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Editorial Page Editor
NOW WHAT?
r When Doctors Disagree
ii v ?
What do we do now about Franklin's water
problem ?
Mr. H. H. lMemmons and Mr. W. Russell Cabe,
local engineers whose character and interest in the
Community are beyond question, present one set of
figures and conclusions. Messrs. Harwood Beebe,
reputable Spartanburg engineering firm, present
wholly different figures and conclusions.
To add to the confusion, the Ilarwood Beebe
figures are somewhat different from those it came
Up with earlier.
We can jlo any one of three things.
We can blindly accept the Plemmons Cabe find
ings and ignore those from Harwood Beebe.
We can blindly accept the Harwood Beebe find
ings and ignore the Plcmmons-C'abe' report.
Or we can get an independent outside engineer,
One who has had no connection with the problem,
and so can approach it free of cither preconceived
ideas or the quite human desire to be proved right.
Worth Remembering
t
Farm income in the U. S. is down, way down.
It's down, despite the subsidies and the huge sur
pluses those subsidies have creatcd.
So! Do we just repeal the subsidy law and in alee
everything lovely?
Maybe Hut we'd do well to remember, before
we jump to hasty conclusions, that it was just
such a drop in farm income, more than thirty
year- ago, that set off the Great Depression.
I -???? sS ' ? ' ' " T ' ?-v*'TTrSBL7" J
Peculiar Commodity
Nearly two hundred years ago, we Americans
renounced kings and outlawed titles. Yet today
nothing intrigues us so much as monarchies and
titles.
It wis news all over the United States, for ex
ample, when a son was born last month to Japan's
Crown Prince and Princess. When England's
Queen Elizabeth gave birth to a third child, a boy,
Americans were as excited and pleased as if it had
been a new baby right in their own family. And
when a 29-year old English girl announced her en
gagement, we were all agog ? - because the girl
was the Princess Margaret.
Which ill goes to show that the nature we call
human is a peculiar commodity ? especially the
American brand.
About Time
How iat. should the United States government
Xo in seeking the good opinion Of the peoples of
the world ?
We don i pretend to Know the full answer to
that hard ?jiiest ion. Hut surely there is a limit;
and the evidence Surest s we have Ions' since p;ts,s
cd that lis: :)..ITow Silly this fear of offending. some
bods can >>e is illustrated by the latest Chessman
reprieve. ? >nvieted of murder and i half a dozen
Othe" ci ?. some 1 1 years ago, < hessman ofure
more Is 'i- ;-'ped. tfv (leritl; >wialiy ; this time be
cause of ; !d ? v\ 1 clamor about some
thing ih ?. n<> affair ol tin- -world. I le. was given
a lies r v> because Washington feared demon
strations Sontb America Qiight embarrass Pres
ident l*;isr; bower on his tofir* of that continent.
Isn't i >')o u time, in purely domestic matters,
for- this i i-ion to do what any individual, /with an
Ounce of ?uiia^e and sense would do ? decide
what see m ^ right and wise and act accordingly,
without t i i nee to what somebody may think?
Ultima- :ly, that's probably the only way we can
win the respect of the world. Certainly, it's the
only way we can retain our self-respect.
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be
lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations
under them ? Thoreau.
Less 1 Iran Self-bvident
\ 1 1 of tin arc inclined t < ? be carried away by pur
own iiit hivsiasmst. '
Wc think perhaps a case in point may be this
claim of the North Carolina Malt Beverage Control
Institute, in an advertisement:.
" 'facgal control' laws (governing the sale of al
coholic beverages) . . . are working better than
am other system ever devised."
Well, now, wc wonder. At a time when consump
tion of alcoholic beverages' is more widespread than
ever before in this nation's history, and when al
coholism is at an all-time high, wc wonder if that
claim isn't a trifle less than self-evident.
Where Are We?
Jerry R. Gordrey, of Chicago, told the N. C.
Farm Bureau Federation in Asheville the other day
that the cycle of human development follows this
"pattern :
Bondage; spiritual courage; freedom; abun
dance; selfishness; apathy; dependence; and, final
ly, a return to bondage.
In which of those phases is the United States
today? ,
Could Use More Of It
"The President is wrong' when he says he knows
more about modern weaponry than anyone else.
. . . Modern weaponry has moved beyond his com
prehension, and he proves it every week."
So declares Mr. John (I. Lanphier, Jr.
Maybe' so, maybe not. The average American
doesn't- know,- will reserve judgment.
Wh?t most impresses the average American is
that Mr. Lanphier resigned a $50,000 a year job,
as a vice president of a company "that makes
weapons for the government, for the privilege of
speaking his mind.
J
1 hat's the kind o( personal independence and
courage we could use a lot .more of.
Not A Whisper
Back a few years ago, during the trouble about
segregated buses in Montgomery, Ala., there were
anguished cries from self-labeled liberals about how
wicked it would be for the Montgomery whites to
put economic pressure on the Negroes there.
Today Negroes are staging sit-downs in lunch
counters throughout the South, and the Congress
of Racial Equality has jumped into the fray. It has
organized boycotts of the northern branches of
chain stores that decline to serve Negr,oes in their
Southern stores. The Congress boasts of how ef
fective its boycotts have been in cutting down the
stores' sales volumes.
And what do the liberals who, a few years ago
were so horrified by the very thought of economic,
pressure, have to say now? Listen carefully. Can
you hear even li whisper?
I
More Decent, Too
(Northwest Colorado Press)
Truth is stranger than fiction and usually more decent.
Endangers Liberty, Too
(Rough Notes)
The young man who drives with one hand not only en
dangers life and limb, he puts his liberty in jeopardy, too.
End Of Story?
>i
(Fort Myers, Fla., News-Press)
A Jacksonville woman rammed her auto into a telephone
pole when a skunk jumped into the back seat . . . "That does
not sound like the end of the story.
This Wonderful Age Of Security
(Smithfield Herald)
Otto Graham, who is distinguished as one of the all-time
great players of college and professional football, says he has
turned down several offers to coach in the "big time" because
he is quite happy as commander in the U. S. Coast Guard and
coach of the Coast Guard Academy's "small icollcge" football
team. ,
Not only Is he free from the pressures of big-time football.
He says he has another big advantage: "When I wake up In
the morning, I don't have to wonder over whether I'll wear
a blue, gray or brown suit. X Just hop Into the uniform."
Lucky fellow! A worry-ffee existence! if the Coast Guard
were advertising for recruits on TV, the commercial would
probably run something like this: "Join the Coast Guard, you
cuss, and leave the decisions to us!"
Remember 'way back when the armed services appealed to
the adventurous?
Beatrice Cobb Highway
(West Jefferson Skyland Post)
If ever a person in North Carolina earned the right to have
a highway named in her honor, that person is the late Miss
Beatrice Cobb, Morganton newspaper publisher and secretary
of the North Carolina Press Association for 37 years.
The highway which should bear this name is the Jonas
Ridge road, number 181, leading from the parkway into Mor
ganton. This highway Is one of the most scenic in North
Carolina and provides a direct route to the beautiful Blue
Ridge Parkway.
Miss Cobb was always a booster for better roads In North
?Carolina and supported her beliefs not only through editorials"
in her newspaper, but by attending highway meetings, helping
to make surveys, circulating petitions and using other means
to determine the needs.
The Jonas Ridge road was a pet project of hers. She felt
that it was needed and never slowed down in her efforts,
until this dream became a reality.
E. B. Jeffries, once chairman of the North Carolina High
way Commission, recalls that when Miss Cobb first began her
efforts for this road he was doubtful that it could be b\iilt,
but that he and others to follow, looked, listened and acted.
And now this road is not only a big help to those who live In
the area, but to all others seeking this entrance to the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
Why not let this highway bear the name of Beatrice Cobb?
The name would not only honor a beloved publisher but
would be a reminder and an inspiration to others; for it
would stand as a monument to the efforts of a person who
enjoyed the beauties of North Carolina and wanted others to
share In this beauty.
What Goad?
(Baltimore Sun)
Dr. Charles Long, a Johns Hopkins economist, read an in
teresting paper in Washington the other day. It was a study
of the inter-relationship of unemployment, productivity and
inflation. Dr. Long's investigations show that inflation slows
down or halts when unemployment increases, and also that
this country has had its biggest spurts in productivity and
economic growth in times of considerable unemployment. He
attributes this to three "effects."
One is the "lubrication effect" of a labor supply that is
available and eager to work, which encourages expansion of
new firms and industries. Another is the "insecurity effect"
which encourages the employed to turn in a better day's work.
The third is the "pencil sharpening effect'' of declining sales
and stiff competition, which compels managers to tighten up
on their costs and produce more efficiently.
Like so much good scientific work, Dr. Long's paper simply
confirms a number of things that everybody knows ? things
embodied in such common expressions as the "spur of neces
sity" and "necessity is the mother of invention."
Necessity is the key word. In the harsh history of the hu
man race, necessity has been the great goad. The question
today is what goad may be substituted when necessity loses
its sharpness, as indeed it has most of the time throughout
the western world?
Communism has found one answer. Communism substitutes
compulsion for necessity. What's the answer where' freedom
reigns. Wed'd like to know.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Looking Backward Through the Files ot The Press
m> in i i'i iiiiinin ii 'i 1 1? ?
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(1895)
Messrs. J. P. Angel & Sons have moved their saddlery and
harness shop from Myers store room to the W. A. McConnell
house south of Public Square.
How dear to our heart is the face of a dollar, when some
kind subscriber presents it to view.
Chief Clerk Sam L. Rogers, of Collector Carter's office, came
over from Asheville Friday on a business trip, and returned
Monday. _
Kope Ellas and his son, Lewis, returned Saturday from At
lanta, where they spent most of last week having Lewis' eyes
treated.
35 YEARS AGO
(1925)
Mr. W. L. Higdon has resigned his office as an alderman.
Hon. Sam L. Rogers has been elected by the town board to
fill out Mr. Hidgon's term.
Bryson Bros., of West's Mill, have sold their store in that
thriving locality to Mr. Tom Rickman.
15 YEARS AGO
(1945)
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Cunningham celebrated their golden ?
wedding anniversary Sunday afternoon at their home in West
Franklin with open house.
Misses Kate and Lois Jacobs, of Iotla, and Mrs. Frank Byrd,
of Bryson City, were hostesses at a miscellaneous shower at
the home of the former, as a courtesy to Pvt. and Mrs. Car
roll- Jacobs, who were recently married.
5 YEARS AGO
(1955)
Macon County's new health center on Riverview street will
be open for public inspection Sunday afternoon.
jiVfHiET ihi;i:ctoi,"s filches
How Much'Does U.S. Really Owe- And Why?
Alhcmarle Stanly .Yens And I'rc.ss
Maurice H. Stars, U.S Uudi'ti
ditcctor, in an address at the
annual Tax Foundation dinner in
New York last December 1. made
some highly appropriate comments
on our government and Its de
velopment.
He demonstrated that the pres
ent governmental mortgage on
the futu*e of this nation is not1
$292 billion, which Is the present
national cpbt. but about ' $7i0 bil
lion. .
The $750 billion is already com
mitted in the form cf military re
tirement, government employes'
retirement, future pensions ani
compensation for veterans and
their dependents, the cuyrent na
tional debt, plus other items for
which the government is already
committed such as its highway
prcttram and farm surplus activ
ities.
Here are f^ome of his observa
tions on national trends, which
W3 as Americans, need to thinl:
seriously about:
We spend great sums on Inter
est charges on our national debt,
but we do not reduce the principal.
We carr^y on massive federal
programs which state and local
governments could do better.
We devote large amounts of
money to farm price' supports to
reduce surpluses, with the opposite
results. ?
We lend money, to benefit
special groups at rates below those
which the government must pay
to its own creditors, when private
sources fcould do the Job.
We perpetuate federal programs
which have long since met the
objectives for jvhich they were
created.
STRICTLY
PERSONAL
I
By WEIMAB JONES
Eddie Barker, writing in The
Clayton (Ga.) Tribune about a
cold he's had, one of those hold
ing-on colds you just can't seem
to get rid of, says he goes out in
rain and wind, heedless of warn
ings that "you'll catch pneu
monia".
So what? he says. The doctors
can't do much about the "common
cold", but they can knock pneu
monia in a day.
Which recalls the story of the
self-termed doctor of another era
who was called In on a case.
When he gave the patient some
medicine, the wife wanted to
know did he think the medicine
would cure the pneumonia.
"No, ma'am, it won't. But it will
give him fits, and I'm h on
curing fits."
+
Below is an editorial from The
Smithfield Herald.
There are two reasons why I
chose this column as the place
to reprint it. First, it has a strict
ly personal slant. Second, and
more important, there's something
strictly personal I want to make
doubly sure gets on the record.
The Herald writes:
The East-West feud in North
Carolina goes back long before
Luther Hodges took occasion to
"spank" the East for lagging be
hind in industrialization. Any
good student of North Carolina
history knows it goes back to the
American Revolution, the Regula
tors, and the conflict between
large landholders in the East and
small farmers in the West.
The differences come right down
to the question of reapportion
ment today.
But at last an understanding
voice from the West has spoken
out with just a touch of envy in
stead of the customary condescen
sion. Weimar Jones, writing in
The Franklin Press, suggests that
maybe It isn't just apathy that
makes the East "drag its feet"
but perhaps a "shrewd insight"
that industrialization is not wholly
good, that it often brings un
healthy growth and that it seems
to destroy the ability to use the
very leisure it is intended to pro
vide.
"To the man in Eastern North
Carolina," says Mr. Jones, "leisure
is almost as important as food.
He not only takes it for granted,
he takes it ? even at the expense,
sometimes, of not milking the cow
seven days a week. He hunts, he
fishes, he engages in pleasant but
maybe profitless conversation, he
makes an art of just plain loafing.
He puts first emphasis oh living
rather than earning a living."
Weimar Jones not only deserves
thanks and perhaps a medal for
understanding "the mind of the
East." He also deserves an invita
tion from some grateful Easterner
to come spend a two-week vacation
down East in the summertime ?
to fish, to loaf, to indulge in
pleasant but profitless conversa
tion (he can talk about politics!)
and to see how long it takes him
to acquire the genuine outlook of
a true Easterner. And he should
not be asked to milk a cow or
build a factory ? or even write
a newspaper column !
Maybe you're thinking: "It's
not quite modest for him to re
print that." Agreed.
But when a scruple atout
modesty assailed me, as I clipped
that piece, I found myself saying:
"Modesty be darned!" The reason
for that reaction lies in the last
paragraph, especially the last two
sentences.
A medal? That would be nice.
But what I want to be sure is on
the record is that tentative in
vitation to spend a vacation, fish- '
ing, talking, and just loafing, in
Eastern North Carolina.
Invitation accepted!
P. S. About that comment con
cerning "understanding": Surely
nobody has more of that than Mr.
Thomas J. Lassiter, The Herald
editor. Witness those last six
words.
Yes, sir, I'm ready to head
East . . . any day.
'* ? *
My hat is off to the men of the
repair crews of the Nantahala
Power and Light Company and
the Western Carolina Telephone
Company.
Working in snow and ice, in
near-zero temperatures, they have
done a remarkable job of restoring
interrupted service with a mini
mum of loss of time.
That kind of service impresses
UP most when we are personally
affected; and we have to do with
out these conveniences really to
appreciate them.
I never knew how much we de
pended on a telephone, for
example, until we had to do with
out it from Tuesday to Sunday.
That annoyance, though, was
forgotten in appreciation when a
group showed up at our house not
Saturday and not Monday, but
early Sunday morning, to replace
the line broken by falling limbs.
There must be hundreds of
others in this area who are
similarly grateful for the untiring
efforts of these men.' v
? ? ?
There's a lot of talk about how
terrible today's youngsters are:
Undisciplined, no manners, no
sense of responsibility.
Well, take it from me, that's
more talk than fact.
The test lies in little things,
and here's an illustration of what
the kids really are like.
At our house, there's a very
good sled, with steel runners,
left over from the days when our
children were small. It's much in ?
demand.
Every child in the neighborhood
knows we havfe the sled, and they
all know exactly where it is kept.
There's nothing to- prevent them
from just coming and getting it,
when it snows; nothing, that is,
except their training.
But in all the years we've been
in Franklin, no child has taken
it without first coming and ask
ing, politely, if he might borrow
it.
Not once has there been any
delay about its return to it,s proper
place.
And no child has yet borrowed
it without, when he brought it ,
back, coming to the door to tell '
us it had been returned, and to
thank us.
Is there any neighborhood where
that would be true of all the
adults?
SHOULD COME TO W. X. C.
'We'd Rather Have Snow'
Huntington, N. Y., LONG-ISLANDER
An open winter is a joy to be
desired, a consummation devoutly
to be wished. So they say. And so
we keep telling ourselves. But open
winters can be boring.
We know all about snow. We
know all about how frustrating,
tiresome and boring snow can be,
even to us, and usually by the
second day after the storm, too.
Still and all, there's a perverse
streak in our nature that's been
wanting it to snow.
Each time we have a bit of
flurry, something deep inside us
?keeps hoping this is "really it".
Secretly, we rejoice to see the air
filled with flakes, and in spite
of ourselves, we analyze the down
fall to See if it mightn't be the
beginning of a "big one". We try
to determine whether it looks
lazy and futile, or whether it looks
business-like and purposeful.
Shockingly, we find ourselves root
ing for it, cheering it on. We
watch the ground to see whether
it is "making", and the sheltered '
corner# to find out if there might
not be a chance of its drifting
a bit.
We try to remind ourselves that
if it really, does keep on snowing,
we mightn't be able to get the'
car out tomorrow, or if we do, we
might get stuck. We try to re
member how awful snow can look
after it's lain for the third day.
But all we can see in our mind'j
eye is the white wonderful look
of the world when the sun comes
out the morning after the storm
or the enchanted silence of walk- .
ing.out while it snows during the
night. The slush, the ice, all the 1
nasty aftermath, refuses to come
into focus. We want desperately
for it to snow.'
By which time in our snow
flurry musings, an ominous light
creeps into the sky. Those lovely,
heavy, dark clouds seem to have
disappeared over the horizoh, the
flakes become less and less fre
quent and finally stop: The air '
is filled with the bleak, pale light .
of a watery, wintry sun. The
hard, brown ground; which just
a few moments ago had been
decked with a light, fleecy blanket,
is bare and uninteresting agahi
The tre?s, ready to receive their
snowy garlands, are empty and
cold, as before. Nothing has
changed. It was only another in- I
effectual little flurry.
Ah, well, an open winter is to
be much desired, so they say. Let
them say it. We'd rather have
'now!