harve Bateman spent Friday
night with Edgar Reeves.
Miss Grace Swafford, of Iotla,
was visiting here Sunday.
Mrs. Henry Hall was the week
end guest of Mrs. Maggie Row
land. Garmon Raby, who is working in
Georgia, spent the week-end with
home folks.
Miss Maude Rowland, who is
staying at Dillsboro, spent Sunday
with home folks.
Those from this section who at
tended the E. R. E. commencement
at Asheville Saturday were: John
Slagle, Mrs. Arlesa Roper and
children,. Jim Wild, Harvy Roper,
Harve Bateman, Robert Wild, Rob
ert Gampitt, EdgarReeves, Gene
via Bryant, Ruby and Allene
Roper and Ivalee Roper. They
all reported a very nice time.
West's Mill
Miss Sarah Osborne, from Ros
man, Ga., visited Miss Marjorie
West last Thursday.
A shower was given at the home
of Mrs. J. M. Morgan last Satur
day evening in honor of Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Bryson. Many nice
and useful gifts were received.
Mrs. L. S. McCarty and Mrs.
Heath from Thomasville, Ga., visit
ed Mrs. L. J. Smith and Mrs. J.
L. West last Tuesday. They were
accompanied by the Rev. C. R.
McCarty, from Highlands.
Mrs. Albert Potts visited rela
tives in Atlanta, Ga., from Satur
day until Wednesday of last week.
The ice cream supper of the
Ladies' Missionary society of the
Methodist church here was a suc
cess. After a very interesting pro
gram and the sale of the ice
cream and cakes the ladies realized
they had made about $24.
The work on the C. C. Camp
here is progressing very nicely.
Mrs. Ada Hyatt, from Otto,
spent the week-end with Mr. and
Mrs. C. N. West.
We are glad to learn that John
Ray is improving.
The road up Rickman Creek is
being greatly improved by the lay
ing of a crushed rock surface.
Mrs. Kate Simpkins, from Ashe
ville, is visiting her brother, T. C.
Bryson, and family.
The Qift of
Their Mother's Time
The greatest gift any man an
leave his children is their mother's
time. A Jefferson Standard Fam
ily Income Plan will relieve your
wife of the necessity of having
to earn a living for herself and
the family you leave. Her time
will be free to give your children
the care they need during the
years they will need it moat.
Let us explain to you a plan
that will give thia needed pro
lection. ED. J. CARPENTER
Agent
Office In McCoy Building
Franklin, N. C.
:: JEFFERSON STANDARD
; : LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Julian Price, President
Greensboro, North Carolina