CIRCULATION LAST WEEK 2170 Year Ago Last Week - 2423 f|e iTfottWitt iff, VOL. LXVII? NO. 10 Interest Stirs In Politics Pjlitical interest is stirring here. Candidates and poten tial candidates are jockeying for position in this spring's out standing race ? the Democratic primary, slated for May 31. Republicans, too, are ^meeting and electing convention del- 1 egates, who in turn will nomi- i nate candidates for the fall election. Friday will bring the | first official sign that an elec tion year is in the making. That day chairmen of the state Democratic and Republican ex ecutive committees must recom mend members of county elec tion boards to the state board of elections. In preparation for the Demo cratic primary locally, the Macon County Democratic ex ecutive committee has recom mended Siler Slagle, Walter Bryson, and J. L. Barnard for appointment to the county boards of election. Plans for county precinct meetings are in the making. Election boards in the state's 100 counties will hold their first meetings April 12. The present county board of elections is made up of Siler Slagle, chairman, and A. R. Hig don, Republican member. Wal ter Bryson, named as the sec ond Democrat on the board, resigned when he became a member of the county board of education. Macon County's interest in the primary centers around the nomination , of a representative to the general assembly, of a county surveyor, and of a five man county board of education. 'The state senator cannot be picked from Macon this year, since an act of the 1930 assem bly calls for the rotation of senators in the 33rd district, and the selection this year rests with Graham County. Other counties in the district are Clay, Cherokee, and Swain. Though he must come from Graham county, the senator will be nominated and elected by voters in all five counties of the . district. At this time only one man has announced for the local nominations. Macon's represen tative to the 1950 general as sembly, C. Tom Bryson, of Cul lasaja, has said he win be a candidate for reelection. Candi dates for country offices and the general assembly most file by April 19. Republican acthrKty is picking up speed here. Thursday Of last week, the party held a convention at the county court house to select delegates te the 12th congressional district meeting scheduled for 2 p. m. Saturday. That session also will be held at the Maoon court house. Delegate* chosen were T. C. Harbison, of Highlands, Calvin Henson, of Otto, Wendell Keener, of Gneiss, Richard J. Cobb, of Highlands, Howard Ledford, of Franklin, Route 2, Ralph McClure, of Gold Mint, Clyde Morgan, of Nantahala, Roy Mashburn, of Franklin, John Wishon, of Nantahala, Clyde Bateman, of Franklin, Route 3, and Marshall Burnette, of Scaly. These men also will represent this county at the Republican state convention in Charlotte. George W. Reece is chairman of the county exe cutive committee. Yet, the May primary offers still more interest outside the county races, with the nom inee for representative from the 12th Congressional district to be decided. Candidates who already have tossed hats into the ring for Rep. Monroe Redden's seat in the U- S. house of representa tives are L. Dale Thrash, of SEE NO. 1, PAGE 7 Archer Purchases Maitlaiids' Home For About $20,000 John M. Archer, Jr., has pur chased the John B. Maitland home and adjoining property on Hlllcrest circle, according to a deed filed in ttje register of deed's office last week. The consideration involved In the transaction was not made public, but documentary stamps on the deed indicated that the sum was about $20,000. Mr. and Mrs. Archer moved into the Maitland home this week. t ANOTHER MEET ON ZONE PLAN MAY BE HELD Franklin Aldermen Also Consider Night Fire, Theft Patrol The Franklin board of alder men In regular session Monday night: (1 accepted a zoning ordi nance prepared by the town planning and zoning commis sion and discussed plans for holding p. second public zoning meeting, prior to adoption. (2) discussed starting a night j fire and theft patrol of the | town as an overall safety mea sure. (3) reviewed delinquent water bills. I ? W. N. Sloan, chairman of the j zoning commission, and com ; mission members H. H. Picm mons and Wayne Faulkner sub mitted the zoning ordinance ! and accompanying zoning map I to the board for approval. | The board commended the commission for its conscientious work on the ordinance, and planned to call a special meet ing of the town board sometime this week to review the pro posal. At this session aldermen probably will set a date for a public hearing on the zoning proposal. One hearing already 'has been held (January 15), and | citizen reaction at that time ? was one of approval. | Discussion of a night patrol , centeVed around buying a watchman's clock for the night 'policeman. "Key stations", under the plan, would be set up in different sections of the town, with the police officer "punch ing" the clock at each station as he makes his patrol. Alder men commented that local busi nessmen would prokably be will ing to pay a small charge for the added protection against fire and theft. Unpaid water bills were read by Town Clerk C. O. Ramsey and the beard suggested that the clerk contact delinquent customers and if the bills were not paid, discontinue service. Mi. Ramsey also reported that about half of 1951 town taxet have been paid. It was SEE NO. 2, PAGE 7 $2,843 Contributed In County For Polio Fund Contributions in the annuul March of Dimes drive, which ended this week-end, totaled $2,843.47, according to the drive chairman, County School Supt Holland McSwain. Nine of the 11 townships | either reached, or topped, set qnotas. The total was several hundred dollars short of the $3,500 county quota, fart Mr. McSwain said he was more than pleased with the response. Hi: expressed appreciation to those assisting With the .cam paign in the different iiwn shlps, and to "thoee who gen erou4y jointd the fight" ag&inst j polio. , Symphony Is Coming Here Next Friday Coming here -for tts seventh successive season, the North Carolina Little Symphony or chestra will present two con certs in Franklin Friday of next week. The matinee sX 1:30 is for interested children from the county's schools, and the eve ning concert for adults is set for 8 o'clock at the Franklin Methodist church. Since this year's children's concert is limited to those who are interested enough to con tribute 25 cents each, it has been anticipated that a smaller than-osual auditorium would serve, but indications yesterday were that the only place in town that will hold them is the Friendship tabernacle, used the past several years. Approximate ly 1,008 have signified their in tention of attending. Contrary to past practice, no membership drive was made this season. Instead, a group of business houses and individual* underwrote the orchestra's visit here, and decided to leave it to the public whether 1 they want these annual concerts. If a large enough number buy ad mission memberships at $2 for the evening performance to make the event "pay out", that will be proof, it was xaid, that SEE NO. 3, PAGE 7 Miss Hannah Is On Dean's List At Woman's College Miss Lucille Hannah, daugh ter of Mr and Mrs. Fred Han nah, of Franklin, Route 1, was ran the dean's list at "W oman's (college for the first semrsterof this schodl year, it has bein Jeurned here. To mafee tfce dftin's list, ? studenl must have an academic average of B cr beater, and no grade lowei thai a SC. Miss Hannah is a s->enioj at Woman's college. Moody Claims He Sought To Collect Damage Blast Bill Through Insurance Wade C. Moody, the Mount Airy man who billed W. H. Cochran, Franklin's acting po lice chief, for damage done Moody's apartment building by the mysterious explosion that Wiled W. H. Cochran, Jr., is quoted this week in The Elkins Tribune as saying he had in mind collecting through liabil ity insurance. Shown the story in the Elkin newspaper, Mr. Cochran said yesterday that the Mount Airy man had not mentioned any thing about insurance, either to him or to his wife. The letter Mr. Moody wrote Mr. Cochran simply asked him to pay $167.21 for damage to the Mount Airy apartment building in front of which the younger Mr. Coch ran's truck was parked when the truck was destroyed and ' Bill Cochran killed in the New i Year's Eve booby trap explosion. : Mr. Cochran does not know if ! his son carried liability insur- : ance on the truck. i The Tribune, published near i Mount Airy, said Mr. Moody atf mitted writing tthe coBectiooi Setter, saying: "The bill was sriomitted upon the suggestion ol the widow because insurance was ma?Se to tbf mother and liability and property damage on the truck was handled by the lather. "If no settlement could be made through the insurance, there would be no claim against anyone". The story, first published in j The Press, of the effort of the ! Mount Airy undertaker to col lect his bill ? first from the widow, then from Mrs. Coch- 1 ran, Sr., finally from W. H. Cochran, Sr. ? is creating wide interest. It was published and drew editorial comment in The Ashe vllle Citizen, and Mr. Cochran said yesterday the editor of a Raleigh newspaper had called him to verify the facts. The Raleigh editor, he said, explain ed, he had heard it over the radio. Will Play Here Next Week Pictured above is the X. C. Little Symphony orchestra. which will present two concerts here Friday of next week (March 14). The group will present a chiMren's concert at 1:3(1 ]>. in., and will play for adults at a performance at 8 o'clock Friday even t) . the Franklin Methodist church. Admission mem berships are on sale at the Xantahala Power and company, the three Franklin drug stores, and at Miss Sara Gilder's store in Highlands. Children Move Into New School At Union School children moved into the new $100,000 Union ele mentary school Monday. County School Supt. Holland McSwain said only about five of the eight classrooms are ,| being used, but he added that all space at the new school will be utilized next year when j pupils are transferred to i Union from over - crowded schools elsewhere in the coun ty In addition to the eight classrooms, the new school has a lunchroom and auditor ium. It is the seventh school to be completed under Macon's million dcllar 'building pro gram. APRIL COURT i JURORS DR AWN Two Women Are On List; Judge Armstrong To Preside At Term | The jairy list for the April term of superior court, wh^ch -will convene here Af.ril 14, vas 'made pcblic Mondaj afternoon I by Miss Kate McGfe, clerk of [rourt. \ Presiding at the term wlfl be )3udge Prank M. Armstrong, of Troy, judge of the fifteenth judicial district. Included in the list are the names of two women, Mrs Joe Sotser, ?m Alh'y, of Otto; Frud L. Hannah, ctt Franklin, Route 1; !Wiley Brrwn, oJ Franklin; Crawford Ao'ers, of Dillard. Ga., [Route 1; Robert Carpenter, Otto; Clifford Deiidy, Gneiss; Ted Henry, Franklin, Route 2; Frank Ropei, Route 4; George McCafc, Route 4; Frank Johns ton, Route 1; D. L. Clark, Route j 3; J. T. McCoy, Gneiss; Troy Hurst, Route 4; J. R. Bulgin, | Franklin; Rei6 Womack, Frack- j lis; Eat' Dry a an, Sc.il y ; A. C. Patterson , Route 2; Andy Lee Howard, Dillard, Ga. Route 1; f J. I. Gray, Fraaiklin, Route 2; J Lewis Gregory, Cullasaja; E. B Duvall, Route 3; Howard Ray, Route 3; Fi?d M. Arnold. Frank lin; Fritz J. Henderson, Route! 2; T. H. Barnes, Buck Creek ] Boute; W. R. Potts, Highlands; George Keener, Otto; Harry Potts, Franklin; Claude Hous SKE NO. 4, PAGE 7 Plan Five-Church Conference Series Here March 21-22 j Members of the Sylva, Chero- j kee. Highlands, Andrews, and . Murphy Episcopal churches will hold a series of conferences at the St. Agnes church* here March 21 and 22 on Christian living, it has been announced. The church rector, the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan, will be chair man of the area gathering. The sessions will be held each night from 7:30 to 9:45 o'clock. i A total of $576, 625.59 of coun ty funds has been spent on Macon County's seven new schools since the building pro gram got under way in Sep tember, 1950, according to a financial report prepared by County School Supt. Holland McSwain and presented at the county board of education meet ing Monday. Grounds grading costs and other expenditures incurred since the completion of the buildings are not included in N. i the total figure, the superin- t tendent said. is The report shows that $51,- ] 864.81 was expended from Aug- I ' ust 31, 1950 to December 31, j 1950, before "even one brick j was laid", Mr. MeSwain pointed 1 out. This included the purchase of school sites, preliminary 'grading, and funds to set the school bond machinery in mo tion. Of the total county figure, $517,178.92 is school bond mon- ! SEE NO. 6, PAGE 12 List Workers In Fund Drive Of Red Cross I Volunteer woriers in the an lyiual American Red Cross fund ?drive, which goi under way here Monday of last week, were an nounced Tuesday by the local Red Cross offtce. Macon's quota has been set at $2,826. T. T. Love, of Frank lin, and Colfcman M. Reece, of Highlands, are leading this year's drive County workers and the areas ; they will csnvass are as follows: Mrs. A. R. Kinney, Ashear building; Mrs. J. Ward Long, bank builcing; Paul West, Nan , tahala Power and Light com Jpany; Mrs. R. R. Gaines, Angel hospital and Golfyiew drive; | George "Byrd, state highway ! garage; Norman Blaine, Van Raalte; John D. Alsup, Forest Service; Mrs. Lynette Tallent, telephormi office; Henderson Calloway, post office; Joe Tyler, Burrell Motor company, Charles Oonley. Duncan Motor company; I Ed Wtutaker, "Loganville" and Zickg.ai company; Miss Eliza - I beth Meadows, elementary J school : Mrs. D. A Stewart, Franklin High school; Mrs. Jack Sherrill. Mo con Construction company; Sam Gibson and Rob in L. West, East Main street; Verlon SwaLord and John Crawford, West Main street; SEE NO. 7. PAGE 12 Dr. Roland Will Be Cartoogechaye , PT Meet Speaker Dr. E. O. Roland, o(f Erevard, will be guest speaker at a meet ing of the Cartoogechaye Par ent-Teacher association Tues day night at the school. The meeting is slated for 7:30 o'clock. The Brevard doctor will discuss "Care of the Eyes", and will use picture slides to illu strate his lecture, it was said. scon COMING HERE MARCH 25 Governor And Supt. Erwin Defer Visit To Macon For One Week | Gov. W. Kerr Scott will be here March 25 to inspect Ma Icon County's seven new schools and to take part in a dedica- i tion ceremony. County School Supt. Holland McSwain announced this week that the governor's secretary called Friday to say Gov. Scott could come here March 25. The I visit had been tentatively slat ed for March 18. Dr. Clyde A. Erwin, state su perintendent of public instruc tion, will accompany Governor J Scott here on the tour. Plans for a dedication cere- J mony at one of the new schools are incomplete, Mr. McSwain said. An invitation to visit the schools here was extended to the two state officials several [weeks ago by the county school 'superintendent. The new schools to be visited i are those at Union, Cartooge- j chaye, Nantahala, Iotla, Frank- ! lin, East Franklin, and High lands. Commissioners To Meet As Equalization Board The board of county commis- > sioners will meet at the regis- ; ter of deed's office in the court- I house March 24. 25, and 26 as a board of equalization and re view to hear complaints and '? ke adjustments of tax evalu m ?. it has been announced. Ju P. T. A. To lMest Tuesday The Cullasajp Parent-TV acher j association w.l! nv.-et Tu'sdayl1 night at the school at 7. jO 1 ' o'clock, it has been announced. ! State Funds Available For Road, Thrash Savs The state has funds available to match federal money for building the road through Way ah Gap into the Nantahala sec tion, L. Dale Thrash, tenth di vision highway commissioner, said this week. i He added that the road, when built, will be a state highway, but explained that the state Is not responsible at this time for maintenance of . the present > road, since it is a Forest Serv ice road, not yet taken over ' r by the state. I' Mr. Thrash's statement was i in the form of an open letter < to Ray N. Moses. Mr. Moses 5 addressed an open letter to the I j tenth division commissioners through The Asheville Citizen, \ asking if state funds are avail- i able to match federal money, if the road will be a federal high way, and why the present road | is not maintained. f F A copy of Mr. Thrash's letter, | S SEE NO. 5, PAGE 7 |1 low FLARES )VER BENEFIT ICHOOL DANCES )tto Petition Presented Board; 'Prejudice', P. T. A. Says An allegedly church-inspired lovement to stop P.T.A.-spon ored benefit square dances at >tto elementary school assert d itself Monday at a meeting f the county board of educa lon, and tempers threatened to et out of hand several times s opposing forces presented tands. Charges and counter-charges fere swapped heatedly between nembers of the p&rer.t-teacher ;roup and the anti-dance dele tion. J. C. Sorrei 3. presiding n the absence of _r.Ejri-.an Job S. Sloan, .sever; : nad o call lor order. A petition, a!le_; Jly signed >y some 300 r . opposed to lancing in the chool. was iurned over to the board for study. Vegro School Plans Get Preliminary O. K. Preliminary plans for a new Chapel (Negro I school have been approved by the state board of education. County School Supt. Holland McSwain reported at Monday's session of the county board of edu cation. Construction of the school will begin as soon as plans are complete and funds are available, board members said. Mrs. Grace Narris. of the Ot to community, reportedly is leading the anti-dance forces. She prepared the petition, in the form of a letter to otto School Principal E. G. r ' w ford, saying that a v., ion prompted her to protest danc ing in the school. Members of the P. T. A. con tended that the move was "re ligious prejudice", and began when some members of the Newman Chapel church split and formed the Calvary Bap tist church in the community. A recent vote on the dance issue' by the parent-teacher group showed that 44 were In favor of continuing dances and 22 against, it was brought out. P. T. A. members also pointed out that more than $4,000 had been raised at the school in the last three and a h^lf years from dances, in addition to funds from the annual March of Dimes dance. Funds have been used to buy playground and lunchroom equipment, it was said. , 'Drunken Money' The opposition declared that "bushel baskets" of beer cans and whiskey bottles have been picked up on the school grounds and the nearby church yard after dances at the school, and they fervently denounced the dances as "drunken outfits" and said, "we don't want drunken money". P. T. A. members countered that the dances are being run properly and contended that, "like any public place", beer cans and bottles car. be found SEE NO. 8. PAGE 12 WILL HOLD CAKE SALE A benefit bake sale will be held on the first floor of the Nantah^la Power and Light company, on West Main street, tomorrow (Friday) morning starting at 9 o'clock. Proceeds will be used to pay expenses of operating the Nonah Craft shop on Cartoogechaye. The Weather , Ifttijn ??.'?.irts ii-.I J i itati: f. for the st -v? :????' ?? ?? rnT?erature I :!.c (_ c veeta Ex? ( Low Pet. 54 34 .36 - 64 25 06 ' 5 40 50 37 48 46 27 .06 55 38 .87 61 47 1.51 21 Franklin Rainfall A? recorded by Manion Stiles for TV A) Wednesday, .28; Thursday and 'riday, none; Saturday, 3?; Sunday, none; Monday, .SB; "uesday, 1.78; Wednesday, none. * JIH ?fster :. Wednesday rhursday 1 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday ruesday Vednesday .