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"j^igljlanV JBawmtan
70th Year ? No. 3
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, January 20, 1955
Twelve Pages
? Staff t'txoto by J. P. Brady
PRINCIPAL FIGURES in the newly organized Macon County Fair Association are (L to R)
Holland McSwain, secretary, Mrs. R. G. Lichten stein, representing the Franklin Garden Club,
Wayne Proffitt, president of the Agricultural Workers Council, and Wiley Brown, co-director of
the fair association. They are studying a rough draft of a fair catalog, which was presented for
consideration a,t a meeting last Thursday night.
FAIR GROUP
IS ORGANIZED
Brown And Sutton
Named Co-Directors
Of Association
The pieces for a county fair
In 1955 began dropping smooth
ly into place last Thursday
with the election of officers for
the newly organized Macon
County Fair Association.
Meeting at the Agricultural
Building, businessmen, farmers,
civic and community leaders
elected Charlie Sutton and
Wiley Brown as co-directors of
the proposed three-day fair.
Mr. Sutton is a well-known
farmer and Mr. Brown a Frank
lin businessman and member of
the board of county commis
sioners.
Named to serve with the co
directors were Holland Mc
Swain, secretary, and W. W.
(Bill) Sloan, treasurer. A steer
ing committee for handling ar
rangements for individual fea
tures of the fair is to be ap
pointed by the co-directors at
an early date.
As a means ui ucguiuuig
early promotion of the fair, it
was decided at the meeting to
offer the services of fair boost
ers during February at, P. T. A.,
civic club, and community
meetings to explain the inner
workings of the proposal and
enlist the aid of all in put
ting it over. Organizations in
terested in this phase may ob
tain speakers through the coun
ty or home agent's office.
Tentatively, the fair has been
.scheduled for August 11-12-13
on the grounds at Franklin
High School.
At Thursday's meeting ? one
of several held in recent months
to set up the framework of
the fair ? extension agents
Mrs. Margaret D. Smith, Rob- !
ert McNeil, and John J. Wrinn
presented for consideration a j
rough draft of a fair catalog.
This catalog, which will help
finance the.undertaking through
the sale of advertisements, lists
the various features of the
fair, including stock shows and
premium lists for entries. Fair
association officers are now
digesting its contents. It will
be offered for mare considera
tion at later meetings.
It is hoped to finance the en
tire undertaking with the cata
log and sale of booth and dis
play space to merchants and
businessmen.
As entertainment features,
the association plans to bring
In several types of rides for
children and the annual Ma
con County Folk Festival will
run nightly under the spon
sorship of the Franklin Jaycees.
Meetings to map additional
plans will be announced regu
larly.
HIGHLANDS ON TV
Movies of Highlands will be [
shown today (Thursday* be
tween 4:15 and 4:30 p. m. over!
WFBC-TV in Greenville, S. C., |
under the sponsorship of the
Highlands Chamber of Com- j
meree. according to the cham
ber president, Louis Edwards.
TELEPHONE COMPANY ?
Raleigh Paper Probes Issue
State Board Cuts
County Valuation
By Nearly $40,000
The State Board of Assess
ment has reduced the 1953 tax
valuation of properties of the
Western Carolina Telephone
Company in Macon County by
nearly $40,000. The company's
1 ad valorem taxes are based on
the evaluation set by the board.
The 1953 figures were set by
the board more than a year
ago. They have now been cor
rected.
The county total for that
year has been reduced from
$124,129 to $95,623, a reduction
of $38,506. The cut represents
a slash of about 29 per cent.
The 1953 reduction in Frank
lin was from $74,109 to $52;834.
In Highlands, the 1953 evalu
ation has been cut from $32,819
to $29,987.
The corrections in the 1953
figures followed corrections of
the total for 1954. After local
authorities had protested that
the figures set for 1954 were
too low, the state board chang
ed the evaluations for that year
as follows ;
The county evaluation, first
set at $88,588, was corrected to
$102,766. The Highlands figure
was corrected from $32,819 to
$35,664.
The Franklin total has been
twice corrected. First set at
$34,849, it was changed to $44,
129, and more recently was re
corrected to $55,626.
The new 1953 figure for the
county was revealed in a story
the News and Observer pub
lished last week explaining how
the Eoard of Assessment ar
rived at the figures it has set
for the telephone company.
Board's Explanation
On Tax Figures Here
Features News Story
The State Board of Assess
ment's explanation of how it
arrived at the tax evaluation
! figures it has placed on prop
erties of the Western Carolina
Telephone Company in Macon
County and its two towns ap
peared in a front page story in
the Raleigh News and Observer
last Thursday.
The two-column News and
Observer story, written by Jim
Chaney, veteran reporter for
that newspaper, was captioned,
'Wires 'Crossed' On Tax Fig
uring".
The story follows, in full:
Up in Macon County, The
Franklin Press and The High
lands Maconian tried without
success to reconcile two con
lKcting facts: ?
1. All North Carolina tele
phone companies. Western Car
olina Cojopany included, were
reporting imtgased investments.
2. In Macon County and the
Town of Franklin, a reduction
in Western Carolina Telephone's
taxable valuation was to cut its
ad valorem tax payments to
county and town about $1,000.
The Press knew the taxable
value of utility corporation
properties is set by the State
Board of Assessment. It didn't
know how the State board,
knowing the company was ex
panding, could justify the low
er valuation.
The answer the company gavfs
was more puzzling than illumi
nating.
The answer, as dug out here
yesterday from State board rec
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 3
ALTHOUGH HIT BY POLIO, nine-year-old Brenda Joyce
Kirkland hasn't forgotten how to smile. Brenda Joyce, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. T. N. Kirkland. of the Patton section, is under
going treatment at the Asheville Orthopedic Hospital, thanks to
the "March of Dimes". She was stricken October 23, 19>4, and
was one of three polio cases in Macon for the year. The 1955
dimes drive is new under way here.
BURLINGTON
JOB TRAINING
IS ANNOUNCED
Program To Begin
In V. F. W. Building
On January 31
A training program for the
new Burlington Mills hosiery
plant wiU get under way here
January 31 on a "very moder
ate" scale, according to an an
nouncement received here from
the division manager, T. B.
Sain.
He announced that Burling
ton Mills has temporarily leas
ed the Veterans of Foreign
Wars building on West Palmer
Street and will operate its
training program there.
This program is for training
loopers only, Mr. Sain said, and
will be on a very moderate
scale, employing a few women
each week.
Employment will be handled
through the state employment
service office. A service repre
sentative is in Franklin at the
courthouse every Tuesday and
; Friday from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.
Present needs are far females
between the ages of 18 and 25
| with high school diplomas, ac
i cording to S. P. Davis, of the
j Bryson City office.
Various jobs for both men
and women ' will be available
later when the new plant is
I ready to start operations, Mr.
| Sain said.
Gets Escapee
And Hot-Rod
A "routine check" of a
"souped-up" Ford about mid
night Monday by Highway
Patrolman A. A. Lewis pro
duced a stolen automobile and
an escapee from the Virginia
| State Penitentiary.
The pa.'rolman reported a
male passenger in -the hot
rod ran when he stopped it
on US 23-441 (south). He still
has not been found.
But, 24-year-old Arthur
i Glenn Srhachman, said by
the patrolman to be one of
six long-term prisoners who
escaped from the Virginia
prison Saturday, is temporar
ily m.-.king the Macon County
Jail his place of residence
vnt'l authorities arrive to re
turn him to prison to finish
his 16-vear sentence for arm
ed robbery.
Meanwhile, officers are
hoping to locate the .man who
fled from the 1340 model Ford
driven by Schachman and re
portedly stolen in Raleigh.
Early Tuesday morning, a
1954 Ford pick-up was stolen
from Franklin Froien Foods,
Inc., and Patrolman Lewis
said it is highly probable the
elusive man is responsible.
In jail, Schachman offered
his opinion of the stolen hot
rod:
It's not so hot ... it misseS
| on the hills!"
Who Said Rain?
Weather forecasters slipped
up when predicting rain for
W. N. O. late Tuesday after
noon and night.
Yesterday (Wednesday)
morning, Maconians began!
shoveling out of several
inches of snow, ranging from
two inches in Franklin, to
four in Highlands and six to
eight in the higher elevations.
Highway department snow
plows rolled most of the night
clearing the highways.
Baptist Deacons
Set Conference
The Macon Baptist Deacons'
Conference is scheduled next
Thursday evening, January 27,
at the First Baptist Church, ac
! cording to an announcement by
Harry C. Corbin, president.
Featured speaker for the pro
gram, which will open at 7
o'clock, will be the Rev. Elmer
Green, associational missionary
from Haywood County.
Dinner will be served by the
women of the church, the pres
ident said.
SHOPE RECOVERING
Register of Deeds Lake V.
Shope, who has been confined
to his home for some time, Is
recovering and expects to be
back at work next week.
Nantahala
Creamery
Tops State
i
Nantahala Creamery, of
Franklin, is the pace-setter
for the rest of the state in
sanitation and maybe for the
entire country.
The local concern has been
given a sanitation rating of
98.93 by the U. S. Public
Health Service ? the highest
011 record in the state and
probably one of the highest in
the nation.
Owned and operated by A.
B. Siagle, the creamery for
i several years ha.s received
ratings of 98 or better. A
rating of 90 or above is re
quired to meet health stand
ards, according to Sanitarian
H. T. Collins.
The creamery buys whole
| milk from 25 dairies in .Ma
con, Jackson, and Swain and
five in Kabun County, Ga.
DIRECTORS
ARE NAMED 1
Chamber Mail Vote
Held; New Officers
To Come From Group
Five new directors of the
Franklin Chamber of Commerce
have been named in the cham
ber's annual mail election.
They are Frank B. Duncan,
Sam Gibson, Allen Siler, Gus
Baldwin, and Charles Conley,
Sr. Rounding out the seven
man board are W. W. Reeves
and. Norman Blaine, "carry
overs" having another year to
serve.
From this slate of directors
will be picked the 1955 cham
ber officers. A meeting to name
leaders and map plans for the
new year will be called at an
early date, according to Mr.
Reeves, the out-going president.
Of the new directors, Mr.
Duncan and Mr. Gibson, who
polled high in the election, serve
two years on the board, while
the others serve only one year.
Results of the election were
tallied Tuesday by the cham
ber's executive secretary. Mrs.
Lasca E. Horsley. Other nomi
nees for the board were L. B.
Clontz, George R. McSween. J.
E. Perry, Jr., C. Jack Ragan,
Elmon Teague, Mrs. Grace
O'Mohundro, and Woodrow
Dowdle.
Members of the nominating
committee included Vic Perry,
T. H. Callahan. B. L. McGlam
: ery, and Roy Moore.
The new directors . will take
office with the organizational
meeting.
Safety Man To Speak
At Otto P. T. A. Meet
C. W. Angel, of Sylva, safety
representative with the Depart
ment of Motor Vehicles, will
j speak at tonight's (Thursday)
meeting of the Otto P. T. A., it
! has been announced. _
The meeting is set for 7:30 at
the school.
Move To Censure
McSwain Is Failure
Shatley Motion Dies
For Lack Of Second;
Statement Denied
A move to reprimand County
School Supt. Holland McSwain
for 'insubordination in office"
failed Saturday morning as the
board of education held a spe
cial meeting to further discuss
the status of Principal Harry
C. Corbin in the Franklin
Schools set-up.
The motion to censure the
superintendent was pressed for
passage three different times
during the hour-long meeting
by board member Morgan
Shatley, but it d.ed for want
of a second.
Mr. Shatley also offered an
other motion ? this one at
tempting to refute a statement
in last week's issue of The Press
concerning the feelings of other
principals in the system over
Mr. Corbin 's status. This one
carried, with two members vot
ing and two abstaining.
Explains Purpose
"To Iron out some mistakes
and some little troubles" in re
gard to Mr. Corbin's status was
the reason given by Chairman J.
C. Sorrells for the called meet
ing. He declared that some
"misunderstandings" came out
' of the board's stand on the is- .
i sue at its regular January meet
ing on the 8th and he said,
"we want to straighten out this
situation."
He added: "We want it und- j
I erstood that we are not after
any principal ... we are well
satisfied with Mr. Corbin's
; work."
At the meeting on the 8th,
Mr. Shatley questioned if Mr.
Corbin was carrying out the
assignment made by the school
board in July ? to serve as
elementary principal ? and he
charged the superintendent
with failing to carry out the
board's wishes. In defense, Supt.
McSwain said the principal had
been serving as elementary
principal and also was assisting
District Principal Ralph L.
Smith with high school affairs.
He argued that Mr. Corbin had
been '-rrtified by the state board
of education as a full-time
principal and not a teaching
principal, as are other elemen
tary principals in the system,
and as such received a higher
salary.
With this in the background,
the board moved into the spe
cial session Saturday morning
Ag?.:n Questioned
With the opening of the call
ed meeting, Supt. McSwain
rtgain explained his position in
the matter and reiterated the
approach taken by the state
board in allotting principals. ;
He also read the minutes of
the July meeting assigning Mr. j
Corbin to the Franklin Schools j
"primarily" as elementary prin
cipal and to assist at the high
school. The state board certi- 1
fied Mr. Corbin as district
principal No. 2.
Chairman Sorrells contended
the school board was under the
? Staff Photo bv /. P. Brajy
A S50.000 I.OOK is being taken hv Franklin Mayor W. ('?
Burrell and Town Clerk C. O. Ramsey. It's the check from the
state treasurer from the sale of bonds to construct the town's
municipal building on West Main Street. Bids for the building
will be opened February 8 and construction is expected to begin
immediately thereafter. *
impression since July that Mr.
Corbin was elementary prin
cipal and he charged that
Supt. McSwain was at fault for
not informing the board other
wise.
He added that the board was
willing to admit a mistake had
been made and rather than dis
rupt the schools would "take
our licking and say no more
about it for the rest of the
school year."
Both Chairman Sorrells and
Mr. Shatiey pressed the super
intendent to admit he had
"made a mistake, too".
Supt. McSwain declared the
onljf' thing he was guilty of, If
at all. was "a misinterpretation
of the board's wishes."
He said he had no evidence
of "any conflict brought on by
the action of the board" and
it was his understanding that
Mr. Corbin was not to be re
stricted to the elementary
school alone.
Mr. Shatiey declared: "The
board was under the impres
sion he was hired as elemen
tary principal . . . rather he
has been acting principal of the
high school."
Supt. McSwain countered that
under the state allotment the
principal was not certified as
either principal of the elemen
tary or high school but as dis
trict principal No. 2 with no re
strictions.
Mr. Shatiey contended the
question was not if the board
did the right thing, but that
Supt. McSwain had not carried
out its orders.
Smith Makes Motion
As a means of clarifying the
issue, board member John
Smith offered a motion that
Mr. Corbin be officially termed
I district principal No. 2, instead
of elementary principal, with
i the provision that it be retro
active to July in order not to
affect his salary. The motion
carried unanimously.
With its passage, both Mr.
Shatley and Mr. Sorrells again
emphasized that Mr. Corbin's
work was not the issue and that
he has been "doing an excel
lent job."
Denies Statement
Mr. Shatley then offered the
following motion:
I make a motion that this
board refute the statement
made in The Franklin Press
last week, relative to what was
said regarding the principals in
other schools complaining about
the status of Harry Corbin and
to state further that at no
time collectively or individually
has this board or any member
of this board said or implied
that they had received any
complaints from the elementary
school principals regarding the
status of Mr. Corbin."
In last week's issue of The
Press, Mr. Shatley was quoted
as saying he had received com
plaints from other elementary
principals regarding the prin
cipal's status.
He and Claude W. Cabe voted
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
The Weather
The week's temperatures and rainfall, as
recorded in Franklin by Man son Stiles,
I*. S. weather observer, and at the Coweeta
Hydrologic Laboratory:
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Jan.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
12
47
44
49
47
54
56
48
25
26
11
34
29
17
18
trace
.14
.02
2 in. snow Wed. morning. Jan. 19
HIGHLANDS
Temperatures
High Low Rain
i
Wed.. Jan.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
12
40
34
44
40
48
50
40
28
20
12 .04
34 trace
28 trace
18
21
Wed. morning, Jan. 19
4 in. snow and still snowing.
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Jan. 12
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
46
34
45
46
50
53
46
23
28 trace
of snow
12
43
28
18
20
.19
Wed. morning, Jan. 19, IVi in.
snow and still snowing.