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Entered at Post Office. Franklin. N. C.. m ? oood elan matter
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Ptim
Franklin. N. C. Telephone 34
JANUARY 14, 1964
JONES Editor
8 SLOAN Bualaeaa Manager
t.T BRADY New Editor
MM BETTY LOU POUTS Office Manager
OH p CABE Mechanical Superintendent
f?mr A. STARBETTE Shop Superintendent
DAVID H. SUTTON Stereotyper
nWABI.FB E WHITTINOTON Prewnan
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Outside Macon County Inside Macon Countt
Om* Tear $3.00 One Tear $2 JO
8m Months ' 1.73 Six Months 1.7S
Three Months 1.00 Three Months 1.00
Significant Ommission
Most intelligent and fair-minded Americans al
most certainly applaud the overall program pre
sented by President Eisenhower in his State of the
Union Message last week. Most thoughtful persons,
im fact, regardless of party, find themselves in ,
agreement, except for a point here and there, with
everything the President said.
But the significance of the speech well may lie not
in what the President said, but in what he did not
say. ??
Mr. Eisenhower seeks an America strong enough
to defend itself against its enemies; he wants a
sound and growing economy; and he is convinced
the government has a social responsibility to citi
zens in distress.
Those are desfrable and necessary objectives :
nearly all ?of us want them. But those three ? na
tional security, prosperity, and aid to the needy ?
are identically the things the Soviet rulers promise
their people.
The message was ominously silent on a fourth
and equally important objective.
A casual reading of the address, it is true, reveals
much space devoted to the discussion of the preser
vation of freedom, but any careful reader cannot
escape the conclusion ? the context makes it obvi
ous ? that what Mr. Eisenhower really was talking
about was national security, the freedom of this na
tion from physical conquest by Communist Russia.
Nowhere in the entire speech is there one word to
indicate concern for the preservation of the person
al freedoms guaranteed Americans bv their Bill of
Rights.
Those freedoms are under attack today; some of
them already have been greatly modified, and oth
ers are in danger. Indeed, our own efforts toward
national security gravely threaten them, because
national- security and personal freedom often con
flict. How to resolve that conflict is the most press
ing problem facing this nation today.
For after all, the only really important difference
between life in the United States and life in Soviet
Russia is the difference in personal freedom.
Toward Fairer Taxes
Many Macon County people favor a more accu
rate, and therefore a more just, appraisal of prop
erty for tax purposes.
Most taxpayers list their property at some abi
trary figure of "about two-thirds" of its real value,
or put down a figure that they "guess would be
about right". Under this hit-or-miss, guess system,
the person who is honest li.sts his property at a fig
ure far closer to its true value than the person
with less conscience.
The inevitable result is that the taxpayer who
tries to be honest pays his share .of the taxes, plus
.a considerable share of the less honest person's.
It has often been pointed out that a genuine re
valuation. with property listed for taxes at its true
value, not only would be a far fairer arrangement
than the present one. but also would enable us to ?
reduce our tax rate substantially. And a low tax
rate always is an important point in bringing peo
ple, and industries, into a community.
Orange County recently has had a scientific re
valuation ? with some spectacular results.
? ' t
The Orange .commissioners hired a team of ex
pert appraisers from outside the county to come in
and appraise all property at what seemed its true
value. The commissioners, however, compromised
and listed property not at its true value, but at 70
per cent of the value put on it by the appraisers.
None the less, the listings are based on scientific,
impartial appraisals.
The first result was that, even listing property at
only 70 per cent of its actual value, the total valu
ation has come up so much that the county has
been able to cut its tax rate from $1 to 60 cents.
And Orange is one of the state's poorer counties.
(A large proportion of its property is on the Uni
versity campus, and thus, being state-owned, is not
subject to county taxation.)
The second result was the raising of some peo
ple's taxes, the lowering of that of others, a pretty
clear indication that the old system resulted in tax
inequalities.
In the following five examples, listed in The
Chapel Hill Weekly, of old and new valuations and
taxes on Chapel Hill homes, note that both tax re
ductions and increases apply to homes of various
values :
Example 1: Old assessment $8,850, new $10,330;
old taxes $271, new taxes $233.
2. Old assessment $6,191, new $11,491; old taxes
$163, new $188.
3. Old assessment $2,500, new $7,000; old taxes
$66, new $113.
' 4. Old assessment $720. new $1,050; old taxes
$19. new $16. 1
5. Old assessment $11,660, new $17,500; old taxes
$305. new $285.
The Mess In Charlotte
Bombings, murders, police "'protection", tax evas
ions, secret deals, double crosses, hidden "fixes",
federal officers used as errand boys ? all these
things have figured in the hearing at Charlotte in
which a police chief is accused of malfeasance.
Charlotte is the nearest thing we have in North
Carolina to a big city. In recent years it has at
tained great prosperity as a business center, and
its growth has been remarkable. Has too big a
price been paid for that growth?
The outside world has somehow got the impres
sion that during the boom years certain sections of
Charlotte's population have been trying to make a
fast dollar? and have not been too scrupulous about
the methods used.
Has Charlotte been bowing too low before the
golden calf? Has the town been blinded by the dol
lars dropped on its eyelids? Has it turned over its
leadership in social and political life to men of low
character and odorous morals? Has the decent citi
zenship in Charlotte been submerged by gangsters
coming from a putrid underworld?
What the right answers to these questions are we
can't say. Our only comment would be that, at this
distance, it seems that Charlotte is due for a dras
tic dry cleaning at the very centers of its life.
Some of the people there are of old Covenanter
stock. They have no truck with criminals or soiled
money, but will they rise up and cleanse the city
now, or leave it as an object-lesson in failure?
? C
Others' Opinions
A SHORTAGE OF DISKS
(Chicago Daily Tribune)
The noteworthy absence of flying saucers in the last year
or so makes us feel a little like the schoolgirl at .whom the
boys suddenly quit throwing spitballs. What is the matter with
us that they should lose interest so abruptly?
NOTE ON AN UNDOING
(Greensboro Daily News*
The Nash County Board of Commissioners struck a blow for
freedom of information, which is at the base of our system of
representative government, earlier this week when it unani
mously passed a resolution calling for repeal of the 1951 legis
lation which struck out a previous requirement for public meet
ings of county boards.
The Nash commissioners' action is especially significant in
that the surviving co-sponsor of the 1951 bill at point was
that county's own representative in the house, Tom A. Williams.
Mr. Williams, be it said to his credit, has already declared that
he introduced the act by request of the State Association of
County Commissioners, that he had no intention of legalizing
closed sessions and that he is in favor of restoring the man
datory open session provision.
That has been the attitude of county commissioners gener
ally, with Guilford's board sharply to the forefront. That atti
tude we commend and on the basis of it assume that the
organized conimlssioners themselves will, despite the fact that
the New Hanover County board brought the repealer to light
by falling back upon It and holding a secret- session, take the
Initiative in restoration of the secrecy ban at next year's
General Assembly.
Despite all these developments, however, and the relief which
they portend, we cannot get away from the fact that this now
generally repudiated legislation was placed on the statute books
In 1951 and that about three years went by before anyone dis
i
covered it. Somebody? with the proas Itself Included tft oar
?weep? was asleep at the time and has a share of iwpnwftfl
lty for what happened. Any unacceptable legislation on the
books ought to be removed; but that does not obviate the pri
mary obligation of keeping it off In the first place and avoid
ing any looses, deprlvals, discriminations or Injustices which it
may temporarily bring. Eternal vigilance remains the sum
price of liberty that it has ever been.
? Letters
CONGRATULATIONS
Dear Sir:
We wish to offer congratulations to communities of Oak.
Grove, Carson, and Clark's Chapel ? winners of the recent deco
rations contest.
We would especially like to thank the Nantahala Power and
Light Company for sponsoring this contest, as it did much to
ward promoting community interest during the Christmas sea
son.
We would also like to commend the ones who did the Judg
ing for a difficult job well done.
Sincerely yours,
The Patton Community Development Orgaaiwkee
?rwin Patton, President
Mrs. Ted Blaine, Secretary-Treasurer
A LATE THANK YOU
Dear Sir:
Old news is the last thing a newspaper wishes to b* found
guilty of printing; so out of the kindness of your heart May
you find room for a late 1953 THANK YOU.
The nativity scene, placed at the foot of Town Hill during
the Christmas season, under the direction of Mrs. J. W. Long
and Mrs. B. L. McGlamery, would not have been a very suc
cessful story without the assistance of the following: Dr. Ed
gar Angel, for the location; A. A. Brooks and the Nantahala
Power and Light Company crew, for shrubbery; Boy Scouts,
under the leadership of Dr. G. R. McSween, for the thatched
roof; James Cunningham, for lighting; and Macon County
Supply, for the pole for the star.
The garden club wishes to express its sincere appreciation
far the helping hands, hours of time, and "know how" neces
sary to make the display the success it was.
MRS. R. G. LICHTENSTKIN,
President, Franklin Garden Club
COMMENDS CHURCH PAGE
Dear Editor;
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those
who sponsor the church advertisements in The Press. Hiey
are to be commended for their public interest in the chmrehes
of Macon County.
The insert in last week's church page, entitled, "X De*'t
Need To Go To Church", was very impressive indeed.
I have been out of N. C. for 27 years. I am now back agate to
live here for a while. The cleanness of the county has mot
escaped my notice. Clean, well kept f^rms, good roads, and
nice homes, give one the feeling that it is ' God's Country",
and must be a good place to live.
The good order in the town of Franklin, the absenee of
drunkenness and such things as go with it, is certainly the
evidence of efficient public officials, who are carrying out the
wishes of the majority of the people of Macon County.
I am now the pastor of The Assembly of God Church at Cul
lasaja, and trust that our effort there in the preaching of the
gospel will help to make this county an even better place in
which to. live. , ,
. We extend a warm welcome to our many friends and strang
ers as well to worship with us.
January 9, 1954
Sincerely,
REV. W. C. JOLLAY.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
CHAPEL HILL ? Here, believe
it or not, is the subject that
was announced for a public lec
ture to be given here:
"The Optimum Properties of
Certain Non-Parametric Deci
sion Rules."
Not because I expected to be
interested in what the speaker
said, but because I was dying
of curiosity to know what in
the world the subject meant, 4
went to the lecture.
You guessed It; I still don't
know what it meant!
* * *
Small incidents often .reveal
a lot.
Two such incidents have come
my way recently; one here, one
in Macon County.
Imagine, if you can, two grey
ing university professors, one
for many years holding high
administrative position, the oth
er the distinguished author of
a long string of boolyfc? imagine
these two dignified 'professors
singing "Amazing Grace" as a
quartet with two Negro janitors.
I was present for just that
unusual situation, a few days
ago.
And nobody was drunk! it
was part of a planned, though
rather casual, program.
The occasion was the retire
ment, after long service to the
University, of Willie, one of the
janitors; his successor was the
fourth member of the quartet.
A group of some 25 persons
from the building served by the
two janitors gathered in the of
fice of the department's dean
for the event.
Willie, the retiring janitor, is
deeply religious; he also has a
fine voice, and likes to sing.
And* the program, a complete
surprise to him, was planned
by the two white professors to
fit in with his tastes; they
wanted it to be just what Willie
would want.
So it opened with the whole
group's singing "Blest Be The
Tie". Then Willie was presented
a billfold, stuffed with bills by
the building's tenants. Willie,
near tears, tried to say a few
words, but couldn't, and so broke
into a solo, "The Lord Will Pro
vide", choking up once or twice.
Then he and his successor Join
Continued On Page Three ?
News Making
As It Looks
To A Maconite
? Wj BOB SLOAN
Random Thoughts on Politics
in
Rooeeveii auuiaa out even mora
after each succeeding presiden
tial message, once again a
president has outlined his pro
gram to the nation, but even
though more than 20 years kav*
passed since the initial pattern'
was cut, Mr. Eisenhower did not
suggest one basic change* froa*
the great New Deal.
The Democratic strategy of
not engaging in partisan at
tacks on the party in power is
something new in politics. It Is
a very commendable procedure,
and of course the way each
party should do. However it is
much easier to go around snip
ing at the other side than to
offer something constructive or
to agree with your opposition
when they are right. If they
?an follow the course thrcmgh
eat the year it will be interest
ing to see how the voters react.
My guess is, however, that be
fore the year is out they will
be slashing away with a pent
ap fury and in full partisan
regalia. The flesh of man is to*
weak to withstand the tempta
tion.
The local political pot is be
ginning to boil some. We have
two candidates for solicitor in
the Democratic Spring primary,
with Grover Davis, of Haywood
County, opposing Thad Bryson,
of Swain and Macon. On the
County level the race for cleric
of the court is wide open since
Miss Kate McOee has said she
will not seek the office again.
If she did, observers feel that
she could win the race hands
down. There is no announced
opposition to Lake ' Shope as
Register of Deeds, or Harry
Thomas as sheriff. The race for
representative seems to be wide
open with no candidate in sight/
There seems to be a growing
feeling here that we should try
to elect a man who will return
f.rom year to year if such a man
can be found. The Board of
Education looks like a wide
open race and I predict that
not more than two of the pres
ent board will file for reelec
tion. As for the Board of Coun
ty Commissioners, I haven't
heard a word said, but look for
some surprise candidates in this
Continued on Page Three?
Do You
Remember? *
(Looking backward through
the files of The Pre**)
1
59 YEARS AGO THIS WW
The Asheville milk men hara
organized and have raised the
price of milk from 20 cents to
30 cents per gallon.
The Franklin Press has enter
ed on its nineteenth volume.
During all these years Editor
Curtis has been working for a
railroad to his delightful town
and It looks like 1904 is to wit
ness its construction. It is a
clean, honest newspaper that
rings true every time. ? News
and Observer.
Franklin has too many "gent
lemen of leisure." If this species
of gentry would engage in some
regular and useful occupation it
would be a great blessing to
the town and to themselves in
many ways. One of these bless
ings would be that they would
not spend so much time an
noying other people who do
have work to do.
25 YEARS AGO
About the cheapest sport in
the world is the fellow who bor
rows his neighbor's newspaper.
The influenza epidemic which
broke out late in October on the
Pacific coast has spread with
startling rapidity until now
practically every section of the
country is affected.
Tuesday there were about a
half dozen bond bidders at
Franklin to meet the county
commissioners, who have de
termined to sell $100,000 worth
of bonds to get money with
which to pay off outstanding
revenue anticipation short term
notes.
JO YEARS AGO
A six-Inch snow greeted High
landers Sunday morning, trans
forming the village Into a verit
able fairyland.
Mrs. William Davenport, of
Raleigh, Is visiting her parents;
Mr. and Mrs. Atex Moore. Mr.
Davenport, after a brief visit,
returned to Raleigh.
The Franklin Scout Troop
won a ribbon on advancement
and attendance at the district
court of honor held in Sylva
last Monday night. /