(Eta Jffntaldtst |m?
and
x Che JEaruttian
Second cUss mall privileges authorized at Pranklln. N. C.
Puolished every Thursday by The Pranklln Press
Telephone 24
WBliAR JONES
BOB 8 SLOAN Advertising
J. P BRADY News Editor-Photographer
BOLFK NEILL Reporter
ICRS ALLEN 8TT.KR Society EdltorOfllce ilsiisgsf
PARI, P. CABB Operator- Machinist
PRANK A STARR ETTE Composltar
O. B. CRAWFORD
CMIEB E.
DAVID H SUTTON
Commercial Printer
SUBSCRIPTION RATK8
Outbid* Macon Countt
One Year $3.00
flb Months 1.71
Time Month* .... iJO
Two Tears 5-23
Three Tetn .... TJO
In slob 11a com Comrrr
One Tear .
81* Moot ha 1.11
Three Hon the .... IM
Two Tee re 4-*
Three Teen
A Step Forward
Congratulations to the Board of County Commis
sioners on its action last week in setting a flat, ex
act percentag2s.of value at which property is to be
listed for taxesAThat is definitely a step in the right
direction.
The board's figure is 35 per cent. That means
that if a man has a piece of property worth $1,000,
it is his duty to list it for taxes at $350.
That gives the taxpayer one exact yardstick. He
no longer will be told he is "supposed to" list his
property "at about a third" or "about 40 per cent"
of its value.
But how is the taxpayer to determine his prop
erty's value? And how are the tax authorities- to
determine if he's hit on a fair value? For tax pur
poses, what is "value"? Is it the figure at which
the owner would sell the property? or is it the fair
market value? or is it what the property would
bring at a forced sale?
And even if those questions were answered, how
many taxpayers really know the value of their
property? Many ? we'd guess a majority ? do not.
Thus, of the two vital factors in determining the
amount of tax a property owner is to pay, we've
eliminated guesswork from only one.
We hope the Commissioners will take the second
necessary step in making taxes equitable, by saying
how and by whom value is to be determined.
Strange
Some strange things have been taking place at
Clinton, Tenn. It was at Clinton that Federal Judge
Robert Taylor several months ago ordered school
integration, more recently issued an injunction for
bidding interference with integration, and more re
cently still caused the arrest of 11 persons, among
them two women, on charges of contempt of court.
It seemed strange for Clinton High School to be
called into special assembly so County Attorney
Eugene Joyce could read Judge Taylor's injunction
order to the students. Mr. Joyce said such an action
was unprecedented in American history.
It seemed stranger for Mr. Joyce to tell them
that Judge Taylor's order "hag no limits; it applies
to everyone, everywhere, be they minors or adults,
inside or outside any building in this county". -("In
side . . . any building"' would mean inside every
home.)
It seemed stranger still for him to warn that the
school faculty had been instructed to report to the
F. B. I. any violation of Judge Taylor's order by
the school children.
But perhaps most extraordinary of all was the
injunction itself.
In it, Judge Taylor charged certain persons with
"hindering, obstructing, and interfering" because
they "requested and urged the .principal of Clinton
High School and members of the county school
board ... to refuse to carry out" the order. It
? would have been one thing for the authorities to
refuse to carry out the order; it ,was a totally dif
ferent thing for private citizens to "request and
urge" that it not be carried out.
Another person was charged in the order with
having "stated on various occasions that the court
had no authority to issue the aforesaid order . . .
and that it should not be obeyed." That is no more
than British and American citizens have been say
ing for centuries about distasteful laws. A recent
, example was the Eighteenth Amendment, written
into the Constitution by the people themselves.
Perhaps the most significant passage in the in
junction, though, was its final paragraph. There
e Taylor forbade picketing of Clinton High
PROTECT iOUR PLANT
SAVE YOUR JOB!
Learn how to turn in a fire alarm
AN(? HOW TO OPERATE A FIRE EXTlN
6UISHER ? ANP ALWAYS KNOW YOUR
PLANT'S EXIT PLAN/
School "either by word or acts or otherwise". Note
the sequence. By putting "words" first on his list,
Judge Taylor not only forbade them; he empha
sized them, even above "acts".
However commendable Judge Taylor's zeal in
enforcing the Supreme Court's segregation decis
ion, there is a question about the lengths to which
he has let his zeal carry him. Has he forgotten that
even federal judges are governed by law? Has he
forgotten that the First Amendment to the Con
stitution, a more basic law than any court decision,
denies him the right to interfere with the citizen's
freedom of speech?
And has it not occurred to Judge Taylor that
once that freedom is destroyed, whether by foreign
invader or American courts, all the others are
doomed?
2 Good Records
Two extraordinary safety records were set here
last year.
Macon County went through 1956 without a
motor vehicle fatality. This is the second time Ma
con made an unusual record in this respect, the
county having been presented an award a few years
ago for having set the pace for the state.
... ~ -s
What the reasons are for this year's highway
safety record is anybody's guess. The effect 'of
crooked roads on speed undoubtedly was one fac
tor. It probably is hardly coincidence, though, that
this record came after three years of drnfer educa
tion at Franklin High School. Because tlie 250
young people given instruction in driving during
that period have set a record of their own ? to date,
only three of the 250 have received traffic tickets.
The .second record was hung up by the Nanta
hala Power and Light Company in its four-county
area ? a full year without a single accident result
ing in loss of time. Not a single disabling accident
in 300,000 man-hours! This record, the best in the
company's 27-year history, contrasts with 1955's
five disabling mishaps. - - '
Congratulations are in order to the company's
safety director, Mr. W. W. Sloan. $4e, however,
would be the first to agree that, even more, credit
is due the employes, whose cooperation made this
fine showing possible.
Mrs. Myra Allman
Death has removed another human landmark
from the local scene. -
Mrs. Myra (Aunt Mimie) Allman first saw the
light of day (September 4, 1864) when the South
ern Confederacy was in its death throes. A native
of Franklin, she had lived her 92 years here. She
saw the tiny village, incorporated ortly a decade
before her birth, grow into today's spreading, mod
ern, thriving town. She had seen the- ox cart replac
ed first by the horse-drawn wagon and then the
buggy and surrey, and finally by the "horseless
carriage". Even more important, she had seen a
way of life and an attitude toward life change with
rapidly changing times. <
In her more than four score years and ten, Mrs.
Allman experienced a lot of life. She was a bride,
a mother, and a widow, all before she was 20; her
first husband, Jesse R. Siler, died in 1884, less than
four years after their marriage. In 1886 she mar
?%
ried Lee H. Allman, and although that marriage
was to last 37 years, Mrs. Allman was a widow the
second time for a third of a century.
Growing up in the post-Civil War period of dire
poverty, she learned to take life as it came, the
good with the bad, sorrow with gladness, disap
pointment with hope.
She represented the hardy qualities of an age
that is gone. She was modest and quiet, as con
trasted with today's "promotion" of both causes
and self. She grew up in a period when honesty,
among self-respecting local people, was taken for
granted, as much as breathing; what the cost of
honesty happened to be was never counted. It was
a period when hardship and self-sacrifice were
routine.
History has moved swiftly since 1864. It is a far
call from the post-Civil War girlhood of Miss Myra
Bell to the Franklin of today. And, while each age
undeniably has its own virtues, it is a far call in
deed from the courage, the self-reliance, the inde
pendence of that period to today's dependence on
"security" and the machine.
I Others' Opinions I
(Opinion* ami?ill IB UiH ?p*c? an not mri? rtlj Hum
I at TIM Pna. Editorial* selected for nprlnttac bar*. la (act. 1
an aboam with a Tlew to presenting a variety of viewpoint*.
Tbq an. that k, ]u*t (bat th* caption aaja ? OTHnt*
Opinion*.)
Roosting Time
(Windsor, Colo., Beacon)
It may not be an Invariable rule that chickens come home
to roost, but just the same it does happen with a great deal
of regularity. Take the amendment that limits the presidency
to two terms. That was pushed through by a O.O.P. congress
to prevent another Rooseveltlan era In the future. Now, It Is
threatening to hamstring the very first Republican president
to come into power after Roosevelt.
Even Mr. Eisenhower, who certainly has no third-term am
bitions, is said to be considering a move to get the amend
ment repealed. He Is realistic enough to see that a president
who is barred by law from succeeding himself Is bound to
have a less powerful voice in the party councils, and that
does not fit with his expressed determination to modernize
' the O O P.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
By WEIMAR JONES
I believe in trading at home.
I've been preaching it for years.
I intend to keep on preaching it.
Whether it's goods or services
we are buying, it's just plain good
business to buy it at home. There
are at least two reasons why it's
good business.
In the first place, it's our local
business men who pay a big share
of the taxes and make most of
the larger"* donations to our
churches and school^ and to other
worthy causes. In the second
place, when I send a dollar out
of the county, it's likely to be a
long time gone. When I spend a
dollar here, on the other hand,
it's likely to be re-spent here many
times ? ultimately, it may even
find its way right back into my
own pocket. But whether or not
that ever happens, it stimulates
the local economy, and that helps
us all.
'It's good business to trade at
home. But that conviction ought
not to blind any of us to three
pertinent facts:
Pact No. 1 : Human nature being
What it is, 'people are going to
trade at home only if they can
get what they want here, and if
they can get it at approximately
as good a price, quality considered,
as they can somewhere else. May
be they ought to take whatever
is available at home, and pay
whatever the price may be ?
but they just aren't going to do it.
Fact No. 2: The local business
man can't always meet the com
petition, as to price. But he can
give even better service. And it's
up to him to make up for any
difference in price by going all-out
to give the maximum in service.
Fact No. 3: Sometimes it is the
local businessman himself who
drives customers out of the coun
ty to trade. The fact it isn't In
tentional doesn't change the fact
It happens.
How many people, for example,
are there who haven't at some
time had the experience of going
to a local store and asking for a
certain brand ? and being given
something else "just as good"?
Maybe the substitute Is just as
good, but that's for the customer
to decide for himself ? that is,
If the merchant* wants him to
come back.
Who hasn't had the experience
of needing a plumber, a baker,
a candlestick maker ? and having
to call half a dozen times before
getting him?
And how many are there who
haven't had the experience of
asking a merchant to order an
article, going back time after time,
and finally realizing the merchant
hasn't ordered it and isn't going
to? Maybe It wasn't worth the
merchant's time to bother to put
in the order; but if he wasn't go
ing to order it, he should have said
so In the first place.
A Macon County person told
me the other day of this experi
ence: Months before Christmas,
he went to a local shop to have
an article made, to be given as a
Christmas present. Yes. he was
told, they could make It, and
would be glad to. The materials
would have to be ordered, but
the article would be ready in
plenty of time for Ctirlstmas.
Finally, he went back to the shop
the third or fourth time, only
to be told the materials never
had come, and, besides, they
didn't believe they could make
the article after all. "Where
would you suggest I might get
it made?" the customer asked. He
was advised to go to Asheville or
Atlanta!
Then there's that little matter
of statements. A customer gets
a first-of-the-month statement say
ing simply, "Acct \ .$ ? ?
All business men here don't follow
that practice, but a lot of them
do.
What's the amount for? Why
Isn't the statement itemized? As
a rule, it would be If the goods
were bought out of town. And
there's a reason why It's even
more Important for a local busi
nessman to Itemize his bills; the
customers often are his personal
friends, and you find It embarrass
ing to ask a friend for an itemized
statement.
So the customer usually pays
the bill without asking what It's
for. But In the back of his mind
he feels resentful about it ? he
doesn't " know what he's paying
for. and he hesitates to ask.
Well, he ought not to HAVE to
ask. When a statement goes out
to customer, it ought to say what
articles or services It's for, and
how much per. When it doesn't,
the businessman is laying up ill
will for himself.
* ? ?
If anybody thinks I'm being
critical of these practices of some
? not all ? of our local business
men, he's right. But If he thinks
I'm doing It Just to be critical,
then he's wrong.
What J want U to keep more
business at home. And I think
one of the best ways to keep It
at home Is to discuss, frankly, the
reasons why so much of It goes
elsewhere.
VIEWS j
BOB SLOAN
The year 1856 Is now a thing
of the past. However, many things
happened during the year which
will have their effects for years
to come. Behind events, there
are always people. The following
persons and groups contributed
much to our happenings during
the past year.
' Verlon Swafford, as president
of the Franklin Chamber of Com
merce, did an excellent job. Mr.
Swafford greatly enlarged the
scope of influence of the organi
zation. Besides the usual' tourist
promotion work, through his lead
ership, the organization was re
sponsible for the neighborhood de
velopment org anlza tons in Frank
lin and organized trade promotion
in Franklin.
In connection with the trade
promotion In Franklin by the mer
chants, a committe composed of
Sam Gibson, chm., T. Y. Angel,
Bruce Bryant, Roy Moore, and
Bob Sloan did a good job. Two
promotions were staged last Fall
with considerable success. I think
we cannot emphasize too strongly
the advantages to all of us of a
"Trade At Home" program. It is
our merchants who support our
schools and churches and many,
many other community projects;
not the department stores and
mail order houses in Asheville and
Atlanta.
Tom Fagg, Mrs. Florence Sher
rlll, Wayne Proffltt, and their
respective assistants did an ex
cellent job in staging a very, very
fine fair.
Northwest Franklin Community
Development showed the rest of
the groups here in Franklin the
kind of job that should be done.
Besides making a very attractive
recreation area, they held many
square dances and other social
events that contributed to the
harmony of their neighborhood.
Republican Party leaders did an
excellent job in organization of
their workers for the fall election,
and in getting young people In
terested in, and working in,
politics.
Bob Carpenter, Fred Vaughn,
Doug Simpson, all team managers,
and many others who helped In
the organization of, and com
pletion of a successful season, or
the Little League baseball, group.
This is one of the finest things
that has been done here for the
problem of youth recreation.
Hall Callahan, who staged the
Christmas parade almost single
handed.
John Brady and Steve. Who
else, could have, or would have,
been the most enjoyable clown
team of the Christmas parade?
"I
Do.You
Remember?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
60 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Three tramps with two hand
organs, a bagpipe, and two
monkeys amused the boys while
r>n our streets Thursday,
Mrs. J. C. Wright has received
a Maltese cat from Pennsylvania
as a Christmas present. ,
The Rev. D. F. Carver, of
Franklin Methodist Church, and
family were right liberally "pound
ed" last Thursday night.
25 YEARS AGO
D. G. Stewart and W. C. Burrell
announced this week they are
planning to build a modern brick
filling station on the lot at the
corner of main and Palmer Streets
(at the foot of East Town Hill)
which they recently purchased
from M. D. Billings and Roy Car
penter.
The W. M. Ritter Lumber Com
pany is planning to resume oper
ations at its mill at Rainbow
Springs about March 1.
Wood row Gibson visited his
brother, Carroll, of Bryson City,
the past week end.? Cowee item.
10 YEARS AGO
Rep. Herbert A. McGlamery will
appoint as members of the Macon
County Board of Education the
five men nominated in last spring's
Democratic primary, he announ
ced shortly before his departure *
Monday for the opening of the
1947 General Assembly.
The Bank of Franklin in 1946
had the best year in its history,
Henry W. Cabe, cashier, reported
to the stockholders at their an
nual meeting. A dividend of 18
per cent was distributed.
State Highway Patrolman
Prltchard Smith. Jr., seized 720
gallons of non-tax paid liquor
Tuesday at 4:30 a. m. In the Flats
section.