REGISTRANTS
Only One More Satur
days Left To Register
To Vote! .'
Keep In Touch With
Your Local Draft, Board
At All Times.
PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
INDEPENDENT
VOL. LVr NO. 43
FRANKLIN, N. C. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1940
$1.50 PER YEAR
REGISTER NOW
,
)
Mountain Movie Arouses
Indignation Of Audience
Citizens Take Action To
Have Film Of Movie
Taken Destroyed
! "Mountain Folks," WPA-produc-ed
movie of Macon i people and
scenes, ended its first showing in
the sherif I'g safe here last Satur
day night, after a capacity audi
ence composed of people it sup
posedly represented objected so
strenously to the film that Deputy
Sheriff John Dills confiscated it in
order to prevent a possible demon
stration. A crowd of around 500 which
. filled the courthouse auditorium
to over-flowing sat relatively quiet
during the showing of the two-reel
film, but when Mis, Elda Keilhly,
who directed the making of the
picture this summer, rose to ask
for criticism, she was overwhelmed
with comments. Members of the
audience objected that the movie
"showed the seamy side of life in
the coup ty' that it failed to show
more prosperous farms and home
here, and that it 'was entirely un
representative. . ;.
Film , Returned Sunday
Feeling rose so high that finally
Deputy Dills took the films into
custody and gave Erwin Hartley,
the photographer who made the
movie for the University of North
Carolina under Miss Hartley's di
rection, a receipt for them. Sheriff
A. B. Slagle returned the films tt
the pair Sunday morning.
This week, action to prevent the
films' being shown elsewhere took
three , definite forms. The town
board of aldermen called a special
meeting to pass a resolution con
demning the movie; 17 members
of the University of North Caro
liha alumni association here signed
a letter to President Frank Porter
Graham and University' Professor
Howard Odum, asking that the
films be destroyed; and P. L.
Threlkeld, county WPA .superin
tendent, telephoned A. F. Weaver,
Jr- cf Asheville, district director
of ' operations, informing him of
ht indignation roused by the pic
ture here.
(Copies of the letter to the Uni
versity and of the town board's
resolution are printed elsewhere in
(his issue.)
Indication's late this week were
that the film would be barred from
further showings. Director Weav
er assurred Threlkeld that the mat
ter would be placed before C C.
iMcGinnis, state WPA head. A
telegram was also received from
Professor Odum, stating that he
was "entirely in sympathy" with
the movement to stop the picture.
The narrative accompanying the
picture described the characters as
a sturdy, thrifty, independent peo
ple, but a people who had been lit
tle touched by progress. Scene
showed primitive chair-making done
by hand in the home, apples being
washed in a spring, wool ' being
carded, churning being done in an
old-fashioned dash churn, a one
. room school, street preacher ex
horting a gathering in front of the
Franklin courthouse.
The crowd particularly objected
to a shot showing the feet of a
. group of women, one with bare
feet, others with toes protruding
from shoes and with ragged stock
ings and skirt fringes.
"Mountain Folk" was filmed dur
ing the summer. Expenses were
borne by the visual aid department
of the University of North Caro
lina extension service, with actual
labor costs being paid by the WPA.
Baptist Sunday School
'Convention At Iotla
' The Macon County Baptist Sun
. day School Convention will meet
pn Sunday afternoon, October 27,
at 2:15 o'clock at the Iotla Bap
list church, it has been announced
by Paul Swaf ford, president
The program will open with a
congregational song, followed by
the devotional led by Fred Corbin.
After the roll - call -and - reports
from the various churches the Rev.
Joe Bishop, of Prentiss, will speak.
A quartet from the Iotla church
will give a vocal selection. The
Rev. Fred Forrester, of Cullowhee,
will deliver the principal address.
1 The public is invited to attend.
Dr. Dick Slagle
Visits His Mother
Dr. Dick Slagle of San Juan,
Puerto Rico, arrived yesterday to
visit iiis mother, Mrs. Henry
Slagle, on Caftoogechaye. Mrs.
Slagle and children have been here
lor some time.
Dr. Slagle's arrival was delayed
by an attack of pneumonia which
he suffered during a severe epi-
demic of "flu" on the island. He
is in charge of large hospital in
4 Juan,
Resolutions
Of Town Board Relating
To WPA Movie
Whereas, it has been made to
appear to the Hoard of Aldermen
of the, Town of Franklin that the
Works Project Authority, under
the auspices of the Visual Aid DeJ
partinent of the University of
North Carolina has produced ' a
two reel film, entitled "Mountain
Folk", and whereas, said film pur
ports to show scenes made in Ma
con County, North Carolina of the
people of Macon county and of the
conditions existing in the county;
and whereas it appears, that tliose
who made the film took as its sub
ject, in part, persons living in the
most inaccessible portions of the
county under the most adverse con
ditions, without showing that these
subjects had been receiving free
medical attention and hospitaliza-.
lion at a local hospital; and where
as said picture in no sease of the !
word truly depicts the citizenship
of Macon county nor conditions as
actually existing therein, the con
ditions as shown in said, film be
ing .so- badly distorted from the
true facts as to arouse the right
eous indignation of the citizenship
of ' the community,, and whereas
the same can properly be classed
as a libel upon the mountain peo
ple, and an insult to the intelli
gence of those living in other com
munities who know anything of the
real conditions existing in this sec
tion; Therefore be it resolved by the
Board of Aldermen of the Town
of Franklin in call session duly as
sembled, that a protest of the fur
ther showing of said film, either
in Franklin or elsewhere, be enter
ed upon its minutes, . and that a
copy of this resolution be published
in The Franklin Press, and further,
that copies of the same be mailed
to the University of North Caro
lina and to Elda Keithly, state
supervisor of the WPA visual aid
department.
I hereby certify that the above
is a true copy of resolution adopt
ed by, the Board of Aldermen of
the Town -of Franklin, at a call
meeting on October 21, 1940.
GEO. DEAN,
Clerk of the Board
Local Grocers Agree On
Uniform Closing Time
Nine local grocery concerns sign
ed an agreement this week to
close their places of business at 6
m. every day except Saturday.
No mention was made of Saturday
closing time. '
Concerns signing the agreement
were: Swaf ford's Market, Dixie
Store, Sloan's Market, the A. & P;
Tea company, City Market, Farm
ers Federation, Roy F. Cunning
ham, C D. Pendergrass and Ray
Grocery and Feed company.
Methodist Pastors Leave
For District Conference
Five Macon Methodist ministers
left this week for . the Western
North Carolina district conference
at High Point to receive their ap
pointments for another year.
They were the Rev. Ivon L. Rob
erts, of the Franklin church; the
Rev. Phillip Green, of the Franklin
circuit; the Rev. J. C Swaim. of
the Macon circuit ; the Rev. J. S.
Higgins, of the Highlands church;
and the Rev. L. W. HalL of the
Louisa Chapel church. 1 -
Willkie Partisan's Cash
To Help Reelect F.D.R.
Readers of this' newspaper who,
with the publishers, resented the
spirit of a piece of. anti
Roosevelt literature published in
last week's Press as "Paid Po
litical Advertising" may be glad
to know that the $7.00 we re-
ceived in payment is to be turn
ed over to the Democratic cam
paign chest to help swell the
majority for Franklin D. Roose
velt on election day.
We heartily disagree with the
attitude of the advertisement,
which was distasteful to say the
least; but we accepted it for
publication on the insistence of a
Willkie partisan that we should
be willing to - print campaign
material for either side of a
political issue. So, leaning over
backwards to be fair, we took
his money and published the
piece. Perhaps its publication
gratified a few extreme anti
Roosevelt folks, but we doubt
that . it made any new votes
for Willkie.
Speaks Here Thursday
r
i 4fy t I
i ..vili I
I
i Y'Vi 1
J. M. BROUCHTON
Democratic Nominee for Governor,
who will address a political rally
in the courthouse auditorium here
at 8 p. m. October 31.
BIG RALLY OF
DEMOCRATS
Thursday Night With J.
M. Broughton As
Chief Speaker
A Democratic rally with J. M.
Broughton of ,'Kaleigh, Democratic
nominee for governor of North
Carolina as principal speaker, will
be held at the courthouse next
Thursday evening,. October 31, at
8 o'clock. Mr, Broughton will he
accompanied by Oscar Pitts, direc
tor of prisons, of Raleigh, who will
also speak.
Miss, Lassie Kelly vice-chairman
of the Macon county Democratic
executive committee, has arranged
for a string band to play at the
rally and a large crowd is expected
to attend this pre-election meeting
of Macon county Democrats.
Messrs; Broughton and Pitts will
be the guests of , Mr. and Mrs.
Gilmer Jones during their stay in
Franklin. They are expected to
arrive Thursday afternoon. Mr.
Jones is Mr. Broughton's campaign
manager for Macon county.
R. F. Jarrett To Speak
In Courthouse Here At
2 P. M. Next Saturday
Honorable R. F. Jarrett, of Dills-
boro, Republican candidate for con
gress from the. 11th district, will
address the- voters of Macon coun
ty in the courthouse auditorium
here next Saturday, October 26, at
2 p. m., J. II. Dean, chairman of
the County Republican executive
committee, announced this week.
Lewis Hamlin, of Brevard, will al
so speak on the same program.
Jarrett will be introduced by
John E. Rickman, who is opposing
Dr. W. A. Rogers for representa
tive to the general assembly on
the Republican ticket.
Jarett and Hamlin will also
Lspeak at the Otto school house
Saturday night at 7:30 p. m.
Everyone is invited to attend the
two addresses, Mr. Dean said.
Ladies are especially urged, to be
present. -.'.,
Halloween Carnival To
Be Presented By Junior
Class Here Saturday
Franklin high school auditorium
will take on all the peacefulness
and serenity of a country grave
yard at midnight on a Friday the
13th when the Halloween carnival,
sponsored by the junior class, opens
there at 7:30 p. m. this Saturday,
October 26.
Spooky entertainment and lots
of it has been planned by the
junior class under the direction of
the president, Miss Helen Edwards.
Stunts, clog dances, musical read
ings and . other vaudeville enter
tainments are now in rehearsal; A
spook house, fortune teller's booth,
marksmanship booth, refreshment
booths are also being set up. Cake
walks and games with appropriate
prizes are also being arranged.
All proceeds are to go to the
junior-senior banquet fund.
Everyone is cordially invited to
attend and come in custome if
possible.
Earl Dillard Called
To Army Air Corps
Earl Dillard, son of Mr,
and
Mrs. A. J. Dillard of Dillard, Ga.,
was called to the army air corps
detachment at Albany, Ga., last
week.
Dillard was a senior at the Uni
versity of Georgia this year, be
fore being ordered into service.
Town Board
Is Considering Widening
Main Business Block
The widening.-of the business
section of Main street from the
posloffice to the courtliouse, a pro
ject not included .in the original
street improvement plans, is now
under consideration by the town
board of aldermen.
At a called meeting Monday, the
board asked Town Clerk George
Dean to get in touch with state
highway officiaU and have them
make a survey of the proposed en
largement. The survey was made
Wednesday, and the board i
awaiting the return of the, specifi
cations from Raleigh before tak
ing definite action.
According to ilr. Dean, the state
highway department is willing to
pave the additional street width i.
the town will do the grading and
provide curbs and gutters. The en
gineer in charge of the survey
stated that the street would be
widened from six to ,six and one
half feet under the specifications.
It-is understood that the highway
department will recommend that
the widening be carried ou.
Widening the street according to
the specifications, would mean that
all trees within the block , from the
postoffice to the courthouse would
have to be removed.
It was pointed out by a member
of the town board that if the ex
isting traffic laws were enforced
as to parking, there would be no
necessity of destroying the trees,
TRAGIC DEATH
OF BABY GIRL
Child Of Mr. And Mrs.
Fred Sloan Strangled
In Fall From Bed
Patricia Sloan, one-and-a-half
year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Fred S. Sloan, was found strangled
to death in her bed on Thursday
afternoon.
The little child, who suffered a
fractured leg in a fall two weeks
ago and was still wearing a plaster
cast, had been put to sleep in a
sleeping blanket which was attach
ed to the bed covering. It appeared
that in an effort to rol off the
little bed which was low, the zip-
pered-up sleeping garment and the
cast on the leg impeded the child's
movements so that she was caught
around the neck and strangled.
When found by her nurse, Pauline
Waldnoop, the child was already
dead.
Besides her parents,, the little
one is survived . by a sister, Ann,
four years old ; her grandparents,
Mrs. W". W. Sloan, of Franklin;
Mr. and Mrs; Tom Morrow of
Statesvilje, and aunts and uncles.
The sympathy of the whole com
munity goes out to the bereaved
parents and family. .
Funeral services "will be held at
the 'home Friday afternoon at 4
o'clock. Interment will be in the
Franklin cemetery. .
Group Conference Will
Meet At Presbyterian
Church Here Saturday
A Group Conference i6f the Aux
iliaries of the Presbyterian church
in the five Western counties of
North Carolina will be held in the
Franklin Presbyterian church on
Saturday, October 26, beginning at
10:30 a. m.
Mrs. C. W. Savage of Murphy
will be the presiding officer. Miss
Kitty Sue McElroy, president of
the Asheville Presbyterial, will be
present for the meeting.
Other speakers wjll include M.s.
P. N. Gresham of the Kenilworth
church, Asheville; Mrs. Gus Leach,
the Rev. and Mrs. J. A. Flanagan
of the Franklin church. Lunch will
be served at the Tavern.
Football Team Has Open
Date After Bryson City
Defeat Here Last Friday
Recuperating from the 21-0 lac
ing handed them last Friday by
Bryson City, Franklin high's Red
Panthers will take a well-earned
rest this week-end to prepare for
their game with Andrews here next
Friday afternoon.
Coach J: C. Hawking charges
were no match for the deceptive
style of play practiced by the Bry
son City boys. All three of the
visitor's touchdowns were scored
on laterals.
Rev, Rufus A. Morgan, who has
accepted the charge of St. Agnes
church, Franklin and the Church
of the Incarnation, Highlands, is
expected to arrive next week.
Serial Numbers
Are Assigned To Macon's
2,056 Registrants
Serial numbers for each of Ma
con county's 2,050 registrants liave
been assigned in readiness for the
national drawing which will take
place in Washington next Tuesday,
October 29, George Dean, member
of the ; county draft board, an
nounced this week.
The numbers will be posted out
side the draft board's office in the
Ashear building by Friday or Sat
urday, and all registrants should
,come by the office to determine
their number in order that they
may follow the drawing in Wash
ington, which will probably be
broadcast.
(A full description of how the
lottery will be carried out is on
page two oi this issue.)
Mrs Gilmer Jones was'appointed
clerk to the local board this week,
subject to approval from Raleigh.
Members of the board and the
board's physician and appeal agent
attended a regional meeting in Bry
son City Thursday, to receive in
struction on their duties. ')
Bowl of Rice
Parties WiUBe Held On
November 18
J. Horner Stockton, chairman of
the Macon county committee of
Bowl of Rice Parties for the aid
of China's war victims, announced
today that November 18 had been
chosen for the final day of parties
in the county. The proceeds of
these parties will go to the Amer
ican Bureau for Medical Aid to
China, of which Madam Chiang
Kai-Shel is honorary chairman and
Col. Theodore Roosevelt is nation
al chairman.
Mr. Stockton said that while the
committee was not yet ready to
announce definite plans for the
local Bowl of Kice Party, arrange
ments were now under way for an
affair which would give Franklin
an opportunity to help increase the
total fund for medical aid to
China by taking part in the Bowl
of Rice Parties which will be held
in hundreds of cities in . this coun
try throughout the fall
FRANKLIN PTA
MET JPDAY
Porter Garland Of WCTC
Faculty Principal
Speaker
faculty of Western Carolina Teach
ers college, was the principal speak
er at the Franklin P.-T, A. meet
ing in the sclioolhouse auditorium
here Monday afternoon.
Speaking on ' How All People
in a Democracy Slvould be Edu
cated," Garland . pointed out ! that
the future of 'education and the
future of democracy are insepa
rable. The meeting was opened with a
devotional period,' conducted by the
Rev. C. F. Rogers, pastor of the
Franklin. Baptist church, Jessie
Barnard, member of the dramatic
club, gave a reading entitled "Ca
mille," and Mrs. Phillip Green led
the group in singing "Carolina".
Safety Sign To Be Installed
Following Mr. Garland's address,
a short business meeting was held.
W. H. Finley, principal of the
Franklin school, reported that saf
ety signs had been made, and were
ready to be installed on the high
way near the school.
Mrs. Fred Slagle, president of
the local P.-T. A., presented the
groilp with a tanner that the P.-T.
A. had won for the largest increase
in membership in the western dis
trict !jm 1939-40.
The P.-T. A. decided to place
small flags in every classroom in
Franklinhigh school. John Wasi
lik generously offered to furnish
the school with a flag pole for out
door use, and Mr. Finley requested
that the P.-T. A. give the school
a large flag also.
The treasurer reported that the
local P.-T. A. had made a con
tribution so that Mrs. E. N.
Howell, retiring district director,
might become a life member of
the P.-T. A.
Grade Mother Elected
The following grade mothers
mothers were elected:
First grade (Mrs. Lee Guffey):
Mrs. Frank Killian, Mrs. Dick
Jones, Mrs. Carl Ty singer and Mrs.
George Pattillo.
' Second grade (Mrs. Kate Wil
liams): Mrs. Frank Henry, Mrs.
Jack Sherrill, Mrs. Hugh Leach
STRIKE SETTLED
AT NANTAHALA
Company Officials And
Union Leaders Reach
Final Agreement
Meeting in Washington Wednes
day, officials of the Utah construc
tion company, contractors for the
Nantahala dain : construction pro
ject, and American Federation of
Labor leaders reached final adjust
ment of the differences which sent
more than 500 workers on the pro
ject out on strike last week.
The workers returned to their
jobs at 8 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing; following an announcement by
union representatives that a'-. closed
shop agreement, wage increases,
and other labor provisions were
forthcoining. The Utah, company
also assured workers that it would
take steps to have released from
jail men who were arrested due to
picketing . activities, and that any
worker fired because of the strike
could come back to work at his
same job.
Picket lines were withdrawn late
Monday from the Beachertown,
Aquone and Dicks Creek entrance
to the job. . jj .
Detailed provisions of the agree
ment between the Utah company
and the' A. F. of L. were not re-'
leased, but it was understood that
the agreement was essentially . the
same - as tliat signed several weeks
ago by the - .Morrison-Knudscn
company, which provided f or : :
1. Hiring of men : The contrac
tors agreed to employ only men
who are in good standing with
some union affiliated with the A.
F. of L., except when the contrac
tors apply to the union for men
and such men are not supplied
within 48 liours, the contractors
may hire non-union help, provided
such help joins the union upon be
ing asked to do so. Persons cm
ployed in confidential and super
visory .positions need not .be union
men. Employees hired prior to the
signing of the agreement are not
Subject to it, unless they are, oC
become,. members, of the union. The
contractors shall have the right to
interview men before employing
them, and may discliarge any em
ployee for any cause which it
may deem sufficient.
2. Union representation : All un
ion workers on the job shall be
represented by a union represen-
tative. whose duty it is to take up
all grievances and disputes with
the contractor. Any worker may
appeal through the representative
to the contractor, but the contrac
tor's decision . will be final.
3. Hours of Work: Hours of
work shall not exceed eight hour,
per shift, 40 hours per week. Work
performed by an employee in ex
cess of eight liours per shift or 40
hours per week shall be. paid for
at one and one-half time the union
scale.
4. Working conditions: Contrac
or agrees to' furnish reasonably,
safe equipment, sanitation appli
ances, and places of work, includ- .
ing locker and shower-rooms for
tunnel men, and proper clothing,
charged to the men but credited
On return.
5. Wage Scale: Union rates to
be paid to all wrkers, ranging
for 40 cents an hour for common
labor to $1.50 an hour for foremen
and sltovcl, crane and dragline
operators.
6. Arbitration of Dispute: Any
dispute arising on the job that the
union representative and the rep
resentative of the contractor are '
unable, to settle, will be submitted
to an arbitration board consisting
of a representative of the union, a
representative of the contractor,
and a third member to be appoint
ed by mutual agreement. The de
cision of the board will be final.
OfficuJ Sign Contract
The Glenville contract was sign
ed by C. R. Shinn, vice-president
of the Morrison-Knudsen company,
representing the contractors; by
Harold Dalrymple and Lee Bar
nard for Local 635, Tunnel Work-
ers and Construction Laborers; by
C M. Miller for the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Engi
neers, and by James C Turner and
J. P. Shields for Local 77, Inter
national Brotherhood of Operat
ing Engineers.
and Mrs. Paul Potts.
Second grade (Mrs. Elsie
Franks): Mrs. Alfred Higdon and
Mrs. C E. McFalls.
Third grade (Miss Molly Slagle):
Mrs. W. Wright, .Mrs. Tom Mc
Coluum, Mrs. Earl Smart, and Mrs.
H. H. Plemmons.
Fifth grade (Mrs. Albert Ram
sey): Mrs. Henry Cabe, Mrs. Zeb
Conley and Mrs. Thad Bryson.
All parents are cordially invited
to attend the meetings of the
P.-T. A.