Deserves Support
The State Constitution provides that the lieu
tenant governor shall succeed to the governorship,
in case of the governor's death. And the people of
North Carolina elected Luther H. Hodges as their
lieutenant governor.
' But they did not do so with the thought that he
would become governor ? and probably the man
who is most conscious of that is Luther Hodges
himself. He is in the hard position of having had
the responsibility thrust upon him, but without
having been given a direct mandate from the people.
With becoming modesty, Mr. Hodges has done
the only thing he properly could do under the cir
cumstances. He has urged the General Assembly to
go forward with the program of the man who was
given a mandate, the late Governor Umstead.
In his excellent message to the legislators, Gov
enor Hodges did not say this in words. But he
pointed out that the budget and tax legislation he
proposes were virtually completed before Mr. Urn
stead's death : and he recommended adoption of the
proposals of one commission after another, all ap
pointed by Mr. Umstead.
In thought and style, the message was his own.
Furthermore, Mr. Hodges offers dynamic leader
ship, and it is apparent he will not, if the occasion
warrants, hesitate to interpret general policies in
the light of changing conditions. But what he pro
poses, during the next two years, is essentially a
continuation of the program of the man the people
elected to be their governor from 1953 to 1956. To
ward that end. he pledges "my best efforts to assist
in making this a greater, finer commonwealth".
His efforts to that end deserve the unstinted
support of both legislators and the people of the
state.
It's State-wide Issue
Tlie question of what is a correct and just tax
evaluation of the local properties of the Western
Carolina Telephone Company is much more impor
tant than the amount of local taxes involved would
indicate.
Its importance extends to other counties; really,
it is a state-wide issue.
A communication recently received by the Town
of Franklin from the State Board of Assessment
announced a re-determination ? at a lower figure
? of the taxable value of the company's Franklin
properties in 1953. Then it remarked:
"We regret that a number of the affected coun
ties, cities, and towns will have to make tax ad
justments to correspond with this report." In other
words, make a refund on 1953 taxes.
That communication, however, was not address
ed to the Town of Franklin, but to "all counties,
cities and towns". In other words, the Company's
property is being re-evaluated, downward, in other
counties than Macon; and some, at least, of those
counties and towns are called upon to make a 1953
tax refund to the telephone concern.
More, much more, is at stake, though, than just
the tax bill, in a few counties, of the Western Caro
lina Telephone Company.
The State Board of Assessment is the agency
charged with the responsibility of determining the
taxable value of the properties of all public service
corporations doing business in this state. That board
has come up with three different evaluations, for a
single year, on the Western Carolina Telephone
Company's properties in Franklin ; and its form
letter indicates it is revising evaluations in "other
counties, cities, and towns".
In Franklin, it has set three different figures for
1954. At its third try. it also announced a revised
figure for 1953. explaining that the original evalu
ation for that year was wrong.
Since the evaluations for both 1952 and 1951 were
higher than the new figures for both 1953 and 1954,
it would appear that the board's figures for 1952
and 1951 also were wrong.
The conclusion is inescapable: The State Board
of Assessment does not now know, and' hasn't
known for several years, what is the taxable value
of the Western Carolina Telephone Company's
properties in Franklin.
And if it doesn't know for the Western Carolina
Telephone Company, is thefre any reason to believe
it knows the value of the properties of the South
ern Bell Telephone Company, the Duke Power
Company, or any of the other public service cor
porations doing business in North Carolina?
Tolls On The Parkway
There is nothing very complicated about the
question of whether the National Park Service
should charge a toll, as it proposes to do, for use
of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The issues involved are quite simple. There real
ly are only two basic questions :
1. Is it right, in principle, to build exceptionally
fine highways with public funds, and then to charge
a toll for their use?
We think the answer is, No. It is true there are
publicly-owned toll roads in the United States, but
their existence does not prove the Tightness of the
principle. To charge a toll on an exceptionally fine
highway, when other roads are free, is a form of
discrimination ? it discriminates against the tax
payer who isn't able to pay the toll. It would make
equally good sense to build a few exceptionally fine
public schools, but to bar from them those pupils
unable to pay tuition.
2. Even if the principle of a toll on publicly
owned highways were not open to question, does
the Blue Ridge Parkway fall into a different cate
gory?
We think it does, and for two reasons :
First, much of the right-of-way for the Parkway
was donated, with the understanding that the road
should be free. To change the policy now is like
changing the rules in the middle of a game.
Second, the Parkway is different from an ordi
nary highway, in that its chief purpose is not to
enable people to get from one point to another,
but to give the largest possible number an oppor
tunity to enjoy some of the scenic beauties of Na
ture. Did the government of the United States cre
ate the beauty it now proposes to charge its citizens
to see?
The Proof
The night air was cold. But the people in the
long lyie that stretched out toward the street, and
then up the sidewalk, waited patiently to buy tick
ets. Word passed down the line that every seat al
ready was taken. But the queue remained. "We'll
buy our tickets now, and come to the next show",
people said. And long before time for the 9 o'clock
showing, these same people, tickets in hand, had
queued up again ? determined to be early enough
to get a seat in the theatre.
And this was the second day's showings, at the
Macon Theatre here, of the motion picture, "The
Robe" ! Since the theatre seats well over 500, and
since there were five showings, it's reasonable to
assume that more than 2,000 persons saw this re
markable picture.
The incident refutes, once and for all, the often
made charge that Macon County people won't pay
for high class entertainment. It is proof, if proof
were needed, that it is just plain good business to
bring first rate pictures here.
He Is, He Ain't, He Is . . .
A man named Wolf Ladejinsky worked for years
for the U. S. State Department in Japan. He passed
all the strict security checks of the State Depart
ment.
Last year Ladejinsky's job, dealing with land,
was transferred by Congress from the State to the
Agriculture Department, and last month Agricul
ture Secretary Benson fired him as a bad security
risk. ?
But last week another government agency. For
eign Operations Administration, hired Ladejinsky
for a job in Viet Nam.
The State Dcnartment says he's a good security
risk ; the Agriculture Department says he isn't ; and
now FOA (apparently at the suggestion of Presi
dent Fisenhower) says he is. All this in the same
administration!
How silly can we get ?
This Needs Changing . . .
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
This photo, looking up Town Hill (post office in extreme left background), graphically shows
the present serious traffic hazard at East Main a.nd Derby streets.
When a car is coming out of Derby (the short street running from Palmer into East Main
just opposite Angel Clinic), it often has to pull all the way out into the lane of traffic in order
to see if it is clear up the hill.
If the auto coming down the hill (arrow) hadn't had good brakes, it would have smashed into
the car (left foreground) shown pulling out of Derby. With autos coining up the hill, in the other
lane, the ha.zard is doubled.
The danger is created by cars parked on the south side of East Main, too close to its inter
section with Derby.
Others' Opinions
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
(The State Magazine)
The Highlands area had three new housing tievelopments
open this past summer. Whiteside Estates, Broadview Acres,
and Greenwood Forest Development. They will contain sum
mer homes for some of the many people who return every
year to this popular summer resort.
? Letters
i
THE LIEN LAW
Dear Editor:
The old age went to the polls to vote in spite of the weather.
Some on their sticks, some had to have help to get up to the
polls. They voted with the expectation of this lien law being
changed so they would not have to give a lien on their little
shack and maybe leave their wife or husband without a home.
The old aged citizens who have paid taxes all their lives de
serve consideration. Now?many of them are old and not able
to work, and a lot of them are under the care of a doctor,
with nothing, to pay the doctor or even buy the medicine they
need.
Those who are for such unfair things as this may have to
answer for it spme day.
CAPTAIN O. SANDERS
Franklin, Route 2.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: As a matter of keeping the record
straight, it is worth pointing out that the lien law specifically
provides that a "wife or husband" shall not be left "without a
home" because of the lien.
(The law sets forth that "as long as such property is occu
pied as a home site by the surviving spouse or any minor de
pendent child of such recipient" (of old age assistance) . . .
there shall be "no action to enforce" the lien.
(The purpose of the law is to prevent children who fall
or refuse to support their aged parents from inheriting the
parents' property until the lien for the amount of old age as
sistance paid the parents has first been satisfied.)
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
Last week I tossed out a few
Christmas bouquets. This week,
like the man who is still writing
his Christmas thank-you letters
at Easter, I find myself still talk
ing about Christmas season good
deeds.
The trouble is so many groups
and individuals deserve bouquets!
Nobody could begin to list them
all. But here are a few more I
can't resist mentioning ? even
if it is nearly the middle of Jan
uary.
The Jaycees, for those beauti
ful pictures, spotlit at night, or.
the Square; the Lions for their
dime board project ? and all
those who donated so generously
to it; all the other groups, church
and secular, who put into practice,
at Christmas, the philosophy wp
all say we believe in the year
around ? that it is more blessed
to give. And to the Rev. Bryati
Hatchett, director, and the men
and women who gave of their
talents and their time to make
possible the fine community
Christmas cantata.
? ? ?
Every time I get out of town
and pass through a city, I am
struck with what to me is the
horror of the way houses are
built almost against each other.
Often you could almost reach
out of the window of one and
touch the one next door.
In towns like Franklin, where
there Is 'plenty of room, there
Is no excuse for it. (Highlands
usually proves the point that It
Isn't necessary.)
I'd like to see the town board
here adopt an ordinance for
bidding the building of a home
on a lot less than a certain
size <? and I'd like to see It
make the size ample.
News Making
As It Looks
To A Maconite
? Bj BOB SLOAN
Random Thoughts on Politics
in '54:
The greatness of Franklin
Roosevelt stands out even more
after each succeeding presidential
message. Once again a president
has outlined his program to the
nation, but even though more than
20 years have passed since the
initial pattern was cut, Mr. Eisen
hower did not suggest one basic
change from the great New Deal.
The Democratic strategy of
not engaging in partisan attacks
on the party in power is some
thing 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 sniping at the other
side than to offer something con
structive or to agree with your
opposition when they are right.
If they can follow the course
throughout the year it will be
interesting to see how the voters
react. My guess is, however, that
before the year is out they will
be slashing away with a pent up
fury and in full partisan regalia.
The fleslp of \n^n is too weak to
\\ ithstan'd the temptation.
The above appeared ih this
column approximately a year ago.
After hearing President Eisen
hower's second State of the Nation
address, I think, the above applies
even more closely than it did last
year when it was first written.
Do You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
The house in which Mrs. Susan
Leach lives, owned by Mrs. W. H.
Higdon, was discovered to be on
fire last Thursday night. The fire
caught below the hearth in Prof.
Billings' room. When the smoke
was found filling the rooms, it was
some time before the fire was
located. A few buckets of water
extinguished the fire and saved
the house.
The Franklin High School open
ed its Spring term Monday with
70 pupils.
25 YEARS AGO
Profs. O. P. Summer and F. C.
Hentz returned Sunday from Po
maria, S. C., where they spent
the Christmas holidays. ? High
lands item.
The young matrons' missionary
society of the Methodist Church
held its first meeting with Mrs.
Tommie Angel January 6, with
a good attendance.
10 YEARS AGO
Pvt. Richard C. Angel, attend
ing Army Specialized Training
program at North Carolina State
College, Raleigh, visited his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb Angel, at
their home on Riverview Street
last week.
Mrs. Harry F. Jordon, of
Charleston, S. C? is here for a
visit with her father, Jol*n O.
Harrison, and sister, Miss Amy
Harrison, at their home on Har
rison Avenue.
Lewis Dendy, of the United
States Navy, has been spending
a few days here with his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Dendy. ?
Highlands item.