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
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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.