Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / July 4, 1935, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
PAGE TWO THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON IAN THURSDAY, JULY 4, IMS The Spirit of '35 by A. B. Chapin Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press At Franklin, North Carolina Telephone No. 24 VOL. L Number 27 BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year tf-SJj Six Months -JJ Eight Months Sl-JJ Single Copy Obituary notices, cards of thanks, tributes of respect, by individuals, lodges, churches, organizations or societies, will be regarded as adyer tising and inserted at regular classified advertising rates. Such notices will be marked "adv." in compliance with the postal regulations. Patriotism Transcending Prejudice IT IS of more than passing significance that this year's Fourth of July celebration in Franklin was motivated by a British subject. The spirit that the Rev. Frank Bloxham has shown in taking charge of the local program in observance of the colonies' declaration of indepen dence from the British crown is most commendable. It manifests true breadth of mind and laudable civ ic interest. Rev. Mr. Bloxham, who is rector of St. Agnes Episcopal church, Franklin, and the Church of the Incarnation, Highlands, has taken a very active part in the religious, civic and social life of Franklin - since eoming here in January, 1934. He is especial ly interested in boys' work and as leader of the Franklin Scout troop has made it one of the most active in Western North Carolina. -He also is a member of the Macon County advisory welfare board. Rev. Mr. Bloxham, who was born in Birming ham, England, served in the British Army during the World War and was wounded in a hand and leg. Later he came to this country as a member of the Church Army, evangelical organization of the British church. After traveling through 31 states he liked the country so well that he decided to become a resident. He attended the Virginia Theological Seminary at Alexandria, Va., from which he was graduated with the degree of Bach elor of Divinity. After serving for a time as a dea con he was ordained as a minister of the Episcopal i church. fever ready to do his bit for the public good, willing to accept responsibility, but not forward, Mr. Blozham quickly found his place in the com munity life of Franklin. His good and ever-broadening influence would be difficult to estimate. Al though he has not been in this country long enough to take out citizenship papers, he is one of the best of citizens, Would that , we had more like him. !His example should be an incentive to all of us natives to value our citizenship more highly, to ac cept its responsibilities more readily and to take a greater interest in civic matters. And, too, it should stir within us a greater regard for the bonds that still tie us to the Mother Country, bonds which if steadfastly maintained will prove the greatest in fluence in the world for maintaining international accord. A patriotism like Mr. Bloxham's, trans cending mere prejudice, should be encouraged and emulated. A The PWA's Thorn T first glance, the nev loan-and-grant plan pro- oosed bv the Public Works Administration seems to afford a fineopportunity for local govern mental units to undertake needed public improve ments. Briefly, the government through the PWA of iers to make a forthwith grant of 55 per cent of the cost of an approved project and to lend the rest at four per cent interest over a long period of years. Under the old PWA plan, the borrowing community received a grant of only 30 per cent of the cost of labor and materials and wages which had to be paid for labor were stipulated at rates considerably above the current scale. Now the gov ernment not only offers to increase the grant 50 per cent, but also allows more latitude in the mat ter of wages. So far, so good. It looks like an opportunity no wide-awake community should miss. But, alas, the picture is too good to be true. Like most other things, the new PWA plan is not a rose without thorns. The hitch comes in a new provision that 90 per cent of the labor employed must be taken from emergency relief rolls. That might mean, in ef fect, that the Emergency Relief Administration, generally accepted as one of the most inefficient and impractical creations of the present administra tion, would have virtual control over a project. And it most certainlv would mean that the labor bill would be unreasonably high, even though the wages were not. , Furthermore, it would penalize the man who by dint of frugality, initiative and hard work has managed to keep off the relief rolls, giving preference to those who have been unable "to make the grade." We thought the gods helped those who helped themselves, but the ERA and the PWA apparently are attempting to reverse the pol icy. If continued, it will result in more triflingness than has ever been known in this country. It is high time that industry and self-reliance, rather than indolence and dependency, receive encouragement. This newspaper for some time has advocated a new water supply system for Franklin, and we would hate to see the community miss an oppor tunity to obtain funds which would mean employ ment for hundreds of its people. But, in view of the relief labor provision in the new PWA contracts, we heartily agree with the attitude manifested by the Board of Aldermen. Meeting Monday night, the board discussed the advisability of submitting an application for a PWA project, but decided that if relief labor must be used there was no need for further consideration of the matter. Unless this and certain other provisions of the PWA plan are altered, it would be far better, in event a new water system or other public improvements should be come imperative, to undertake financing through the usual channels at a higher rate of interest and no governmental grant. Meek Mutterings against a Press Agent Storm TTHE only explanation we can give of all the com- motion that has been raised over President Roosevelt's proposal to abolish utility holding com panies is that the big utility companies, especially those in the hydro-electric field, have the money and are spending it to hire an army of potent lobby ists and publicity agents. Next to the establishment of security for bank depositors, in our humble judgment, the proposal to draw up a death warrant for holding companies is one of the most forward steps undertaken by the Roosevelt administration. Progressive Republic ans have stood by the President in this phase of his program; but it looks like recalcitrant Demo crats will prove its ruination. Un less a certain group in the majori ty party changes its attitude, it now appears that holding companies will continue to hold sway and that TVA, the "yardstick" for measur ing electricity rates, will be made as useless as scales without weights. We fail to see what possible good holding companies can be to any one except those who control them and can manipulate them to fleece stockholders in subsidiary corpora tions, to evade anti-trust las, to dodge income taxes and to amass unearned fortunes for the favored few who are on jthe inside. Ameri can industry and finance functioned for a long, long time without hold ing companies. Why can't it do so now? The big argument of the holding companies is that if they are wiped out, millions of in vestors, including insurance com panies and trust funds, will lose. But if the. holding companies are on the level, if their stocks actually represent an interest in something tangible, why can't they prorate their holdings so no one would suf fer? louder howl has been raised over the holding company bill than over the failure a few years ago of the Insull utility empire. Hundreds of thousands ,of investors were wiped out in the collapse of that monu mental pyramid of holding com panies which enabled Sam Insull to control $1,800 of other people's money with every dollar of his own. How quickly we forget! It would seem that way ; but many are still suffering from the misdoings of holding companies. The explana tion is that those who control the holding companies are able to em ploy highpowered press agents and lobbyists to fill the air with voci ferous protests, while those who have lost and stand to lose again can do nothing but meekly mutter their ineffectual lamentations. Vacation Bible School Postponed until July 15 The daily vacation Bible school for the Franklin group of Presby terian churches has been postponed until the week of July IS, accord ing to the Rev. J. A. Flanagan, pas tor of this group of churches. The school will be held in the Morri son church on the Georgia road. The pupils of the Franklin church will be carried to the .Morrison church each day. R. B. Dupre, of Owings, S. C, a special worker of AsheVille Presbytery under the di rection of the committee on re ligious education, will have charge of the school. Other workers from Franklin will assist in the work of the school.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 4, 1935, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75