PROGB.ESSIVE
LIBERAL
IMDEPEMD EJYT
VOL. LI, NO. 1
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, JAN. 2, 1936
$1.50 PER YEAR
FUNERAL HELD
FOR Wf. JONES
Body of Former Franklin
Man Brought Home
For Burial
Funeral services forW.W. Jones,
52 foTmerly of Franklin, who died
unexpectedly Sunday night in Bos
ton., Mass., were held at 1:30
o’clock Wednesday afternooTi at the
"Franklin Methodist church. Burial
was in the family plot in the
Franklin cemetery.
Mr. Jiones had been in poor
health for several years and in re
cent weeks his conditon had grown
more serious. Last week he was
taken from his home at Plainfield,
N. J., to a Boston hospital for
treatment. He was accompanied by
his briolher. Dr. J. P. Jones, of
Wakefield, R. I. His condition,
however, did not permit of an
operation, and he died Sunday
night.
The body was brought to Frank
lin for burial.
Served asl PDistmaster
Mr. Jiones., known to his friends
here as “Will,” was born in Frank
lin on June 20, 1883, a son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. George A. Jones.
In 1907 he was graduated in elec
trical engineering from A. & M.
(now N. C. State) College, at
Raleigh. Returning to Franklin,
he lived here for several years
and built Franklin’s first telephone
system and first hydro-electric
power plant. For four years during
the Wilson administration he served
as postmaster.
Eighteen years agio fie went to
Chicago as an employe of the
Western Electric coupauy. He was
transfered to New York several
years ago and since then had made
his home at Plainfield, N. J.
A kind, genial man, possessing
a rare sense of humox, Mr. Jones
made many friends.
He is survived by his widow,
formerly Miss Irene Ford, icf Mem
phis, Tenn., and one son, William,
Jr., a student at the University of
Virginia, Charlottesville; his step
mother, Mrs. George A. Jones., of
Frankln; a sister, Miss Laura R.
Jones, al Raleigh; and five broth
ers,, G. Lyle Jones, of Asheville;
Dr. J. P. Jones, of Wakefield, R. I.;
Gilmer A. and R. S. Jones, of
Franklin, and Weimer Jones, of
Asheville.
The funeral was conducted by
the Rev. C. C. Herbert, Jr., pastor
o'f the Methodist church, assisted
by the Rev. J. A. Flanagan, pastor
of the Presbyterian church.
Pallbearers were A. B. Slagle,
Carl S. Slagle, Larry Waldroop,
Harold T. Sloan, T. W. Porter, Sr.,
and Hayne Arthur.
Snow Reported To Be
Heaviest Since 1926
The heavy snow which fell Satur
day and Sunday night was reported
to range in debth frorri eight to
12 inches in various sections of the
county. Those who make a hobby
of observing the weather said it
was the heaviest snow fall here
sincc . 1926. Several minor traffic
accidents occurred but no serious
injuries were reported as a result.
A boy, however, broke his nose
while sliding down a hill on a sheet
of rao’fing.
Despite the heavy snow, the Tal
lulah Falls railway train r.an every
day and was late only once—45
minutes on Sunday.
Lake Emory was frozen solid
Monday and Tuesday and a num
ber of ice skaters went out to try
their skill at falling gracefully.
With the themometer dropping
a few degrees below zero, the low
est temperature of the season
reported Monday.
With modei'ating temperature Wed
nesday, the snow began melting
rapidly, making rural roads even
more impassable than when the
snow was fresh. Even though rain
was falling today, plenty of soow
was still left.
I His j
WASHINGTON . . . Sen. Wm. E.
Borah’s hat is very positively in the
Presidential ring for the Republican
nomination in 1936. The Idaho sena
tor has consented to let the Young
Eepublicans use his name in the
Wisconsin primaries next April and
promises to stand by the party liber
als in any effort to defeat the old-
line Eepublican bloc.
BIG PROBLEMS
FACE CONGRESS
Bonus, Old Age Pensions
Expected To Bring on
More Talk
(Special to Tke PreSs Maconlan)
Washington, Jan. 2—Without try
ing to predict what the final outcome
will be, this is a good time to take
note of the major issues with which
the second session of the 74th Con
gress, convening on Friday, J.anuary
3, will occupy its time.
1. Immediate payment of the
Veterans’ Bonus. The only appar
ent open question about this is
whether or not the bill as passed
will provide for full cash payment
or for special issue of bonds.
2. The Townsend old-age pension
proposal. This will stimulate a lot
of oratory in both Houses. The
Labor lobby will oppose it. The
best guess is that the Townsend
plan will not be adopted but that
the agitation will result in lil)eraliza-
tion of old-age benefits under the
Social Security Act, which has got
to be amended in many respects,
anyway.
3. Lots of talk and some pretty
hot debate on the Frazier-Lemke
Farm Mortgage greenback bill. Lit
tle chance, however, of its passage.
4.' Government ownership of rail
roads. Again a lot of talk, backed
by a well organized campaign of the
railroad unions in favor of it. Action
of Interstate Commerce Commis
sion in ordering reduction of rail
road passenger rates to two ccnts a
mile, where they are now higher
than that—which is all over' the
East. This will be a demonstration
of the Government’s present power
over railroads-, and may have a
strong influence in bringing holders
of railroad bonds into line for (Jov-
ernment ownership. '
Neutrality, Navy, Army
5. The neutrality question will
come, up early in the session. The
present temper of Congress is to
strengthen the neutrality law. The
strong belief prevails that a great
war is rapidly approaching, and
Congress will not be inclined to
trust the State Department alone to
keep us out of it. One outcome of
the war talk is likely to be liberal
appropriations for a bigger navy.
6. Proposal for increasing the
army strength will be backed by re
ports that Mexico is planning an
(Continued on Page Six)
m TO HOLD
EXAMINATIONS
Applications Open for
Work on 3 Proposed
New Dams
Franklin has been named one of
82 cities and towns where exami
nations will be held during February
and March to select labor for the
construction by the Tennessee Val
ley Authority of the Chickamauga,
Guntersville and Hiawassee dams,
according to information received
this week from TVA headquarters
in Knoxville, Tenn.
The examinations will be similar
to those given in 1933, it was
stated. Applications to take the ex
aminations must be mailed to the
Tennessee Valley Authority, Work
men’s Examination Unit, Knox
ville, Tenn., postmarked not later
than January 25, 1936. Application
Form No. 20, which has been speci
fied by the TVA, may l^e obtained
from local civil service' secretaries
or postmasters..
Simple Tests Available
The examination will be for skill
ed workers, helpers and laborers,
and will consist of tests of mechan
ical skill and ability to follow oral
instructions. Samples of the tests
will be found in the official an
nouncement of the examinations.
iln 1933 many residents of Macon
county took the TVA exams and
a number of the applicants later
were employed.
“Persons desiring work on these
projects,” the TVA announcement
said, “must file applications and
oompete in this examination, even
though they have civil service sta
tus, or have taken previous TVA
examinations, or are now employed
by the Authority. Applicants must
be at least 16 years of age on the
date of the close of receipt of ap
plications.”
Not for Clericial Help
The examinations will be strictly
for skilled and unskilled laborers,
and^ will not qualify persons for
clerical or professional positions.
The exact dates for the exami
nations are to be announced later
and applicants will be notified when
and where to appear for exami
nation.
Wages on the TVA projects, it
was stated, will be “not less than
those prevailing in the region where
the work of the Authority is car
ried on.”
Among other communities in this
section where examinations will be
held are: Clayton, Ga.; Brevard,
Bryson City, Murphy and Waynes-
ville, N. C.
LEAVEGRAWED
FRED_LSLOAN
Sam Mendenhall Named
To Act as County
F arm Agent
Meeting in called session Mon
day, the Macon county commission
ers granted a request of Fred S.
Sloan, county farm agent, for an
indefinite leave of absence, and,
on the recommendation of the state
agricultural extension service, ap
pointed Sam Mendenhall, of Brass-
town, to fill the position.
Mr Sloan requested the leave to
accept a position as assistant hort
iculturist with the -extension service
in the western counties. His of
ficial headquarters will be in Ral
eigh, but he will continue to live
in Franklin, as this will be his
field headquarters. His duties, he
said, will be to work in cooperation
with county agents and ■ farmers
in coordinating the work of co
operative canneries and marketing
organizations.
Mr. Mendenhall has been con
nected with the extension service
in Clay and Cherokee counties. He
assumed his new duties Wednesday.
Mystery Death
DEBTREFUNDING
HOPES BLASTED
—: ■ ' i
Bondholders Kick on Law
Limiting Tax Levy
To Dollar
LOS ANGELES . . . One of the
latest pictures of Thelma Todd,
film actress (above), who was found
dead at the wheel of her car in her
garage. Investigation disclosed many
mysterious circumstances which are
stiU being investigated.
ANKTELER
HELD IN JAIL
Faces
Highlaitds Man
Embezzlement
Charge
Norman Brown, 33, former tel
ler in the Highlands depository of
the Jackson (3ounty Bank, is in the
Macon county jail charged with
embezzlement of $3,000 from the
institution.
■ Brown was reported to have left
Highlands on Nov. 28, disappearing^
after an official of the bank arrived
to check, over his books. Sheriff
A. B. Slagle was notified and traced
Brown to Seneca, S. C., where it
was said he had purchased a rail-
ro.ad ticket to Washington. Later,
he heard Brown was in Atlanta
and notified police there to be on
the lookout for him.
Sunday night, however, Brown
walked into Atlanta police head
quarters and surrendered. He was
brought to Franklin Tuesday night
by Deputy Sheriff John Dills and
Special Deputy James Hauser. He
waived preliminary examination
and is being held for trial, probably
at the April term of court. Bond
was tentatively set at $5,000, but
Brown was unable to post it.
Mr. Dills rejjorted that Brown
had little to say other than that
he had i|een unable to make his
books balance.
Brown, who was said to have
been reared near Greenville, S. C.,
had teen employed by the bank at
Highlands for about 18 months.
MISS STAUB ILL
Dr. Furman Angel was in High
lands Sunday to visit Miss Albertina
Staub, who is ill.
INJURED THUMB
Mrs.. Meta N. Hall fell on Christ
mas Eve and suffered a dislocated
thumb. She was taken to Franklin
for treatement.
The Milky Way or Galaxy is a
tremendous group of stars con
taining probably 500 million suns.
The chief essentials in keeping
trees growing fast—keep out fire
and allow humus ox woods litter,
to collect on the ground.
^ More than 126,000,000 pounds of
soil at a loss of more than $200,-
000,000 is removed annually by eros
ion.
J. Frank Ray’s tax relief law,
enacted by the last General As
sembly to limit to one dollar
Macon county’s tax levy during the
“economic emergency,” has blasted
all hope of successful, negotiations
for readjusting or refunding the
county’s bonded indebtedness of
more than three-quarters of a
million dollars, it was learned this
week.
Meanwhile the county’s bond
defaults are increasing and bond
holders are growing restless. Al
ready two suits for the collection
! of matured bonds or coupons have
been filed against the county, one
in superior court and one in fed
eral court.
Bioiaivl’s HaT>4s Tiicd
The county commissioners knew
when they placed the countywide
tax levy at one dollar that it would
not raise sufficent revenue to
meet the county’s bond obligations
as they matured; but under Mr.
Ray’s tax law, they felt their hands
v/ere tied. This law specifically
directsd them not to levy more than
one dollar on the hundred dollars
valuation in 1935 and 1936. It
also directed that, if after 1936 the
“economic emergency” should be
declared still to '«ist, the limit
should continue in efi?ct as long
as the emergency continiiod. This
last provision, it was stated,' how
ever, would be subject to the court^
review.
For some months the county corn
missioners have been cooperatin;
with the Local Government Coir
mission, with headquarters at Ra|
eigh, with view to obtaining consej
of bondholders to a refunding
which would cut down intereM ami
principal payments on the,''county’s
bonded indebtedness an.df thereby
make it possible for^ -'the county
to hold its tax levy .within reason.
Bondkoldseirs Balk
It is understood that negotiations
got under way in the autumn; but/
last week the county commissioners
were advised by the Local Govern
ment Commission that no headway
had been made and the bondholders •• ,
were disinclined to consider any
refunding plan as' long as the
county’s tax levy is limited by
statute to one dollar.
The total countywide bonded in
debtedness,, it was learned from
C. Tom Bryson, register of deeds
and clerk to the board of com
missioners, is approximately $522,-
000. In addition there are also special
school and road bonds, payment of
the principal of some of which ■
has been assumed by the state,
amounting to $285,000. This
makes a grand total, not including,
however, about $1(30,000 Franklin
and Highlands township bonds, of
$807,000.
Mr. Bryson said the county’s
default to date amounted to
$34,500 pn principal and $69,860 on
interest.
tin-
sei^
m-
and
Funeral Held for
Louis Pendergrass, 11
Funeral services for Louis Pen
dergrass, 11, of Kyle, who died of
acute appendicitis at 4:30 o’clock
Wednesdjiy afternoon of last week,
were- held Friday at Kyle school,
with burial in the Kyle cemetery.
The boy, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Harley Pendergrass, had been ill
about three days. He was brought
to the local hospital Wednesday
afternoon for an operation, but he
died a few minutes after arriving.
He is survived by his parents,
a brother, Herbert, and a sister,
Iva Jane.
Matter .is either organic or in
organic. Organic matter is either
alive or once formed .a- part of a
living thing. ,,,