Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Feb. 17, 1955, edition 1 / Page 2
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(lire Jfimnklitt |Ir?S9 Che JUatimmu Entered at Poet Office, Franklin, N. C., as second class matter Published every Thursday by The Franklin Press Franklin, N. C. Telephone 24 WEIMAR JONES Editor BOB S. SLOAN Business Manager J. P. BRADY News Editor MRS. EDWARD CRAWFORD . . Offlce Manager CARL P. CABE Mechanical Superintendent FRANK A. STARR ETTE Shop Superintendent DAVID H. SUTTON Stereotyper **? CHARLES E. WHOTTNGTON SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outbid? Macon Countt brsxm Macon Countt One Tear (3.00 One Tear >2.50 ?B Months ... 1.75 Six Months . . . j, l.TS three Months 1.00 Three Months 1.00 February 17, 1955 Would Be Stronger Sometimes, in this imperfect world, it is neces sary to draw a line and say, '/at this line I will tfight". That, perhaps, was President Eisenhower's feel ing when he announced that the United States will defend Formosa. And most Americans probably ap plaud the President's decision. There may be some, though, who are wondering why the President did not draw a line .sooner ? and on another issue. What about those 11 Americans held in Chinese Communist prisons? (Remember them?) They surely must be asking: "If Formosa is worth fighting for, whv aren't we?" War, for any cause, is something closely ap proaching insanity. But this nation would be in a far stronger moral position if> when it draws a line, it put first emphasis on human values, rather than on those that are strictly military. Vs. The Public The efforts of N. C. Attorney General Harry Mc Mullan to persuade the State Utilities Commission to reconsider its order granting the Southern Bell Telephone Company a $2,595,000 rate increase ? that company's seventh increase since the war ? were unavailing. The Utilities Commission has broad powers something like those of a jury ? and it reminded the attorney general of that fact. In reporting this end of the rate fight, the Asso ciated Press may have written more truthfully than it knew, when it said, in its opening, sum mary paragraph : "The Southern Bell rate case is over. The tele phone company and the State Utilities Commis sion have won." The telephone company AND the Utilities Com mission ! There is a growing feeling among North Caro linians that all too often that is the way things stack up; that too often it is the public service corporation AND the Utilities Commission ? against the public. Take Their Stand This piece about official secrecy is not to swear at anybody, but to swear by the members of the Macon County Board of Commissioners. Back in 1953, the Legislature not only enacted the so-called "secrecy law", giving its appropria tions committees authority to meet in secret. In 1951 it had repealed an old law requiring boards of trounty commissioners to meet in open session. It was later explained that the law requiring com missioners to meet in the open was repealed by error. In fact, apparently nobody knew it had been repealed until after the last Legislature had ad journed. Since the action was unintentional, it was taken for granted the 1955 Legislature would correct the mistake by reenacting the old law. But after the legislators adopted rules allowing any of their committees to meet in secret, they were on the spot. How could they authorize sec recy for themselves and forbid it for county com missioners? Well, they've heard from the State Association of County Commissioners. They have been told that that body is on record as wanting the old law put back on the books. I . And last week the Macon commissioners took their stand. The local board always has met in open session, Chairman W. K. (Gene) Baldwin pointed out, and a motion, unanimously adopted, says they're going to continue to meet in open session. Commissioner John A. Roane put it this way: "This isn't our business we're transacting here, but the other fellow's. He's entitled to know all about it." Commissioner Wiley Brown agreed. And we suspect everybody else will. Living It Actions speak louder than words, and what hap pens is often more convincing than what somebody says. For that reason, the strongest editorial some times is simply a recitation of facts. That is true, it seems to us, of Brotherhood Week and a set of facts about a New York community. Brotherhood Week, which starts Sunday, em phasizes the brotherhood of men, under the father hood of God. It seeks to stress the things on which there is agreement ? particularly among Jews, Catholics, and Protestants ? rather than those on which there is disagreement. The purely intellec tual acceptance of the fact that there is agreement, though, would mean little without the spirit of brotherhood ? a spirit of tolerance, of helpfulness, and of human love. How the people of a community on Long Island are living that spirit was chronicled last month by the Long Island Daily Press : A Long Island Jewish temple yesterday opened its doors to the congregation of a neighboring Presbyterian church which was destroyed by fire. The parishioners of the Merrick Community Presbyterian Church, led by their pastor, the Rev. Dr. Vaughn Barker, held Sunday services in the Merrick Reform Jewish Temple. Rabbi Benno M. Wallach, spiritual leader of the temple, welcomed the members of the other faith to his house of worship and assisted Dr. Vaughn at the services. Since the fire destroyed the Presbyterian church last week, many other Christian parishes and Jewish Congre gations in Merrick have offered their facilities. The organizations of the burned church will meet this week in the Merrick Methodist Church and the Cure of Ars Catholic School auditorium. The Episcopal Redeemer Church, the Merrick Jewish Center and St. John Lutheran Church are also helping out their Presbyterian neighbors. Young In Spirit There's life in the old girl yet. The old girl to which we refer is Franklin, which last Thursday marked its 100th birthday as an in corporated town. And the proof that there is plenty of life in the centenarian is the fact that, at a recent meeting to plan for a centennial observance next summer, about 30 people turned out, and less than half a dozen of them were past 35. ? When young people go in for observance of his tory, it's news. It's proof they really are interested in their town. And it's a mighty good sign that the second hundred years will witness even more prog ress than the first. Others' Opinions A STUDY IN VALUES (Raleigh News and Observer) Higher education: Cutting the Woman's College In Greens boro forty per cent ? from $25,000 to $15,000 ? In the amount Its library can spend for books and giving It $58,300 for educa tional TV. CONFEDERATE GROUNDHOG DAY (Ashevllle Citizen! Editor Weimar Jones apologizes to readers of his sprightly Franklin Press for letting a Groundhog Day story get on Page 1, on February 2. Groundhog Day isn't February 2 ? it's Feb ruary 14, "as every Intelligent person hereabouts ought to know." Well, sir, we thought we had got by Groundhog Day and that things would level out from here on. But not according to The Press: "It Is true they celebrate February 2 In New England and other furrln' parts. Poor things, they don't know no better! But who is In position to really know about these things? Why, we mountaineers, of course. Because isn't Groundhog Day an old English holiday? And haven't we the purest Anglo Saxon blood in the world right here in the mountains?" Weimar of course is not pulling our leg. While most obser vances of Groundhog Day coincide with Candlemas Day and rut rvUMAK COMPANY tUDUSat 4 , stun* m* sua*. tutunts amp Mmuts 4 n sftaM mum. 4 KAlUtpM IUT 4 *010* 4tTtt U4tu n Htm* lit mr *c. m 94TKM41 fO0*HTM* f?*\ anumu nuunssa smm? *tt-{ MATHS 4*? 4 MKT4SU 1*0* tmumrmiL nanuewa ram mm unts-nu* mi I tits tr mi <>itmr k tiirtts/rr atsum it 7k MsmutsruT causrmts J 4 T MM It MKT! CAUUM4 1 mu * no -miu wr nur mmh unmt rnsmr *n W mso MtHou msmr. itJI JliAi? usHuruu ?M ?SHTU M m*Mr*s nmmmu mm Mammas jw /mum ? *r 4 \mmut * sttuns, wtntb MM JMBMBh * _ tnamnrs *n ttutu* ; mcmukm ma-rut iuuetn tummt '4 ? while the custom comes down from the Germans as well as the English (Macon County has a goodly share of Teutons, too), there's also a bloated body of opinion in favor of February 14. For instance, the late John Drake of Asheville, the prophet extraordinary who waged a running fight with the U. S. Weather Bureau, could argue anybody down that the day is February 14. Which is today. We'd go along with two Groundhog Days a year just for the sake of regional comity if one in 1955 hadn't been enough al ready. Imagine Arctomys Monax seeing his shadow in Macon or anywhere else today and bringing on six more weeks of winter! No Confederate (or, as Weimar calls It, "Mountain white") Groundhog Day this yea.r, please! Brrr! ? Letters QUOTES DICTIONARY Dear Editor: I have just read the editorial in this week's Press (Feb. 10), "He Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet". As I happen to own a Webs' er's Unified Dictionary and Encyclopedia, up 10 date. I believe a copy of the definition of Groundhog Diy from it should settle the dispute! "Groundhog day. Feb. 2, Candlemas Day, when the ground hog is supposed to come out of his ourrow to see if spring has come. "Candlemas ? The 2nd of February; the day commemorat ing the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. On this day the candles for use' in the R. C. church during the year are blessed." Groundhog is really a popular name . for the woodchuck. According to tradition, February 2nd is groundhog day, when the groundhog emerges from his hibernation. If he sees his shadow, he returns to his hole for six weeks more of winter weather. This happened to us on February 2, 1955. I guess the only thing we can do is lay in more coal and wood and get another tank of oil. Sincerely, Highlands, N. C. MILDRED JACKSON (EDITOR'S NOTE: In the same light vein In which the editorial was written, we ask Miss Jackson, and others who went to reference books on this issue: Where and by whom are our dictionaries and encyclopedias written? Why, In New Eng land and other points North! And by damnyankees, Instead of us mountain whites! These reference books, therefore, are no more reliable on matters of such transcendal Importance as Groundhog Day than the metropolitan press!) STRICTLY PERSONAL By WEIMAR JONES I never make a trip away from home without realizing all over again what a good place Macon County Is. And the other day, when we came back from a little vacation that took us out of the state, we re turned prouder than ever of North Carolina. Not that it wasn't an Inter esting trip ? it was. Not that we didn't have a good time ? we did. And not that the states we visited ? South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida ? don't have much to recommend them ? they do. In fact, you'll find a lot more than is spectacular In any one of those three than you'd find in half a dozen North Carolinas. Maybe because we have never been able to, we don't go in for the spectacular in this state. And maybe, since we aren't used to It, that's why, after seeing a lot of things that are spectacular, we felt, when we got back to North Carolina, we'd rather live here. ? ? ? Nobody, in a week or ten days, can do more than get impressions, and Impressions easily may be Inaccurate. For what they are worth, though, I came back with these Impres sions: In South Carolina I was Im pressed with the beautiful me mentos of a glorious past. That is not to suggest there Isn't progress In that state ? there is. But they have sense enough to recognize the value of the past, too. In North Carolina, we are so absorbed with Prog ress, and so Inclined to feel that anything new Is, because it is new, better, we often toss aside things from the past that are priceless, and that are Continued on Page Three? "T News Making As It Looks To A Maconite ? By BOB SLOAN There is one bill which Rep. G. L. Houk could introduce in the North Carolina General As sembly which, I think, would be appreciated by a large majority of the people of Macon County. The purpose of the bill would be to change the method of se lecting the members of the County Board of Education. At present each party is supposed to nominate, either In conven tion or primary (whichever method the party uses to select its nominees), Its candidates for the school board. In theory, at least, then the representa tive that is elected is supposed to submit the names of the nominees chosen by his party to the North Carolina Legisla ture for their approval. There are many defects in this system. First, by this system, both parties disfranchise a large number of voters and school patrons from having any say about who will be the members of the Board of Education. Since the majority of the members of North Carolina General As sembly belong to the Democrat ic party. It Is very, very seldom that Republican noiminees, even through the Representative may be a Republican, are approved for any county. This causes many Republicans to vote In Democratic primaries, particu larly those who have children In school. While this practice has its undesirable aspects, one can not blame a parent for wanting to have some voice in the administration of the school his child attends. If our Board of Education members were se lected in a manner similar to the way in which our County Conftnissioners are elected, members of the Republican party would not feel like they were barred from having a chance to vote for members of the school board, and also they would not have an excuse for taking part in the Democratic party primary. If this system were adopted, I think that, if the Republican party wants to play fair with its members, their nominees would be chosen by a primary system rather than a conven tion. Unless this were done, the Republican school patron who is not a party official would still not have much say about who he or she thought the party should nominate to fill this position. The second fallacy in this system is the part of having ? Continued on Page 3 Do You Remember? (Looking backward through the files of The Press) 50 TEARS AGO THIS WEEK The mall hack due here In the forenoon for last Friday did not arrive till 5:15 p. m. Are the roads between Dills boro and Franklin good enough to satisfy the average citizen? Walter McConnell left last Wednesday to return to Baker City, Oreg., after spending about a month here with his mother's family. Mr. O. M. Sellers arrived here Friday evening from St. Louis, Mo., on a visit to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charley Sellers, of Cullasaja. He expects to return to St. Louis in about a month. 25 TEAKS AGO Miss Grace Wright and Miss Bessie Cralne entertained their friends at a very enjoyable party at the home of Mrs. C. N. Wright Friday evening.? High lands Item. Miss Desse O. Bradley, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Ray Bradley, of Etna, enrolled Thursday in the Chillicothe Business College In Chillicothe, Mo., for the complete business course. Mr. and Mrs. Bill Moore and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Porter mo tored to Atlanta last Saturday, returning Sunday afternoon. 10 TEARS AGO Mrs. Allan Brooks has re turned from Elkins, W. Va., where she spent several days visiting relatives and friends. Miss Faye Byrd, of the Telll co community, spent the week end in Ashevllle, visiting with Miss Lynette Martin. Friends of Pvt. Carter E. Tal ley will be Interested to know that he Is with an infantry battalion somewhere In France. He has been overseas thres months. ? Highlands Hem.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Feb. 17, 1955, edition 1
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