8Jre Hfirnnklin Ifrits s
a nb
(III t iligitlanbs JRarxmiatt
at Post Office, franklin, N. C.. aa second clam matter.
VOL LXVm Nwnber IS
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carotins
Telephone 34
WDUAR JONES Editor
BOB 8. SLOAN. Business
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Out-of -County ? One Year. $3.00
Xn Macon County? One Year . $2.50
Six Months $1.75
Three Months ' $1.00
Single Copy .10
OUtoary notices, card* of thanks, tributes of
rinrchei, organizations or societies, will be regarded as
regular classified advertising rates. Such notices viO be marked
ance with the postal requirements.
Consider The Case . . .
Consider the case of the county courthouse.
In 1941, Macon County had a $150,000 combina
tion courthouse-jail within its grasp under a WPA
arrangement. The county's share of this project
would have been $60,000.
But, in a special election, the majority of those
voting (only 1,504 votes were cast), not the ma
jority of eligible voters, turned thumbs down on
the proposal and chose to let the present 71-year
old courthouse continue its faithful, but inadequate,
service.
Today, Macon County stands on the threshold
of another enticing arrangement where an agency
other than the county will put up the bulk of the
money.
The Medical Care Commission? which allocates
funds to counties for health centers on the basis
of financial need ? is willing to foot more than 80
per cent of the cost of building a health center here.
Macon's share of erecting a $30,000 building
would be roughly $6,000.
No special election is needed this time ? only the
nod from the county that it will provide its share.
Completely ignoring the idea as a sound invest
ment, not even the most complacent county could
help but consider a proposition of this type from
the standpoint of providing better health for its
citizenry.
What businessman wouldn't jump at an arrange
ment like the one proposed.?
A businessman builds, enlarges, and redecorates
to better serve his customers ? the people.
In this light the county is an even bigger busi
nessman.
'Spit-ball War'
Tuesday of last week, a Russian-made jet fighter,
with markings of the Czechoslovakia Air Force,
shot down a slower American jet some 15 miles in
side American-occupied Bavaria in Germany. For
tunately, the American pilot parachuted to safety.
If the situation was tense following this, things
surely must have neared the breaking point by
Thursday when seven English flyers perished when
a Russian jet attacked and shot down a four-engin
ed bomber over the east -west frontier in Germany.
Both incidents sent diplomats scurrying for pen
and stationery. The United States and England ex
changed "notes" with Czechoslovakia and Russia ?
each country accusing the other of violations.
In other words, the "War of the Stationery" (a
close relative to Cold War) was renewed with en
ergy.
Neither the "paper war" nor attacks on planes by
Russia and her satellites is new.
Let's jog your memory :
April 5, 1948: A Soviet fighter plane, maneuver
ing around a British Viking, rammed and caused
it to crash at a Berlin airfield .
April 8, 1930: An American Navv Privateer and
its 10-man crew disappeared over the Baltic. Rus
sians later admitted having fired on it.
November 17, 1951 : Communist fighter planes
forced a lost American C-47 to land in Hungary.
The crewmen were held for ransom.
April 29, 1952: Two Russian fighters fired on a
French airliner in the air corridor west of Berlin,
injuring two passengers.
June 13, 1952: A Swedish training plane mysteri
ously dropped out of sight with its eight-man crew
over the Baltic.
June 16, 1952: Russian fighters shot down a
Swedish Catalina navy plane over the Baltic.
October 8, 1952: Two MIG-15 jets fired bursts
over an American C-47 hospital plane in the air
corridor between Berlin and West Germany.
Following each of these incidents, "notes" were
exchanged.
These "notes" apparently had little affect on
Joseph Stalin, the late Russian "little father".
Why then, is it reasonable to assume that this
"spit-ball material" will have any bearing on the
attitude of Stalin's successor, Malenkov?
Malenkov ? whose philosophy is founded on the
idea that FORCE is the only thing to be respected.
Novel Material
Macon County has the material for a good novel.
A sad one, too.
Or so some folks say.
And they're worried.
Even wringing their hands,
At times.
They'd call the novel "The Tourist Who Didn't
Spend His Vacation In Macon County This Year
Because US 23 Was Tied Up By Construction."
Or something like that.
!_ Some are smiling tho\
And are planning to write a novel too.
They'd call it,
"How Macon County Introduced The Tourist To
Beautiful And Scenic US 64."
' /
? Letters
LIKES PRESS
Editor, The Press:
We think you have the best small town paper we have ever
read. The editorial page is especially fine, and we w^Wto con
tinue reading it. Inclosed check for $3.
London, Kentucky.
MRS. C. A. WATHEN
Others' Opinions
PESTS IN THE NEWS
(Harnett County News)
Not even the farmers are more bothered by pests than news
papers. Know why? Well, farmers can use poison and one thing
and another to eradicate pests. Newspapers can't.
The pests that bother newspapers are the little mistakes that
creep in no matter how hard a fight is kept up trying to keep
they out.
In newspaper offices they're called "gremlins," and if you
ever see a mistake in your news you may rest assured that it's
one of those things.
Take the story of the wedding when it should have read "The
bride was lovely in her costume of shady blue." It was printed
"The bride was lonely in her custom of shaby blue."
Nothing could kill that pest. It ate the heart out of the story.
EXPENSES AND TAXES
, (Scotland Neck Commonwealth)
Word from Washington Is to the effect that legislation has
been adopted by Congress granting President Elsenhower the
$50,000 expense account, but Congress specifically refused to
make this expense account a tax-free Item. As a result, Presi
dent Eisenhower will receive $11,000 as an "expense account,
since about $39,000 of the money will be paid to the Federal
Government In Income taxes.
This appears utterly absurd. If the money is for expenses
which the President incurs while traveling about either in his
official or private capacity as President of the United States,
then It should be an expense item. Harry Truman in his private
expenditures and travels as President could not have held
down his expenses to the point that he can as Harry Truman,
a private citizen of Independence, Missouri. Neither can Presi
dent Eisenhower hold his expenses to what he might normally
spend as a private citizen. . . .
Will Franklin some day be "the key entrance to
Southwestern North Carolina", as some persons
predict? Highways have been a major factor in
Franklin's growth, and the new highway construc
tion program may hold the answer to the ques
tion.
\
This Needs Changing .
Countless grand Juries have recommended additional space for storing valuable county rec
ords. Nothing has been done. Storage vaults in the clerk of court's and register of deeds' offices
were jammed to capacity years ago.
Pictured above is Mrs. Freda Allen, secretary to the register of deeds, trying to run down
some information for a taxpayer. She's not at her usual post on the first floor of the courthouse,
but is thumbing through a jumble of records plied in a crude bin and along the floor in the
lawyer's room, upstairs, in the rear of the courtroom.
The grand jury for the April term of superior court probably will point out this "graveyard"
for records and suggest, as others have done through the years, that something be done about the
situation.
HOW TO GET NEW INDUSTRY*
. (Smith field Herald)
What should Smithfield and other Johnston County com
munities do to attract new industries?
Some answers to this question are suggested by studies re
cently made by research departments of seven Southern uni
versities. The researchers undertook to find out the major fac
tors that influence an Industry's decision to locate in a com
munity.
.1
Here are the findings, as summarized by The Oastonia
Gazette:
1. The availability of industrial sites with good transporta
tion facilities and utility services.
2. Effective fire and police protection for property.
3. Adequate water, electricity, gas, local transit, and sewer
facilities.
4. An ample supply of employes who have the basic training
for special skills needed by the industry.
5. Good schools for the children of employes.
6. An effective public health program.
7. Adequate public recreational facilities, such as parks, play
grounds, and swimming pools.
8. Comfortable modern housing at costs within the range of
the employes.
9. Equity and stability of local taxes.
10. The aggressiveness and progresslveness of the commun
ity's central government.
11. Physical attractiveness, social amenities, and favorable
community attitudes.
What the findings show is that an industry is interested in
locating in a well-rounded community with a progressive out
look and a deep concern for the welfare of its people.
Our Johnston County tWns might well use {he 11 points
outlined by the researchers in grading their attractiveness as
a location for new industry. And our leaders might well con
centrate on correcting the weaknesses reflected on the score
card.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
Took a little trip down the
state last week-end.
I guess I am like Just about
everybody else about going on
trips ? there never really Is a
good time to take a trip. In my
own case, I almost always leel
I can spare neither the time
nor the money ? and never
have I had the time and the
money, at the SAME time.
So the only trips I get are
the ones where I Just pick up
and go anyway.
It was like that last week
end. And in one way, that trip
was like all the others I've
taken. When it is over, I'm al
ways glad I went; and I always
find the very finest part of the
trip is getting back home.
I think the man who said
that travel is the best of all
education knew what he was
talking about.
I know I always find it takes
me out of a rut to see new
sights, hear new sounds, smell
new smells, and, most impor
tant of all, meet new people.
(And you don't always have to
formally meet them to learn
from them. I got quite an In
sight, for example? and an en
couraging insight ? on the think
ing of today's young people
from snatches of conversation I
overheard on a bus. A young
sailor and a college student,
obviously strangers to each oth
er until they became seat
mates, Just back of me, discuss
ed with remarkable matter-of
factness and frankness such
things as their religious experi
ences, marriage, and the state
of the world.)
On a trip, I almost always
see something I don't like. But
that Is good ? nearly all of us
have to get mad occasionally
to be worth much, to ourselves
or anybody else.
I always come home a little
less suspicious of other people's
motives; because I always am
impressed with how many
thoughtful, considerate, kindly
people there are In the world.
And I get new ideas. And,
since most of us operate ? wheth
er we are running a business
or a home or a school or any
Oontinned on Pact Three?
News Making
As It Looks
To A Maconite
? % MB SLOAN
Franklin and other small
towns In Western North Caro
lina bad better begin to con
sider, with an eye to the future,
the problem of sewage disposal.
Perhaps the eye had better not
be inclined so much to the fu
ture .as to the treasury since
sewage disposal is an expensive
proposition.
As in most other small towns
the sewage disposal here is very
inadequate. In fact except for
those homes and business
houses which have septic tanks
the sewage of Franklin goes
into the Little Tennessee river.
As the town grows this is go
ing to become an increasing
health menace. Sooner or later
the state health department
will have to require that Frank
lin do something about this.
At present the situation is not
dangerous, but if we were to
double our population in the
next 10 years the present sys
tem just wouldn't work.
The problem is going to be
very expensive for Franklin be
cause we are going to have
either three disposal units ? one
for East Franklin (or the "Over
Continued On Page Three?
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
56 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Arthur Addlngton came home
last Thursday from Birming
ham where he has been at work
for some time. He will return to
Birmingham after court.
Mr. P. D. Clarke, of Flint,
Mich., has been in town since
Saturday. Mr. Clarke is the
partner of Mr. H. O. Trotter In
the new locust pin business to
be opened up soon; also he is
interested In mica mining in
this county.
2a XKAiva Auu
Hal Slagle has a Guernsey
bull with a pedigree that will
reach from Franklin to Timbuc
too:
Judging from sound along,
the post office these days is
nothing more nor less than a
brooder house.
Harry Shepherd, John Thom
as. J. D. Thomas, and Bob Pat
ton left Saturday for Illinois on
business. The party will be gone
about a week.
10 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Roliver Baty and
son, Michael, returned to Charl
eston Sunday after a short visit
with Mr. Baty's parents, Mr. and
Mrs. A. J. Baty, and with Miss
Ethel Calloway. (Highlands).
The Cartoogechaye Home Dem
onstration Club surprised the
editor last Wednesday afternoon
with a "shower" of their most
delicious canned concoctions.