Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Dec. 4, 1958, edition 1 / Page 2
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Sit* ffiwnklm |fcr ts* unit ?J?* Jltgbliutite ffintoainn Second dim mall prim**** authorised at Franklin. N. a Fuollshed mry Thursday by The Franklla Prw Telephone M Ktfbhehed in 1M$ M riU rrmnMUn Pre* Member N C. Frme Auoe Utiien. National Kditoriml imoairt torn, Oaro Un* Preet Photographer* Association. Charter member, Motional Conference of Weekly News-paper Editor ?. BOB 8. SLOAN Publisher and Advertising Manager WHMitSt JONB8 Editorial Editor J P BRADY News Editor MRS ROBERT BRYSON Office Manager MRS. BOB SLOAN Society Editor CARL P. CABE Operator Machinist CHARLES W HITTI NO TON . Operator PRANK A. STARRETTE Compoaltor O E CRAWFORD . . . .. . . . . . . Pressman HOWARD JOHNSON Sterotyper E CLEVE KINGSBKRRY Balffnsn DA nD SUTTON Commercial Printer SUBSCRIPTION RATES inaun MAiun i/iii/ni ? One Tetr 6b Moattu Three Month* Tiro Yean Three Tears $3 08 . . 2 80 . . 1 25 . . 525 . . 7.50 K/uialDm MACON tOONTT One Tew . . . $3.50 Six Months 225 Three Months .... 1.50 Two Tears 6.25 Three Tears 0.00 Depends On The People Everything is done better in a big city ; it is done better, toe, in proportion to the wealth of the city. * Of all the fallacies generally accepted by the public, that one, surely, is the most long-lived. It is also farthest from the truth. , Illustrating how wrong that assumption is are figures cited the other day by The New York Times; they deal with New York City's school buildings. Better than one-fourth of New York's schools, reports The Times, are about 50 years old or older. Then it gives this revealing breakdown on the age of buildings still in use: 112 were built between 1901 and 1910. 97 between 1891 and 1900. SO between 1881 and 1890. 16 between 1871 and 1880. 8 in the Civil War decade. 4 between 1851 and 1860. And I was built in 1841 ? 117 years ago. Compare that picture, in the biggest and one of the richest cities in the world, with the situation in tiny, relatively poor Macon County, which hasn't a school building in use that's more than 25 years old! Those figures illustrate what common sense should have dictated, even without them: Some times the big city does something better than the village: sometimes the village does it better than the city. Size has nothing to do with it, and wealth very little. It all depends on the people who live there. I ? Out Of Yesterday x We Americans are great throwers-away-ers. Especially, if a thing is old, we are quick to discard it in favor of something new ? with little or no re gard to whether the new really is better. And some times the old things have their points. Today many of us go to antique shops and pay five prices for articles that, 25 years ago, we couldn't wait to get out of the house. Gradually, we seem to be learning bettter. Out at Patton Chapel, where they are building a new church, for instance, they decided to keep and use the old church benches. And lo! when they remov ed the many layers of paint and other finish the benches had acquired in fheir some 70 years, beau tiful yellow poplar boards 15 to 18 inches wide were revealed ? lumber that could not be bought today. ,Mo4t congregations would have insisted on buy ing new pews ? exactly like those in every other chutxh. At I'atton (and the same thing happened at Mount Zion Church), they'll have, in the re fitiished old benches,' pews of a sturdiness and beauty that could not be duplicated. In addition, they'll have a tangible and inspiring link with the church's honored past. Neat Racket A little known abuse of unemployment compen sation is brought into the open by The State maga zine, which tells the story of a company that signed a contract with the union to give employes three weeks' vacation, with pay. * "V Here is how it was going to do it: Tha iifil) ? would be iaM off" by the company, which would (hat down ita plant. Then the workeri would a#pty far waylay meat compensation. The company ii'iali aufce UP the difference between the Insurance pay ment* aad the rtfvLar wage. The (aim would get three wedu' paid vacation, and Hi* I upa 1 1 ? i would be aback far a food part of it. In this particular case, The State .points out, this The Criflea neat little racket was detected and broken up. It has long been our understanding, though, that a considerable number of North Carolina industries use ? usually, no doubt, within the letter of the law ? the Unemployment Compensation program in similar ways. (Incidentally, it is not the tax payers generally who pay most of the penalty in these cases, but other, honest employers.) Abuse of this program, apparently, is not con fined to the group we've heard so much about, the employes; it extends to employers, too. Theoretically, it's a fine .program. But the whole subject needs re-study, and the law setting up the program needs re-writing. If the abuses aren't remedied, a long-suffering public finally will de mand the law's outright repeal. A Figure And Two Facts Considerable criticism has been directed at pub lic welfare departments in recent months, in con nection with Aid to Dependent Children funds al lotted for the support of children born out of wed lock. ' \ The program tends to encourage illegitimacy, it has been charged. ^ Replying, the N. C. Association of Superinten dents of Public Welfare has come up with an in teresting figure and two interesting facts. \ > The figure is 7x/i per cent. Of children born out of wedlock in North Carolina, only 7J4 per cent are receiving Aid to Dependent Children grants, the superintendents report. What about the other 92 Yx per cent? Either their unwed mothers permit them to be adopted or, perhaps out of pride, find a way to support them without public assistance. And the two facts: Fact No. 1 ? Under the law, welfare superinten dents are permitted to make no distinction between the legitimate and the illegitimate child. If a child is in need and otherwise is eligible, a grant must be made. Replying to the criticism that the unwed moth ers spend the assistance funds granted them un wisely, the superintendents point to Fact No. 2. The law expressly forbids a welfare superintendent to instruct a recipient of aid money how to spend it. On its face, that last seems incredibly stupid. The superintendents themselves feel it is wrong. But they point out that the law carrying that provis ion can be changed only by public pressure. Nor can it be changed by a board of county commis sioners or a state legislature. It is a federal law. The U. S. government provides most of the money, and so dictates the regulations. Circle (Irish Digest, Dublin) Following the first showing of a film adapted from a novel by a famous Irish author, he was asked what he thought of It. "Very good film," he replied. "Who wrote the story?" "You did," was the answer. "We got It from your book." "I wouldn't have known It," said the author. "But It would make an excellent novel. Mind If I use it?" "Of course not, so long as you give us an option on the film rights." South To Blame (Riclftnond Times-Dispatch) No matter where Interracial trouble breaks out, the South, It seems, is bound to be the goat. Latest evidence of this is the brawl in Brooklyn on an elevated train "as a climax to two days of racial unrest" at Brooklyn's Franklin K. Lane High School. A Negro gang called "The 8 torn pen" was Involved, and members of both races were arrested. Principal Harry Eisner of the school Is quoted by the As sociated Press as saying: "I believe that the Insecurity and unrest between Ne groes and whites has been provoked by the situation in Arkansas and Virginia." Fifteen years ago, when horrible race riots broke out in Detroit and Harlem, the same sort of explanation came from the NAACP and other similar aourois. it was all the fault of the white South, said they? even though the white South had had no comparable riots In several decades. So now, with fights, brawls and muggings occurring almost daily, not only In Brooklyn, but in many other parts of New York City, the blame la put on the white South? not on those who are responsible for having forced the white and colored races into unwonted and unaccustomed proximity all over New York. No doubt the British race riots were also the fault of Arkansas and Virginia. Invading Privacy (Washington Post) The reasoning by which Judge Holtzoff upheld the police in collecting evidence by driving a voice-pickup device into a wall illustrates how easily rights may be frittered away. This device, Judge Holtzoff concluded, differs only slightly from a detectaphone placed against a wall to listen in on conversa tions on the other side. As use of the detectaphone to gather evidence has been authorized, the Judge says, the police may go a little further and drive a 12-lnch spike into the wall so that they may eavesdrop more effectively. By the same reason ing they could go still a little further and tap telephone wires or plant recording devices in private quarters. The trend of the reasoning, it seems to us, ought to run in the other direction. The Fourth Amendment guarantees to all persons the right "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seiz ures." It is difficult to reconcile with this established right the use of a detectaphone placed against a wall. Go a little further ^nd penetrate a wall with a listening instrument and the invasion of privacy seems clear. A line must oe drawn somewhere, and it certainly ought to be kept outside the premises In which privacy is guaranteed. STRICTLY PERSONAL ? w Moat of us are * lot Ilk? orerr body alM. (And son* of us. like the writer at tbt*. maybe are mora too What I have In mind la that I. Uke everybody else, bare some pronounced likes and dislikes. And scale like everybody else, I get mast outdone when It's a member of the family who does one of the things I don't like. That's #hy. perhaps, some of the things I don't like the moat are the things done by members of the journalistic family, things I see In newspapers. There Is that widespread prac tice among newspapers, for In stance, of calling a man flatly by his last name, without any handle before It. They'll Identify him first as "William C. Brown", but after that It's plain "Brown". "Brown said", v Brown thought", "Brown went", etc. Now nobody has had more to say In recent years about "human dignity" than newspapers. Why. then, not show some respect for the dignity of the Individual, no matter how low his estate, by oall lng him Mister? Why not "Mr. Brown"? Dropping all the misters saves space, of course. But does It save enough space to be the real rea son. Could It that somebody, some where, started the practice, and everybody else followed suit, with out stopping to ask why? (When that question pops into my mind. I get irritable. For the answer bears on the sense, or lack of It, of newspaper folk. And the an swer could be. yes.) As a matter of fact, though, everybody didn't follow suit. Not quite everybody. Because I could mention two good newspapers that still say "Mr. Brown". One la The Mew Tor* TUoh The other la The Franklin Pi tm I Bv w wont, for my moo mj. la the newspaper practice of referr lot to an unmarried woman m "Sarah Jonea". And In thoee news papers that do that, she's "Sarah Jones", whether she's 18 and ob scure or M. with a distinguished career behind her. ("Rules, you know; cant afford to art a pre cedent.") Why net call her what she Is. "Miss Sarah Jones"? Quite aside from the question of showing re spect for the "human dignity" of the Individual, that would have the newspaper virtue of helping to Identify her; K would tell the reader she's the an married Sarah Jones. Strangely, though, the news papers that persist In saying "Brown" aad In saying "Sarah Jones", when next they refer to her caU her "Miss Jones". Why not Just "Jones", as we'd do if she were a man? Could it be (and I blush to think about it) that the folks in my profession on rare occasion aren't entirely consistent? There's evidence of inconsist ency. 'though, because If Sarah Jones is married we do use a handle; we call her "Mia. Sarah Jones". The reader is presumed, we suppose, to have been born with knowledge of the newspaper rule that says If there's no handle before a woman's name, she's un married! Worst of all, though, to me, Is referring to a married woman by her given name; "Mrs. Mary Smith" Instead of "Mrs. John H. Smith". SATURDAY NICHT IN AULD SCOTLAND Remember Harry Lauder and his songs? (But of oourse none of you young folks can, you poor things.) There was one he sang about the Joys of Saturday night up there In bonnle Scotland In the song. Harry made quite a nlcht of It, what with one thing or anlther. And at a certain time he'd pause and conseederrr. There was one sentence he'd try himself out on and If he could say It straight, all was well. Here's the way the song ended: "If ye can say 'it's a braw brlcht moonlicht nlcht', Ye're a'richt, ye ken!" ?Southern Pines Pilot That la Inf urroot by the rides of the book; nor* 't ? * ? * It la Incorrect by the rules of oam noo sense. For after all. she la tha aui wife. And If ahe took hie laat ?a when ahe married him, <Hdnt *? take the reat of It, too? And last the average married woman bet ter known aa "Mrs. John H. Smith", than aa "Mr*. Mary Smith"? "Mr*. Mary Smith" baa another disadvantage ; It mgrnati the woman la a widow or divorced. Since the purpose of Ualng nn.m*? u to identify Deoole. wtaar not use the name that will Identify them best to moat people? (There are, of course, the rare exception* to this rule, like any other; a few married women In business or the professions make a point of using their given npmea. and so are best known by them.) To me. nothing sounds so much like it came from the bacfcwaods as calling a married woman "Mrs. Mary Smith" Instead of "Mrs. John H. Smith". The rule bosks say It's Ignorant, too. Why do so many newspapers Insist on this practice? Well, It could be that somebody, somewhere, started the practice, and everybody else followed suit, without giving the matter any real thought. But If that Is true, then news papers. who are such advocatea at non-conformity, would appear t? be right smart conformist them selves . . . ?' ? ? See what I mean about getting worst riled about something, when It's somebody In the family wfaa does it? I UNCLE ALEX'S SAYIN'S They'* no thin' like runain' in circles, way meat of as da, U git wdm. Heap of the yeunguaa nowa days dent seem to gtt aa pleasure eat o* nothln'. OhU be 'cause they ain't never want ed entiwUihi' real bard beta* they gat K. White hah and wrtnkka is pretty or ugly, dependla' an how you got 'em. Ain't nathU' any more beautiful than hair turned white ahattlln' trials, or wrlnklea that eome while character waa a-bnlldln'. DO YOU REMEMBER? looking Backward Through the Piles of The Trmm U TEAKS AGO THIS WEEK U?S) "Zackly shore". Uncle Jeff. Hopper Is married again. He married Thanksgiving day. He married Mrs. Mary Hopper, * widow. Mrs. Mary Is now No. 3. uncle Jeff. Is constitutionally opposed to being a widower, "zackly shore" he Is. Cpts. Deadwyler and Boyd, of Mayavllle, Ga., have been In our community during most of the past week, horse trading. Lyle qpd Shepherd's saw mill has been kept busy during the past week sawing out timber for the new bridge near the Iotla ford. We learn that the Iron for the bridge Is at the depot at Dlllsboro. , 35 TEAKS AGO (IMS) Construction of a band saw mill, which when completed will have a capacity output of 25,000 to 30,000 board feet of lumber a day, was started In Franklin last week by the Zick graf- Warren Lumber Company. Franklin Is going to have a municipal golf course and swim ming pool. The golf course and Camp Nlkwasl, comprising a tract of 90 acres, was deeded to the town last week by Miss Lauri. M. Jones, and 20 men employed under the Civil Works program were set to work Thanksgiving day excavating for a large swimming pool. 10 YEARS AGO The first Macon County men to be Inducted Into the armed forces under the 1947 draft act left Franklin Tuesday. The three In this first group were George Richard Williamson, Bob Gray McClure, and James Wllbert Waldroop. REFRESHING COMMENTS Mother Speaks Out On What School Children Aren t TcLcht Greens Ino Lailu AViv.? Often refreshing comments on America's education dilemma come from minds uncluttered by educational palaver and gobbledy gook recited by high priests of the Inner temple. Such was the case at an Aycock Junior High School education panel where Mrs. M. B. Bennett, a wise and devoted school patron, offered a layman's point of view. Mrs. Bennett's speech put into words what countless parents have been trying to express and. fail ing, hoped someone else would do. Here are her comments In the realm of curriculum ? a hot sub ject In Oreensboro and through out the state: "I sat In this auditorium one day and heard students ask: 'Will such and such a course be offered In high school?' and heard the answer. 'If enough of you want It, It will be offered.' I wondered then and I wonder now If that Is the criterion for curriculum. "I heard one of our prominent businessmen say one day, 'If pro gressive education means to pass a child whether or not he has completed a standard of work, I am against It.' A prevalent doctrine In our schools, It seems. Is that a pupil must not be al lowed to tall. Academic failure is not synonymous with every kind of success or failure, but is one of many human capabilities and aptitudes. Pew of us have reached maturity unhelped by failure. . . . "Another criticism leveled at public schools is that too much time is spent on the things young people can and should learn out side the schools. I heard a mother say the other day. 'I was thrilled when I saw my son marching on thavfleld with the band ? and they marched beautifully, but I was not so thrilled when t found he had to make up two biology testa he had missed while he was out drill ing for that march.' "I stood in the gym at Senior High one day and watched a class take instruction In fly casting. "I have had my child say. more than once. 'I had the best time In school today. 1 worked on the mural all day while the rest of the class hid to do old arithmetic and spelling.' The mural had to be finished for the art exhibit, and he was not an artist, but a de pendable child with a sense of color. "Have you ev?r had your child say to you, when you have pointed out a mistake, perhaps on a map or a theme, 'Oh. that's all right. She does not expect this to be perfect.' ' "I have thrilled as you have at the excellent performance of the band at Senior High School, and have wondered If the same time, discipline, drill and high standards of performance were re quired in the fields of academic endeaver what the results would be. "We want our children to have the tools with which to work, and we pay for them. Have you taken a good look at your child's text books recently? A seventh grade social study teacher told me she has found several mistakes In the book from which she was asked to teach: an eighth grade teacher told one of my boys any eighth grader who wanted to oould read the history book in a couple of hours from which he was to teach a whole course. Another teacher I know In Greensboro finally de cided she could not use the text assigned to hqr; It was so poor; so she had made up mimeograph ed sheets summarizing another, from which she taught. "I have called spelling from the same old speller for years, a list of words. Spelling as a subject Is not taught after the eighth grade but In the 10th grade Eng lish book considerable space Is given to rules of spelling. Surely there Is a speller which correlates the rules and the words." Mrs. Bennett showed courage of a high order when she offered these concrete examples of de ficiencies In the public school curriculum. As a mqther of chil dren In school she may find her family subject to reprisals. Others who have spoken out have. They have found their own children penalized because par ents too openly criticized school curriculum. Yet, nothing tangible will be done unless more Informed par ents, teachers and citizens speak up for a sound core curriculum. Tills Is not an attack on the harassed, overworked teachers. They have more than they can handle. But It Is criticism of the school hierarchy ? the higher-ups. They should Interest themselves In this subject, and fight some of the school trends. A state-wide school committer, sponsored by the State Board of Education and financed by the Richardson Pundatlon, Is at work on a curriculum study. It Is cran ing the core curriculum of North Carolina's public schools. It Is trying to determine whether extracurricula activities have tak en over the schools, to the det riment of sound education. Possibly there is a local branch of this state committee In your community. (There Is In Greens boro.) If you have something to contribute, seek It out, and let your voice be heard. The only way to Improve Ameri can education is to get in there and do something about It on the local level.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 4, 1958, edition 1
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