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VOL. LX VIII Number 17
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone 24
WKIMAR JONES Editor
BOB S. SLOAN - -Business Manager
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APRIL 23, 1953
Do It Yourself!
Each year we have a clean up week in Franklin.
Too often it is a formality. This year let's really
do a job. The best way to bring this about is to
start with your own property and do it yourself.
Take a look at your own business or residential
property and try to .see it the way a stranger
would. See if the building needs a new paint job
or new screens, or your grounds are as attractive
as it is possible to make them.
If you can make any improvements, remember
that you are not only helping yourself, but you are
also helping your community.
Another way to help in the clean up campaign is
to support the Broom Sale being sponsored by the
Franklin Lion's club. It is a symbol of the spirit
we should have to
"Clean Up, Fix Up, Paint Up Franklin."
Pertinent Questions
If the U. S. Forest Service can make a really
substantial savings by merging the Xantahala Na
tional Forest with the Pisgah, and if this is not an
isolated case of economy, but a part of a general,
nation-wide, government-wide program to cut
costs, there are no good grounds for opposing the
merger.
There are, however, three very pertinent ques
tions that it is proper to ask ? and have ariswered.
The first is the general one: Is this just a show
case instance of economy, or is it part of a nation
al pattern?
The other two are more specific :
Will the merger result in a really substafitial re
duction in the cost of administration?
And will such paper savings as may be made
not be offset by a lowering of efficiency in the
operation of the Xantahala, because of absentee
management ?
It is to be hoped that Senators Hocy and Smith
and Congressman Shu ford will insist on postpone
ment of the merger until thev have satisfactory
answers to these questions; ? answers that quote
chapter and verse: that cite facts and figures so
broken down as to remove the question Irom the
realm of purely theoretical advantages to that of,
practicality.
Whose Foot
What is happening in^Washin^ton in the Tide
lands oil controversy i> an amusiny instance ol' t lie
truth of the old saw about its depending on whose
foot is pinched.
For the opponents of the hill to establish states'
title to submerged oil lands off their shores have
resorted to nothing less than a filibuster. What
makes it so amusing, of course, is that the fili
busters are such men as Senators Lehman, Doug
las, and Humphrey, the liberals who have cried
loudest to hiyh heaven about the sinfulness of the
filibuster ? when it was 'used in opposition to their
pet legislation. , .
Grown-Up Children
There are a yreat many yrown up children in
the world.
Tha) was well ' illustrated by two news stories
that appeared on the same page of the morning
paper last Saturday.
One had to do with the barring of Charlie Chap
lin, one of the great motion picture artists of all
time, from America because of his alleged political >
views. The next step would be to outlaw any
Chaplin pictures. What have the political views,
whatever they may be, of the little man with the
baggy trousers to do with his work as an actor?
The other occurred in Israel. There the great
violinist, Jascha?Heifetz, was struck on the right
hand ? his bowing hand ? with an iron bar. And
why? Because this Russian-born American artist
played a selection by a German composer, Richard
Strauss. Was Strauss a Nazi? Who cares, so long
as his music is great music?
? Letters
KEEP NANTAHALA FOREST AS ENTITY
Dear Mr. Jones:
Referring to your issue of April 9th, "FOREST MERGER
PROTEST CARRIED TO LEGISLATORS", I see that Senator
Hoey as well as Senator Smith and Congressman Shuford have
been contacted by the committee, and if there are expenses
incurred I shall be glad to subscribe to the effort of keeping
the Nantahala National Forest as an entity.
My thought on the subject is that, although I live in the
Pisgah district near Fletcher, when I am In Carolina (inci
dentally, I am a native, having been born at Shufordsville)
I know the Pisgah office is doing a good job, but feel it it wise
and economical to have the Nantahala carry on a$ it is doing
in order to obtain the best results; for one does not learn to
know a territory or its people overnight and can be much
more beneficial to them after some years ? if Nantahala is tak
en over by Pisgah there is bound to be an interim in obtain
ing the best results.
Yours very truly,
New Orleans, La. GEORGE G. WESTERFELDT.
FAR OFF DOOR
Editor. The Press:
I am a soldier over here in Sasebo, Japan. I get your' Press
every week. It sure helps out a lot to keep up your spirits.
I get a kick out of the way the advertising says "a postcard
will bring me to your door". You can tell them that my ad
dress is ?
PFC. ANDREW HOLDEN
8041st Army Hospital
APO 27,
c/o Postmaster,
San Francisco, Calif.
Sasebo, Japan.
Others' Opinions
THE SAME OLD LINE
(Sylva Herald)
While Georgi M. Malenkov, Stalin's successor as the new
Soyiet Master, speaks of world peace and international co
operation, his Red fighter planes have been attacking U. S.
and British planes, which is the usual line of the Soviet Bullies
? talk of peace, but rattle the saber. Past history proves that
the Reds are very careless with the truth. When Mr. Malenkov
gives the word which would bring the Korean War to an end,
then we might have some grounds on which to think that,
maybe he is serious about wanting peace.
COMING INDUSTRY
(Martin Harmon in Kings Mountain-Herald >
With spring coming, the air-conditioning folk are getting
ready for a banner season. Even more than television, air
conditioning is regarded as a "comer" industry. Whereas 98
per cent of the nation's homes have at least one radio, and
whereas there's about one car per family, the surface on air
conditioning has hardly been scratched. I have never been a
fan man. except in the Gypsy Rose Lee sense, and I agree
with the remark Earl Marlowe made the other day, "To really
keep a place cool, the air must be cooled. Merely stirring air
isn't enough."
THE WOMEN STRIKE BACK
(Harnett County News>
The feminine of the human species has been dubbed the
"weaker sex", ordinarily to be taken in the meaning of physical
strength but also probably sometimes meant to convey mental
instability. But. depend on it. friends, the women have some
comebacks. Here are three of them which a lady friend of The
News hands in:
First, a woman never wastes $2 worth of shotgun shells in
order to get a 25c rabbit. Second, you never heard of a woman
going into a restaurant and buying a 50c meal and giving the
waiter a 25c tip because he smiled at her. Third, you never
heard of a woman who will use 20 gallons of gas and pay $25
for boat hire to get where the fish are not.
LONG TERM GAIN
(Greenville (S. C.) Observer)
... It seems that labor leaders and industry alike could well
agree on a program of systematic lowering of prices through
increased productivity This would be a long-term gain for all
OUR DEMOCRACY M*
THE MO*? A3UNOANT UfC
H?U M AMCftiCA. A LUXU*y KIMM MMAINS A UWUfty
POft LOW A. NOT TOO MAMV VUU A40.TUCU WCMNV
I MANY AUTOMOCH.es ?OH TNC AVCKA6C IMOQMC 0AMIUM
' amo tncn wumy thca? wim auto* ko k almmt
I cvirvonc. what ourtion* stiu. kmadb as uixufty
* ; ITSMS WKCQNtlPCft >SS?NTIAlS: *
***** - l? HOMES 32
In a single lifetime, ingenuity am* industrial Skill. 1
Backed by the Savings of thi peoplE.have givcn us J
AU. this, we hold it CASUALLY, RARELY WONOCRinG- ?
AN ABUNDANCE THAT Gives OPPORTUNITY, TOO. FOR TH? H
DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES.
our citizens instead of an inflated advance by a few industrial
workers.
When prices go down, then the wofkers' dollars take on an
added value, and in the long run, this is a much more stable
increase in buying income than an inflationary wage boost.
Old Macon County
PICTURES out of the LONG AGO
By An OCTOGENARIAN
One of the loveliest pictures
that hangs on memory's walls
is that of the family altar in
my grandfather's home.
I see in the background an
old four-poster bed, with its
draped canopy, a chest of draw
ers; in winter, a big open log
fire occupies the foreground,
on one side of which I see my
grandmother seated in an easy
chair, a lovely little work table
on one side, a miniature chest
of drawers on the other. From
this she could secure almost
anything that a child needed ?
a clean linen cloth to tie up a
stubbed toe or a cut finger,
strings to fly a kite, or a big
pantry key, which unlocked the
door to dainties to satisfy a
growing child's appetite, apples,
nuts, teacakes, and candy.
I see on the other side of the
open fire my grandfather seat
ed in his comfortable chair,
with his candle stand, Bible,
and hymn book and a lighted
candle.
The family, including the
servants, are gathered around
the open fire. The Bible is open
in my grandfather's hands. He
is not in a hurry. He reads a
whole chapter from the Bible
and we all join in one of the
old, much loved hymns. Then
follows an earnest prayer for
our protection and loving care
during the night; that tired
Nature's sweet restorer, balmy
sleep, may fit us for another
day's duties, responsibilities,
pleasures, hopes and fears.
This was the evening devo
tional. Another, similar one fol
lowed in the morning.
I think I hear a looker-on in
the present day say, "We
haven't time for a devotional so
leisurely". Yet my recollection
is that my grandparents' lives
were busy ones indeed, their
hours of labor far longer than
those of most of us today.
Surely there is nothing more
worth-while than such a family
altar. In all the homes of our
nation, it would tend to bring
peace and joy to this busy,
troubled world. Nor could there
be a stronger influence on the
minds and hearts of our young
people, if begun in childhood
and kept up through the years.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
There is something comfort
ing and encouraging ? yes, and
inspiring ? about the way the
fast-developing community
spirit shows itself in the vari
ous neighborhoods of this coun
ty
The race to get into the Rural
Community Development Con
test is only the latest manifes
tation of this spirit. It shows
itself in many other ways.
Among them, the P. T. A.
community suppers that have
become so common, but con
tinue to be pleasant. Last Tues
day night's supper at the Cul
lasaja school, where the event is
an annual affair, was typical.
There was the food ? its qual
ity would have done justice to
any king's table, and its quan
tity to any army mess sergeant.
The amount of work that went
into preparing the dishes for
this "picnic" supper., spread on
the tables in the school's new
lunchroom and served cafeter
ia style, nobody but the women
who did it can know. But they
seemed to have enjoyed the
preparation as much as every
body enjoyed the eating.
There was the pride in the
school itself and in the accom
plishments of the P. T. A. ?
brand new steps from the park
ing area to the playground, on
a higher level, for example;
and the fact that the associa
tion has almost enough funds
on hand to finish paying for
the kitchen and lunchroom
equipment; and the spontane
ous applause when Mrs. Weimar
Jones, district P. T. A. director,
prefaced her talk by announc
ing that the Cullasaja lunch
room is the first in the county
to get an "A" rating.
There was the informality of
the program ? group singing,
numbers by the new Home
Demonstration Clubs' choral
group, directed by S. F. (Sam
my) Beck, in addition to Mrs.
Jones' talk.
There was the good fellow
ship of neighbors who, without
such gatherings, might live near
each other for years without
really knowing each other.
And there was the hope, too
evident to be overlooked, for a
constantly improving school and
community.
P. T. A. President W. L. Harp
er and his association officers
are to be congratulated on what
they are doing.
And that goes for the com
munity leaders, of whatever
kind, that are doing such an
enthusiastic and top-notch job
in neighborhoods all over the
county!
Without realizing it, we are
transforming our county Into a
far better place to live. If we
could be away a few years and
then come back, we simply
would not believe our eyes!
News Making
As It Looks
To A MaconRe
? By BOB 8UMN
I heard on the radio the
other night that Ezera Taft
Benson, the new Secretary of
Agriculture intends to cut 36
million dollars from the De
partment of Agriculture budget
by discontinuing payments to
farmers for soli conservation
practices. Mr. Benson says that
no real American wants to be
subsidized.
The question that comes to
my mind Is why do we pay
large steamship lines direct
subsidy payments, why do we
give the airlines subsidies for
carrying the mall, why do we
allow large companies to write
off, In tax reductions, plants
which they build for defense
purposes if no real American
wants a subsidy? WHY IS IT
WRONG FOR THE FARMER
TO ACCEPT SMALL PAY
MENTS FOR IMPROVING HIS
CAPITAL (that is what his land
is) IF IT IS SO RIGHT FOR
LARGE COMPANIES WITH
HIGH SALARIED EXECUTIVES
TO BE SUBSIDIZED BY THE
GOVERNMENT FOR EXPAND
ING THEIR BUSINESS? Maybe
subsidies are Vrong, but If so
let's cut them out for every
body and not just pick on the
farmer.
Have you ever been driving
through the country and come
across a small town that is so
much cleaner and neater than
other towns that it stands out
in your memory. That is just
exactly what we can do with
Franklin this Spring if we will
clean up, fix up, and paint up.
There are many reasons why
we should do this. First, Frank
lin should present such an ap
pearance that will not discredit
the rural communities through
out the county who are clean
ing up and fixing up through
the rural development contest.
Second, we will find that it is
good business. Franklin will cer
tainly need what extra revenue
it can derive from the tourist
business this Summer, and due
to highway conditions we will
find it harder to get. People
are more apt to stop in a clean
attractive town. Let's make
Franklin the cleanest most at
tractive town in the state. Na
ture has already so endowed
us. so that we certainly have
the proper setting. A little
money spent on equipment and
material, lots of energy and
initiative, will do the rest.
* * *
The patrons and officials of
the Cullasaja school are cer
tainly to be commended for do
ing one of the outstanding jobs
in Macon County in the de
velopment of their school prop
erty both inside and out. They
? Contijgugd on Back Page
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Yesterday was 2,656 years ago
Rome was founded. Some of our
older people may have forgot
ten the event, nevertheless, it is
history.
Rev. P. R. Young, of Bun
combe County, has been visit
ing relatives and friends in this
' county this past week.
The stationery for the Bank
of Franklin has arrived and
the big safe is expected to ar
rive before many days.
25 YEARS AGO
This year marks the fifteenth
one since purchases were start
ed on the unit later to become
the Nantahala National Forest.
The only farmers in Macon
County who are opposing the
coynty agent are those who be
lieve a silo is some kind of a
musical instrument.
If each newspaper and maga
zine contained a cross-word
puzzle, Dr. Lyle and Major Har
ris would go broke buying pub
lications.
10 YEARS AGO
Wylie Ledford, Kenneth Led
ford, Olin Zeb McClure, and
Roy Dills, who have finished
their NYA course in welding, re
turned to Macon County for the
week-end with their parents,
before assignment to a ship
yard.
Mrs. Roy C. Gibson and daugh
| ter. Minnie Lee, left Tuesday
for Canton, Ohio, to join her
husband, who is in defense
work.
Major and Mrs. J. Frai.k Car
mack arrived last week to pre
pare for the opening of the
Franklin Lodge and Golf Course.