Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Sept. 10, 1959, edition 1 / Page 2
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Ulhe llighlanite HJarmttan WEIMAR JONES Editorial Page Editor The editor controls ana' takes full responsibility for this page. He has no control over or responsibility for what appears elsewhere in the paper. THI RSDAY. SEPT. 10. 1959 2 VITAL QUKSTIONS Nantahala-Duke Deal * Last week's announcement of the proposed sale of Nantahala Power and Light Company's distri bution facilities to Duke Power Company must have been received with a sense of regret by many persons in this six-county region.* Regret, because it is always sad to learn that any good citizen, whether individual or corporate, may die; and the Nantahala company, as a public service corporation, has been a good citizen. Its at titude usually has been public-spirited, and it has served the public well. Not only has its service to its town customers been prompt, efficient, and courteous; it did a superb job of rural service when it made electricity available to more than 90 per cent of the rural people in its area. Along with that, many must have had a feeling of personal sympathy with the thrill of pride it surely gave Duke's president, Franklin native W. B. McGuire, to make the announcement. To him, that undoubtedly was a little like coming back home. ' Those factors, however, have no bearing on the only two really vital questions the proposal raises: 1. Would the sale be in the public interest? 2. Cat) the proposal be morally justified as an honest discharge of an1 obligation? * * * Unfortunately,' the announcement from Charlotte left unanswered almost as many questions as it answered. Result :' Public confusion. One iniportant tiling it- -did", say seems to have been overlooked bv some readers: The sale is not an accomplished fact. It cannot go into etlect un til and Unless, it is approved bv the N. ( ? I tilities Commission and the Federal Power Commission. F.ut tin- statement left many things unsaid: - ? It did not sav what is to happen to Xanta hala employes. TheV arc our neighbors and friends, and we'd all like- to know: loyalties run deep here. ? It did not sav whether the (leal would mean the loss to Franklin of a" industry ? and a very high-type industry, at that ? which now employs approximately 150 persons. ? It did not say, in specific terms, just what are the differences in X'ant'ahala aiid Duke rates. ? It referred to a possible general revision of Duke rates, hut it did not say, or even hint, wheth er such a revision is anticipated, or is a mere far off possibility. ? One curious omission was the failure to even mention the fine Power Company building here. (We understand it would be included in the sale.) ? Nor did the statement explain how it is eco nomically justifiable to send most of the power that's already here out of the state, to Maryville, Tenn., and then go to -the expense of bringing Duke power in from elsewhere. This whole matter is one in which the public has a stake: and we respectfully suggest that the public is entitled to have all the facts, to have the an swers to all the questions, not just some of them. * ak 3k Would the sale he in the public interest? That will he determined hy public utility regu latory bodies. And while it would seem such bodies should take the initiative in making sure the pub lic's interests are safeguarded, in practice such bodies seem inclined to assume that everything is just fine, unless there is a public outcry. In short, until and unless the public is convinced that this sale would be in its interest, it will be up to the public to make itself heard. ~ . * * * Can the proposal be morally justified as an hon est discharge of an obligation? Let's ^o back a bit. What is most surprising about the announce ment is not that a sale is proposed, but that it wasn't proposed a long time ago. Because the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), which owns Nantahala, is not in the power-selling busi ness; Xantahala, in fact, is its only subsidiary now engaged in retailing power. Alcoa's business is the production of aluminum, and its interest in the generation of power arises from the fact it takes vast quantities of electricity to produce aluminum. How, then, did Alcoa (through its Nantahala subsidiary) get into the power-selling business? This way: A good many years ago, it wanted cer tain sites lor hydro-electric development. The quickest and most economical way? and the only sure way ? to. get them was through condemnation proceedings. But it could condemn only as a public service corporation; that is it could go into court and force an owner to sell only if the power to be produced was for the public. How does the proposed sale fit in with that? Well, Alcoa would hold on to its big plants in this area, sites obtained via condemnation ; but the power from those plants no longer would be avail able to the public, but to Alcoa alone. ? That is, what it was permitted to take, in order to serve the public, it now proposes to appropriate to its own, exclusive use. Time For Cheers The new labor law enacted last week by Con gress is a compromise between the rather mild Senate bill and the rather strong House bill. Like most compromises, it undoubtedly is not ideal ; but also like most compromises, it may prove more workable than a so-called ideal bill. How effective it will be in doing what it should do ? that is, curbing the abuses and excesses of labor without seriously hampering labor's legiti mate efforts and aims ? ?only time will tell. What is perhaps even more significant, though, than the question of how good the legislation is, is the fact that any labor legislation was enacted. It was only the other day that at least one labor leader publicly threatened the lawmakers. And it has been only a few weeks since informed Wash ington correspondents flatly predicted there would be no labor legislation at this session of Congress ? ? Congress would not jja.re offend labor. But ;Congress did dare! And North Carolina can take pride in the fact that its Senator Sam J. Krvin, Jr., co-author with Senator Kennedy of the Senate bill, and its Rep. Graham A. Barden were leaders in the fight for labor legislation. It has become the fashion to sneer at Congress and all its works. Well-, -this is a time for cheers. LETTERS 'Gross Breach Of Faith' Dear Weimar: I would appreciate it if you would publish this letter in the Press. As you can see, it is a copy of a letter to the State Utilities Commission on the proposed sale of the Nan tahala Power and Light Company. . JOSEPH W. KAHN, M D. Franklin Chairman, North Carolina Utilities Commission, Raleigh, North Carolina Dear Sir: I was surprised and shocked to read In yesterday's Frank lin Press and Asheville Citizen that the Aluminum Company of America was planning to sell the Nantahala Power and Light Company to the Duke Power Company, with the ex ception of the major hydro-electric plants. In 1940, when Alcoa started to build their system of hydro-electric plants, they acquired much land in these western counties of North Carolina. Some of this land was bought without difficulty and some by threats of condem nation proceedings. But it was all acquired with the Implied understanding that, primarily, the people of the area would benefit 'by what was being done and, secondarily, Alcoa would benefit by using the surplus power produced at their aluminum plants In Tennessee. Now Alcoa Is planning to sell out and we will be supplied with power from these hydro-electric plants only until such time as Duke Power Company can build transmission lines Into the area and supply us with power from their own plants. The consumers who were supposedly receiving the primary power are being deserted. Power produced in this GROWING PAINS a HAVE A FORMER ENGAGEMENT ITS AWFULLY Of VOUTO ASK me, PRINCE. BUT NICE CONNECTICUT MUTUAL Secret Romance Is there a mother apywhere who can't remember a scene like this? Remember the heartaches, the almost unbearable yearnings, the tormenting fear that you wouldn't b<( popular? And remember the dread of intrusion at those moments? Respect Susie's privacy. Her emotions can be thrown into a turmoil very easily. She needs understanding. She craves the assurance of her mother's unwavering affection. area Is all to be used elsewhere. This Is a gross breach of (alth and renunciation of obligations. The newspaper releases stated that where Nantahala Power and Light Company rates are lower than Duke rates, these will be kept In effect and that where Duke Power Company rates are lower, these will be put in effect. This sounds fine until one reads further and finds that this ar rangement holds only until such time as there Is a general revision of rates either at the instance of the Utilities Com mission or upon application by Duke Power Company. On the whole the latter company's rates are now higher than those of the Nantahala Power and Light Company. For ex ample, on residential rates, although Duke Power Company charges only 8 cents per kwh for the first 10 kwh and Nantahala Power and Light Company charges 8>/h cents per kwh for the first 15 kwh, the minimum Duke Power Com pany rate is I'A cents per kwh whereas the Nantahala Power and Light Company's minimum rate Is only 7 mills. There are many people heating their homes with electricity In this area and this would work a great hardship on them. Instead of an electric power bill being perhaps $35 to $40 per month In the winter, It would be $60 to $65 per month. When Duke Power Company builds Its own transmission lines into this area and brings power from its steam plants here, they will have to raise the rates because of the in creased cost of production and transmission. Another objection to the sale of the Nantahala Power and Light Company, which cannot be Ignored, Is that without doubt some of the present employes of this company will be left without jobs. The Nantahala Power and Light Company has served the consumers of this area for a number of years. The service has been excellent. Their rates have been lower than is a good portion of the United States. When lands were acquired from the people here to build the hydro-electric plants, they assumed an obligation to the people. I feel that they should not be allowed to produce cheap power here to use elsewhere and force upon their old customers a system which, of necessity, will Increase the power rates and per haps put some people out of work. Yours truly, Joseph W. Kahn, M.D. Just What People Want ' (Windsor, Colo., Beacon) Today's Democratic party policy Is almost exactly opposite that it followed In the beginning and for almost 100 years. The Democratic party came Into existence in the year 1829, as one faction in a split In the so-called "Democratic-Re publican" party. The other faction did not become the Re publican party of today; it died out almost at once. Democrats down through the years stood for Jeffersonlah democracy ? a minimum of executive action by the federal government; a let-alone policy In economic and political ac tivity. My, what has happened? Well, some of the change came about In Wilson's era, but by far most of the complete switcheroo in policy came during FDR's administration, and those following. It would seem that if the Democrats were to switch back to their time-worn philosophy then they'd have exactly the platform the American people are waiting for. DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through tbe Files ot The Press 65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1894) R. H. Jarrett & Sons are hauling up the brick from the yard and putting them down to commence building the new Franklin hotel. i Misses Birdell Robertson and Kate Robinson leave today for AshevlUe to enter the Female college. Three threshers threshed out about 24,500 bushels of small grain in Macon County this season. Mr. Will McKee surprised four men in his melon patch Friday night, and says he made it interesting for one, and may Interest others later. w 35 YEARS AGO dm> It is now practically assured that work will begin in the next few days on the paving of the Georgia Road from Franklin to the State line, with a 16-foot concrete roadway. Uncle Joab Crisp celebrated his 84th birthday August 13. He is the father of 12 children, 52 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren. 15 YEARS AGO (1944) 'The town board, at a meeting Monday night, made appro priations for rest benches, to be placed along Phillips Street, near the Square and the jail. Mr. and Mrs. George W. McGee, of Franklin, have announc ed the marriage of their daughter, Virginia Elizabeth, to Glenn William Hastings, of Franklin, Route 2. 5 YEARS AGO (1954) The Nantahala community will celebrate the blacktopping of the road from U. S. 19 at Beechertown to the Nantahala School, at a meeting Wednesday night at the school. 'A KIND OF M 1DNESS' Yet Earth Still Takes Year To Circle Sun! , MARTHA'S VINEYARD (Island) GAZETTE We hear of the arrest of motor ists who have been clocked, at a speed of fifty miles or more, on the streets of Island towns. We are not sure but that it may be a mistake to take these motorists into the district court at Edgar town. It would be more appropri ate to have them appear before Congress, or even before some international tribunal to explain why under the sun they should have been driving at the rate of fifty miles an hour in a town on Martha's Vineyard. The whole world should be let In on the secret of such obscure motives. But probably all the trouble would be wasted, because at bot tom a kind of madness is involved. It derives from genetics. For the past generation or two our civili zation has been breeding a fast variety of the human race. A lot of people among us are in motion because their nature ab hors a state of rest. To such as these the more motion the better. Faster, faster! The internal com bustion engine is one with the latter-day human heart. Faster, faster! What torment it must be to the speed-people to realize that it still requires a year for the earth to circle the sun, and an unimagin able vastness of time for light to reach the earth from a distant star. A whole summer produces an unimpressive growth ring for a tree, and there is no hurrying the harvest of apples or golden 106 or acorns. And how long does it take, in preparation and study and fallow times, to produce one nicely rounded human thought? \ STRICTLY PERSONAL By WEIMAR JONES It's remarkable how often we say the wrong thing. Or is it? Is it. in view of the number of chances there are for us to say the wrong thing; because we speak thousands, maybe millions, of words in the course of a year ? some of us, in the course of a month! And, in saying all those words, there are at least four different ways we can slip up. First of all. there's the slip of the tongue. It's so easy to trans pose words, or syllables in a single word. All my life I've wondered, for instance, why the little word "hell-o" doesn't sometime come out with its two syllables trans posed. Then there are the slips of the brain; the times your mind, for some Inexplicable reason, tells your tongue to say the exact opposite of what is intended. As long as I live, I'll never forget my sensa tion when I realized I'd said to a man who recently had lost his ?wife: "I was so glad to hear of your wife's death". And there are the times, the innumerable times, when what you say sounds like something quite different from what you mean, when it comes out. It was with the best intentions in the world, for instance, that I said to a woman I hadn't seen In years: "My! you look like a million". I meant it, of course, as a com pliment. Imagihe my open-mouth ed astonishment when she replied, icily: "Well! I assure you I don't feel that old." It's ignorance, though], that gets you in wrong oftcnest, and deep est. If you doubt that, try asking a physician about one of his pa tients. only to have him reply, sourly: "He died". The question iS inspired by a genuine interest in the condition of the patient, and in the doctor's success in treating him. Yet, for all your good intentions, the cordial coh versation. along with the patient, suddenly is dead ? and you wjsh you were. My most embarrassing experi ence of that sort had to do with a one-time neighbor of ours who had moved away, years ago. When I saw him, one day, quite unexpectedly, I greeted him en thusiastically. I really was glad to see him. Then, out of politeness, and again with the best of inten tions. I asked: "And how is your wife?" His voice dropped to a shocked whisper: "Why, didn't you know? She's dead." Then, with a bright smile: "I'm here on my honeymoon . . . with my second wife." In a case like that, what in heck can a man say? Anything he i^ys will be wrong; in this case, every thing I said was. "O. I'm so sorry", I blurted out. Immediately. I realized thai wouldn't do, so I hastily added "I mean I'n\ glad." That made it worse; so I triec again; "You have my deepest sym pa thy". I don't remember all the othe: wrong things I said, as I f lounderec in that mess; for the whole lnci dent seems like a bad, a very bai dream . . . and you rarely reMem ber all of a dream. ' 'Please Help Look After Her' | (EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was written to the Elmira, N. Y? Advertiser. But it so well de scribes the feelings of parents everywhere, it might well have been written by some Macon County parent to The Press.) Dear Driver: A few weeks ago, I saw a little girl struck by a car as she tried to cross the street. I saw a father race toward her and hold her to him as she struggled in the agony of death. I saw all the plans that had been made for her dashed and I saw the look of despair that came over his face. I could only offer a prayer that such a thing might, never happen again. Yesterday my daughter, who is six years old, started off to school. Her cocker spaniel, whose name is Scott, watched her leave and whined his beiief in the folly of education. Tonight we talked about school. She told me about the girl who sits in front of her, a girl with yellow curls: about the teacher who has eyes in the back of her head: about the trees in the school yard and the big girl who does not believe in Santa Claus. We talked about a lot of thing ? tremendously vital and unin portant things. Now, as this is written, she i sound asleep with doll "Paddy" i her arms. When her doll gets broken o her finger gets cut or her hea gets bumped, I can fix them. Bi when she starts across the s^f ? then, Mrs. Driver, she is in yoi hands. Much as I wish I could, it not possible for me to be with hi all the time. I have to work to pa for her home, her clothes, h< education. So, Mr. Driver, please help rr to look out for her. Please dril carefully. Please drive slowly pa schools and at intersections. Ar please remember that sometim* children run from behind parks cars. Please don't run over my \litt girl. " With deepest thanks for wha ever you can do for her, I am Very sincerely your FATHER MOLES AND EXPERTS 'Blind' Burrowers London TIMES WEEKLY REVIE J When Shakespeare tells you to tread softly, lest the blind mole hear your footfall, he was show ing his usual acute perceptiveness In matters of natural history ? though, to be sure, the mole is not really blind, for it has minute eyes. ?? But its hearing is excellent ? possibly it "hears" by hyper-seni tive reaction to vibrations ? and I was astounded recently to see BUT WATCH HOW I PITCH! The 8-year-old said: "Watch me. Daddy", as he tossed up a ball and swung at it with a bat. He missed it so he tried again. An other try and'b third miss. Then he turned to me and said: "See what a good pitcher I am." ? Chicago Tribune. moles burrowing In a dump onl roadside in Hampshire and quiH ignoring my approach until I actually touched them. "oH they're always there," saifl tfl woman at the coffee stand neartaH "I'm always seeing them." Well, this hardly fits in wiH what the books say about moleH I can only think these Han^J shire animals have grown fat a^| lazy with easy living. AnywgH it was a unique chance to and watch the mole's technipH of burrowing ? it does not dH but forces itself forward with H scraperlike hands and uses H snout as a bulldozer, shoving tH soil aside as It goes, with vigoroH use of the neck muscles. When^l touched one mole, it stopped ro^| ing, half turned on its side, a^| made defensive thrusts with H nose, but made no effort to under. This animal is a voracious eat^| consuming more than its o\^| weight In food every 24 houH which explains the abundancy mole hills in the fields and tH beautiful tilth which its ceasel^l burrowing had created on .tlH Hampshire dump. Mole hills till be a bit of a hindrance on faiH land ? though the crumbled scH when spread, Is as beneficial worm casts ? but it should I borne in mind that the good^l mole does by devouring insects outweighs the harm. Nevertheless, we have the spH tacle of one lot of agricultu^| experts devising ways of trappi^^ moles, while another team Is bi^| thinking of ways of killing har^| ful Insects! IF IT WERE I ONLY TRUE! I Flattery is something yqu h<H about yourself that you wish w^H true.? Okawville (HI.) Times. 1
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Sept. 10, 1959, edition 1
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