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?hr Mighlaitiis JKatiJuinn
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. M
VOL. LXI
Number ten
WEIMAR JONES, Publisher
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin. N. C.. as second class matter
Obituary notices, cards of thanks, tributes of respect, by in
dividuals, lodges, churches, organizations or societies, will be re
garded as advertising and Inserted at regular classified advertls- ;
!ng rates Such notices will be marked "adv." in compliance
with the postal regulations.
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single Copy
A Plan
CUP POSH representatives of the City of Ashe
^ vilJe should come into Macon County and pro
pose to divert the water from most of our streams j
... or Chicago should come in with a view to haul- j
ing away the bulk of our cattle ... or Grand Rap- j
ids should seek to cut and carry away all our best ;
timber. . . .
If any of these things should happen, the people I
of this county would, and should, be ready to fight.
Yet Macon County today is facing; a more serious
threat. Macon County is in danger of having other
communities take from it something more valuable
than any or all of these. For, unless something is
done to prevent it, Macon County stands to lose a
large proportion of its finest youth, as represented
by this 'county's returning war veterans.
Considerable has been said, in these columns and
by the public, about the importance of attracting
our servicemen back home to live. Considerable has
been said ? but nothing has happened.
What appears to be needed is a plan, and some
body to carry it out.
43.00
$1.00
.60
Because that seeins to be the case, tru,1 program
outlined below is submitted.
It should be pointed out first, however, that any
plan, il" it is to work, must be broad enough to take
into account at least three factors. Something must
be done quickly before we lose the approximately
1,000 Macon County veterans already discharged.
There must be some planning for the future, if
anything of permanent value is to be accomplished,
and such a plan will take time to perfect. And,
finally, both for the present and the future, provis- i
ion must be made not only to make Macon County
a place in which these men can earn a living, hut J
also a place so attractive they will want to live i
here;
* * *
This newspaper proposes:
That the governing authorities of Macon County
and of the towns of Franklin and Highlands take
the initiative.
That each of these boards appoint one member
of a planning commission ? better still, that the
three boards meet jointly to make the appointments.
That they give careful consideration to their
choices, making sure they select persons who com
mand the unqualified respect of the people of this
county, persons who are at once broad-minded and
practical, and persons who can and will unselfishly
devote thought and time to their duties.
That the commission be given assurance that
funds will be provided for such reasonable expense
as it may be necessary for it to incur.
And that this commission be charged with the
responsibilitv of:
1. Making, at oncc, a canvass 01 every Dusiness i
establishment in Macon County to see how many, '
Macon veterans can he given employment. The idea,
of course, should be not to displace non-veterans in
order to make room for veterans, but to increase
the number employed.
And just here the G. I. Bill of Rights offers a
helping hand. It provides for the approval of busi
ness establishments ? and farms ? for apprenticeship
training of veterans, with the government paying
the veteran ? $65 a month, if single; $90 a month,
if married ? while he is learning the trade or busi
ness. This undoubtedly will make it possible for
many establishments which need new blood, but
which are unable to start an inexperienced man at
more than a nominal salary, to take on and train
young men so thcv will be ready, in a few years,
to step into the shoes of older employes when the
latter retire. The government's -apprentice training
program won't solve the whole immediate problem,
but, if taken advantage of, will make a good start
toward it.
2. Making a survey of the recreational needs of
this tountv ? in both town and county ? and how
best to meet them. This is basic. You can't attract
youth today without providing opportunity for
wholesome play.
3. a survey of the housing needs and how
LETTERS
ENJOYS PRESS
Dear Cousin Weimar:
The Press is read from cover to cover each week at 2721
Hillview in Dayton and very much enjoyed. The column of
10 and 25 years ago always brings chuckles, as well as happy
memories.
It especially pleases me to hear that the old Town Clock
is being put into order by Charlie Nolan and Earl Harrison.
Warmest greeting and best wishes for continued success in
your good work.
Cordially and sincerely,
JAMES PORTER.
:
WOULD TEAR DOWN COURTHOUSE
Dear Sir: ,
I wish to congratulate you on the fine job you are doing with
The Press and from here I say, keep up the good work.
In the February 21st edition there was one item that
caught my attention more than any other. It was the letter
under heading ? "Needed: Some Planning". A truer statement
has never been spoken about Franklin, but I wish to differ
with some of the ideas in that letter. The first item it dis
cussed, and an old one, .concerned the court house, and it
expressed desires of keeping the present building.
Why, if we are going to beautify our little town, keep that
old barn -in the center of toton? True it has its architectural
distinction and historical interest. But it is becoming more
every day just a relic of the past.
For this time and age the old must make way for the new.
?Do we plan to continue to hold our county courts and keep
our county officers in a museum? If it were possible, keep the
county building as a keep sake of the past, but not as a place i
of county offices or courts.
In due time a new court building must be erected ? then
why put money on fixing up the old? I know very little about
Macon County's financial situation but I'm sure we have none
to spare to erect such an expensive monument to the past.
For other than the new court house, the county in the near
future will also have to erect a new school building and above 1
all a gymnasium at Franklin, and so many, many other things
must come before we can afford to keep an old building for j
a keep sake.
There seems to be out one tning to ao ? tear aown me oia :
building and erect a new. One which instead of being a relic !
of the past, will be a mounment to the future.
While we are planning for a better future, ? there are some
things which can be done now which will aid in making
"home town" a better one. The one big thing is Main street: j
some day it may have to be widened, but Main is very capable
of handling the traffic providing certain steps are taken.
The one important step would be a limited amount of park
ing space at all times; the second, heavy hauling trucks banned
from downtown's Main. If these two ideas were carried out,
it would prove to add more color, safety and convenience to
our town. We all have seen Main on Saturdays', did we ever
think what would happen if one of the buildings caught fire?
It would be a disaster. While on the subject of fire, that, too,
is something which needs immediate attention. Ther? is al
ready a town ordinance pretaining to unauthorized persons
going to fires; this should be enforced. Franklin has a splendid
fire department for a town of its size, in fact one of the best.
But how can We expect it to function properly if the fire [
truck. Itself, has to follow some eager onlooker to the fire or
have to move them to make it possible to reach the fire? Too
many cooks spoil the broth.
In this letter I have expressed my frank opinion as a mem
ber of the younger generation, and I feel sure there are many
of us with the same. Regardless of how Franklin or Macon
County are run or built, I still think it is the best home-town
a guy could have. ' ?
Respectfully yours,
F. I. MURRAY, JR.
Naval Personnel Separation Center,
Great Lakes, 111.,
March 1, 1946.
to meet them. Again the federal government may
oiler aid that is just what we want. But we must
know first what we need, and which, if any, gov
ernment program best fits our local needs.
4. Making a complete study of Macon County as
a unit? its resources, its needs, its possibilities, and
how best to attain a well balanced economy and
at the same ti|ne make this a constantly better
place to live. Such a survey, if properly made,
would require a lot of time and the services of an
expert. Such an expert should collect complete data
and make recommendations; but it should be for
our own Macon Count}- authorities to adopt, re
ject, or modify those recommendations so that they
will fit our local needs and be in line with the
character and aspirations of the people of Macon
County.
The Press lays no claim to perfection for this |
program. It is not necessarily wedded to this par
ticular plan. It would he happy to publicize an
other plan.
But, until and unless a better plan is devised, it
offers this one in the conviction that some plan is
needed, and that any plan, whatever its shortcom
ings. is better than no plan at all.
In that conviction, it respectfully submits the
suggestions above for the consideration of the
board' of county commissioners, the boards of alder-j
men of Franklin and Highlands, and the people of
Macon County.
i
Good Work
This community is in the debt of Jos. Ashcar
and Boh S. Sloan. Never, in his own store, did Jos.
Ashcar work -harder than he has in recent weeks as
head of the V ictory Clothing collection. And Bob
Sloan has gone from one end of this county to the
other, working day and night, organizing for the
Red Cfos fund campaign, tn these campaigns both
Mr. Ashear and Mr. Sloan and their associates
have found their tasks made hard by the anticlimac
tic reaction that always follows ,a war.
Despite this handicap, however, the Victory
Clothing collection campaign was completed in a
manner creditable to the county. The Red Cross
drive still is under way, but nobody who knows
Macon County people can doubt that they will re
spond to the call for funds for the American Red
Cross. For never yet have the people of this county
turned a deaf car to a plea for the relief of human !
su/ferinjj.
Others' Opinions
ONLY REASONABLE ANSWER
IF mention of the 1946 Red Cross Fun<J Campaign causes you
* to say. "I'm tired of these drives,'' then just remember that
the veteran who is heading up this drive in Macon County
fought in eight campaigns from Africa to Germany. Answer
that one with a gift ? the only reasonable answer there is.
? Franklin Methodist Church Bulletin.
"AH things excellent are as difftcult as they are rare."
? Spinoza.
Each of several boys who amused themselves by deflating
automobile tires was required to pump one up by hand. That's
learning about inflation the hard way.
1 ? Christian Science Monitor.
? JOIN
Bryant Mutual
Burial Association
Oldest and Strongest
in the County
1
NOTICE
The Loyal Order of
Moose meets regular
ly on the first and
third Thursday nights
of each month at 7:30.
LAKE V. SHOPE, Sec.
ALL SERVICEMEN
Whether ycu are a member or not, you are
urged to attend the
AMERICAN LEGION MEETINGS
First an.d Third Mondays of Each Month
7:30 p. m.
LEGION HALL
American Legion Post No. 108
FRESH JUICE
From
FRESH ORANGES
EAT MORE FRESH FLORIDA FRUIT
It's much easier to eat fresh fruits than to spend your
money for medicines. You will find the Fresh juice from
Oranges much fcet'er for you than canned juice. So
keep a supply of Fresh Oranges on hand. Order from
your neighborhood store.
Ask for MAC'S BRAND Oranges
Rabun Produce Co.
Wholesale Distributors
YOUR EYES examined the modern way will mean better
and more comfortable fitting glasses for you.
EYE EXAMINATION as a side line to some other activity,
seldom are of much satisfaction.
CONSULT a specialist who devotes all time and interest
to examining eyes and the fitting of glasses.
DR. LON BURROUGHS
Specializing in examining eyes and fitting glasses
Elliott. Block Clayton, Ga.
Hours: 9:30 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. Closed Wednesday
SUNDAYS, BY APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE
WHITE HICKORY
?
WE ARE BUYING WHITE
HICKORY TIMBER
8 inches in diameter and up.
Cut in lengths of 38 inches, 6 feet 6 inches.
9 feet 10 inches, or 13 feet.
Top Prices Paid At Our Mill
See us for specifications before cutting.
Highlands Briar, Inc.
Phone 1303 ? 1305