VOLUME XXXVI
BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA, JUNE 18, 1931 -
'mmewatcw^y^St^f^axesib 0^Y~^
i THING THAI WILL AVERT RECEIVERSHIP
' ^Publishing Letter Received from 9^ Would,
Picture of Conditions Now Exiting?Past Due I axes wou
If Paid Now, Avert Catastrophe for the Town.
The town of Brevard is facing a
crisis.
Interest on bonds has not been
paid, and bondholders are seriously
considering the question of entering
?JL mandamus proceedings for the pur
ij^pose of levying a tax against the
property of the town sufficiently high
to take care of its indebtedness, a
proceeding which would mean plac
ing the town in virtual receivership.
Magnus and company, purchasers
of the last issues of the town's paper,
and a concern that is deeply inter
ested in Brevard, has written a let
ter to the authorities, pointing out
the dangerous situation in which Bre
vard has been placed, largely due t/
the fact that the town lost so heavily
when the Brevard Banking company
failed.
With most rigid economy on
the one hand, and prompt payment of
taxes on the other, Magnus and com
pany says the town can work out of
this dilemma. But immediate action
is necessary, if this result is to be
obtained.
The letter stresses the fact that
Brevard cannot sell its notes or bonds
so long as it is in default on pay
ment of interest.
The town officials are publishing
the letter from Magnus and company,
to the end that all, citizens may.
know exactly how the matter stands.
The letter itself is a strong appeal to
all tax payers to make immediate
payment of taxes, so past due inter
est can be paid, which, in turn, will
re-establish confidence in Brevard
and enable the authorities to re
finance the principal indebtedness.
Unless this is done, then both inter- ,
est and all bonds now due will be
collected in some manner, ana this
would mean a much higher tax rate,
levied and collected through court
action, by agents of the court.
Property owners and tax payers
of the town are the ones who must |
suffer, in event extreme measures are j
taken. It is pointed out that the on
ly way to escape this drastic action
on the part of the security holders is
for the property owners and tax
payers to pay their taxes at once, so
past due interest can be paid, which
will enable the town ;to convert its
bonds now due into new bon3s,
thereby extending the time for pay
ment of the principal.
The taxpayers of Brevard owe the
town, in past due street assessments,
more than seventy-five thousand dol
lars, not including interest. This item
alone, if paid to the town, would pay
up all of the town's past due inter
est charges, and solve the problem.
Past due property tax in an
amount around seventy-five thousand
POST CARD DAY TO
BE OBSERVED HERE
Brevard Citizens to Mail Cards
to People All Over the
Country on Monday
Monday, June 22, is to be observed
here as "Post Card Day." when citi
zens will each mail at least ten pic
ture post cards to as many people
living in distant places, in an effort
to induce them to come to Brevard ;
for their vacation. This movement
is one of the major projects of the,
Chamber of Commerce in working for
a good tourist business for this com
munity. That the plan will bring
forth good results is evidenced by the
quick response already had in one
instance. Charles M. Douglas, in
writing an international official of
Kiwanis, enclosed a card and asked
that official to spend a time in Bre
vard. The invitation was instantly
accepted, and the Chicago man
thanked the Brevard writer for the
^Mpi.ggestion.
? The Woman's Bureau and the Ki
wanis club are in charge of this work
for the Chamber of Commerce, and
it is expected that thousands of post
carts will be mailed to people, urg
ing them to spend at least a portion
of their vacation time in Brevard.
Picture cards of. this vicinity may be
purchased at either of the drug stores
or at Wards news stand. Request Ms
made that the cards be stamped and
left at the Chamber of Commerce
Wtiom? not later than Monday -.norn
from which place they will be
* mailed.
0. L. Erwin has been added to the
committee on highway.?.
Paul Glazener has be<<i added to
the agricultural committee.
Charles Dunn, forester in the
Pisgah National Forest, is lending
aid to Chairman John Sitiith's tour
ist committee in preparing swimming
pools in Davidson River. Pools are
being arranged there that will, it is
believed, prove to be one of the most
attractive spots in the country.
Bathing in clear waters of a river
like Davidson is something but a few
tourist centers can offer to the vis
^ " itors.
Much activity is marking the work
of the Chamber of Commerce, and
that body believes Brevard will enjoy
a most successful season.
idollars, stand on, the town tax coU'
'lector's books, unpaid by the citi
zens, and this past due property tax
'would, it is pointed out, clarify the
situation and bring Brevard out of
the distress now being experienced.
Even the payment of one-half of I
either of the above past due accounts ,
.would enable the town officials - to ?
I work out of its dilemmr, tljose of-'
jficials state.
I The letter from Magnus and com
jpnny is herewith published in full .Yrl
I the information of the citizens and;
I tax payors.
'Mr. 11. H. Patton, Treasurer,
I Brevard, N. C.
I Dear Mr. Patton:
1 The writer is very sorry that he !
did not get to see you and the Mayor ,
yesterday. He returned to the hotel (
at about 4 o'clock and finding no mes- j,
sage, from you, telephoned you at Bre- | .
vard, but was advjsed that you had(j
left your office for the day andj(
could not be reached by telephone. j
The writer spent two days with 'j
Mr. Chas. M. Johnson, chairman of1,
the Local Government Commission ,
and would like to suggest that you !]
lend every effort to collect your tax- (
es. Brevard has always had a goodj(
credit and was one of the best thought !f
of smaller municipalities in Western j[
North Carolina. You officials have | y
been largely r?sponsible in building .
up this good credit and it should not
be allowed to be lost without effort
being put forth to save it. . i j
According to our records, Brevard :
has a municipally-owned water plant.
We believe that you should immedi
( Continued on page eight)
LOCAL CLUB MAKES jj
GREAT IMPRESSION
i(
Mrs. Lodema Robertson, president j?
of the Brevard Business and Profes- ! c
sional Women's club, returned Sun-I^
day from Greensboro where she rep- I
resented the local club in the Twelfth 1 1
annual convention of the North Car- t
olina Federation of B. & P. clubs, jl
Brevard obtained much favorable
publicity because of the favors pre-'v
sented to all delegates by the Bre\'ard |(
club. The favor was a pressed galax jf
leaf, with "Brevard, N.'C.,'' lettered !b
on the leaf, and was so unusual and|S
so thoroughly representative of the ( t
community here that many favorable v
comments were heard and much 1
newspaper publicity given to it.
The sessions, lasting two days, J
were held at the N. C. C. W., and
much important business was trans
acted. The convention heard most
interesting reports from all standing I
committees, and officers of the na- (
tional organization delivered ad- j
dresses in which the clubs of North 1
Carolina were highly praised for theli
constructive work being done. j]
Miss Nettie Brogden, supervisor of L
schools in Guilford county, was elect- |j
ed president of the Federation. Win- 1
ston-Salem was chosen as next meet-i*
ing place. The 12th annual meeting |1
closed with Mrs. Helen M. Schluraff, If
Erie, Pa., corresponding secretary of (
the National Federation of Business 1
and Professional Women's Clubs as'i
the speaker.
L Other officers chosen were Mrs. i'
A^ia By^rd, Statesville, first vice;1
president rltfrs. Dcss Gurganus, Ral-]1
eigh, second vice president; Miss'
I Clara Langley, GreensboVo, corres- 1
[ponding secretary; Miss Ruby Mc-jl
:Gougan, Fayette'ville, for another']
I term as recording secretary and Miss <
i Annie Stevens, Goldsboro, as treas
urer.
Mrs. James West, New Bern, was
chosen chairman of district eight,
Miss Frances Davenport, Wilming
ton, chairman of district four and
Miss Sallie Tomlinson, Fayetteville,
i chairman of district five.
j Chosen to represent the State fed
eration at the annual gathering of
I the national federation, to be held in
! Richmond from July 6 to 11 inclus
jive, y/ere Miss Elsie Riddiek, Ral
, eigh ; Mrs. Pearl C. Green, Hender
son; Miss Maiiel White, Hickory; and
,Miss Mittie E. Hill, Greensboro.
CLE AS'- UP WEEK DESIGNATED
1 The week beginning June twenty
second, has been dests/'tated as Clean ?
\Vp Week end the fount has been di
| \>ided into four zones to facilitate the
,won-k of cleaning up, using Main and
| Broad streets as the dividing lines.
The town t]mck will be in Zone- One.
which Hep north of Main street and
?west of Broad street, on Monday; in 1
Zo?c Two, ivhich lies north of Main '
and east of Broad street on Tuesday:
in Z one Three, which lies south of
Main street and east of Broad street
'on Wednesday; and in Zone Four,
which lies south of Main ptreet and
west ot Broad street on Thursday.
Everybody is urged tb begin cleaning
this week, so that they will be pre
pared for it when the truck comes in
i their zone next week.
CLYDE ASHWORTH,
? Chairman, Sanitary Com.
Master Painter of the Universe
Puts Finishing Touches Upon the
Picture to Welcome the Campers
The great artist of the universe
ha3 made ready in Transylvania
county for the -reception of the hun
dreds of boys and girls who come
from the four corners of the country
to spend July and August in the
organized summer camps of the
community. The mountain ivy, now
in full bloom, fringes every cliff,
covers every wooded hill and gives
the great mountain forests the ap
pearance of a carefully planned hang
ing garden in which all the colors of
the rainbow, the sky and the sea
are blended together, forming a pic
ture so magnificient in its pleasing
appeal that once seen can never be
forgotten. The rhododendron is heavy
with buds almost at the bursting
point, waiting in the waving moun
tain breeze for the moment when the
gentle ivy lays aside its bouquet
which served sweet summertime in
making its debut. Then the rhododen
dron, oldest sister of the ivy, larger
ind with more glorious flower, will j
appear upon the scene to complete j
:he picture that only nature's own i
LJod can produce.
The beauty and bigness of it all ,
s greatly enhanced by the countless
nountain streams of crystal clear
.vater that come tumbling and tick
ing. down the mountainsides, leaving I
he ground altogether when shi^r
?liffs are reached, and forming tne [
rreat falls which makes this county |
;nown everywhere as "The Land of i
Vaterfalls."
? It is into this Nature's playh6uae
fthat the boys and girls come, to live
I in the camps that have been built in
]to the natural setting in such man
ner as really to appear a part of the
natural formation. Even the many
I lakes that have been formed about
ithe camps have the appearance of
natural lakes, and the clear water in>
i them looks as if the pure liquid was
jbut taking a much need rest after its
mad rush down mountainside and
over precipices hundreds of feet high.
The camps will open on July first,
land Camp Carolina, Camp' Sapphire, j
:the French Broad Camp, Camp Tran
jsylvania and Camp Chickasaw will
!be filled with bo/s and young men,
j living lives and playing systematic
'games and leartiing outdoor sports,
jail of which serve in making noble
manhood.
Camp Illahee, Camp Merrie-Wood, j
Eagles' Nest Camp, Rockbrook Camp, I
Camp Toxaway, Connestee Cove 1
Camp and Camp Perry-Ann, will
soon be filled with happy girls and
women whose voices will echo and
re-echo from cliff and mountainside,
giving evidence of the beneficial in- j
fluence of these great camps.
And with the campers will come <
large numbers of fathers and !
mothers who will fill the hotels,
boarding houses and apartments,
Sharing with their boys and girls
the delights of this matchless sec
tion which seems to have been formed
and created as a place of rest and i
play.
Brevard Selected As The District
Headquarters By Highway Body
Selection of Brevard by the State
lighway Department as headquar
ers for the maintenance district em
>racing Transylvania, Jackson, Hen
lerson and Polk counties was cause
if real rejoicing among the good
oads enthusiasts of this community.
Commissioner Neal, of Marion, made i
mnouncement of the selection one j
lay. last week, after a conference
vith Jerry Jerome, president of the
Jreyard Chamber of Commerce,
)uncan MacDougald, chairman of
he road committee of the commerce ;
lody, and other Brevard citizens,
rhe Brevard delegation visited Ashe
ille merchants and the Asheville
Chamber of ' Commerce, laying be
ore those people the advantages to
?e derived from completing the Boyl
ton road, greatly reducing the dis
ance between Brevard and Ashe
ille.
J. C. Walker, one of the state's out- 1
standing engineers, has been retained j
by the new commission as engineer in I
charge of 22 counties in Western :
North Carolinr.. Ernest H. Webb, j
in charge of the Caesar's Head high- ,
way work, has maintained headquar- 1
ters here for some time, and the fact
that this place is selected as head
quarters for the four counties gives
assurance that Mr. Webb's force will
be kept in this section for some time. !
Completion of the highway system i
about Brevard will make this town ]
one of the greatest centers in the i
mountains, and will be on the direct !
route from Knoxville to Greenville, j
which is some forty-five miles shorter i
than that route at present. Chairman I
MacDougald's commitee is doing most |
splendid work in connection, with the j
road program. 1
BAPTISTS' POTATO i
CROP IS GROWING
Lawyers, doctors, merchants, work
nen, housewives, school teachers and
nen and women from all walks of
ife turned farmer again Monday,
ind donned overalls and shouldered
ioes and hied themselves to the pota
o field being- grown by the Brevard
3aptist church. The Baptists are
'rowing several acres in potatoes, the
:rop to be sold and the proceeds to
3e applied on the church debt. All
vork is being done by the members,
ihereby removflig all costs, as the
and, the seed and the fertilizer were
ilso donated to the church for this
fiuVpose.
It is expected that several hundred
bushels of potatoes will be harvested
jy thd? Baptists, and a goodly sum
realized for application on the church
Jebts.
OFFICERS ELECTED
I IN MASONIC LODGE !i
Election of officers tor the ensuing i
year was the order of the business !
session of the regular communication I
of Dunn's Rock Masonic Lodge last !
Friday evening. The following of- i
Ificers were elected:
Worshipful Master ? James F.Bar-/
rett.
i Senior Warden ? Jerry Jerome. j;
Junior Warden ? Henry Hender- j
son.
Treasurer ? A. N. Jenkins.
Secretary ? Dr. J. F. Zachary.
These officers will be installed
Friday evening, June 26, when it is
hoped that a large attendance will
be present to witness the installation
ceremonies.
Rev. R. L. Alexander will preach I
the Saint John's Day sermon to the ]
Masons of Transylvania county on 1
I Sunday, June 28.
Minstrel Show Friday Night For
Benefit of Brevard Municipal Band
Friday evening at 8 o'clock is the
hour.
High School Auditorium is the
place. t
The Sunshine Minstrels is the
event.
The Municipal Band concerts dur
ing the summer -months is the pur
pose.
Everybody in the town and county
are the ones who profit by these
free band concerts.
The boys who play in the band,
with a few of their friends, are the
ones who are staging this minstrel.
It is to be a good minstrel, and it
is for a good purpose. The band
boys, playing all summer free of
charge, are taking the time and stag
ing the minstrel in order to raise a
sum of money necessarv to bear tljc
expenses of the band leader during
the summer.
Following is a line-up of the frame
up for the minstrel Friday evening,
which all people are urged to at
tend, and by their attendance help
in making possible the free band
concerts during July and August:
Overture, by Brevard Municipal
Band.
Opening Chorus, by entire com- j
pany.
Cast of Minstrel "Company: Inter
locutor, Jim Barrett; End Men, Bob
Terry, Fred Miller, Dr. Hardin, and
Philip Price. Singers ? George Simp
son, Leonard Simpson, Sam Barnett,
Bob Whitmire, Ld Cantvell, Ruffin
Wilkins, Henry Erwin, Harold Whit
mire. Pianists: Miss Rowena Orr,
and Mrs. Madge Wilkins. t ?
1 Prupram ? second part:
Acrobatic tap dance, by Mary
Hunnicut. \
Specialty numbers by members of
the minstrel company.
Presentment of one of the greatest
magicians of the century. He has
performed in all the principal cities
of the world.
Comedy couple: Miss Mary 0.
Wilkins and Henry Erwin, Jr.
Specialty dance, by Miss Louis*
Simpson. ?
1 ! More foolishness.
Song and dance, by Miss Simpson
and Ruffin Wilkins.
i Beauty chorus: Ruth Waters, Ruth
I Vaughn, Martha Vaughn, Almeta
i Waters, Mary Louise Crouhorn, Rose
I Schaehner, Christine Saltz, Winni
fred Nicholson, 3
?
Interest Alone on Water Bonds
Larger by $2000 Each Year
Than Income from Water
Rentals, the Report Shows.
In the adjoining column there ap
pears" a elear-cut statement of the
water question in Brevard, with every
card laid upon the table, face-up. The
board has stated simple facts as to
the cost of maintaining the water
system, and the receipts for same,
showing the difference which must
be charged up against property own
ers in the town, and assessment made
for the deficit.
The old board, in the last days of
its administration, adopted a new wa
ter rate, which was most unpopular
because it was almo3t double the
charges under the old rate. The new
board was confronted with this new
rate, adopted by the retiring board.
The statement made by the new
board, in effect^ is this:
Brevard's water system costs, in .
actual operation and interest on wa- '
ter bonds, $14,000 a year. That suni .
must be raised and paid, in some
manner. |
Urtder the old rate, the town col- j
lected each year $5,500 in water rents .
leaving a shortage of $9,000 each j
year, which amount must be assessed |
against the property of the taxpay
ers.
Under the new rate, the water
rents amount to $9,600, and even ?
with this high rate there is lacking
each year the suiji of $4,400 from wa
ter rents to pay the $14,000 fixed
costs. ' !
Under the old rate, a tax levy of
27 ccnts. on the hundred dollars valu
ation was laid for the purpose of ,
payinj: the deficit in the water de- '
partnunt.
Under the new water rate, a levy j
of 13 cents on the hundred dollars |
valuation will have to be made.
The question facing the board is
that of whether the citizens desire
to meet the expense of the water sys
tem by property tax, or have this
higher water rate and let most of the
;xpense attached to the water de
partment be paid by those who use
the water.
Interest alone on the water bond?:
amounts to almost one thousand dol
ars a month, and this fixed charge
nust be paid. j,
The mayor and the board invite all ,
?itizens desiring more information on
:he subject, and those having sugges- .
tions to make, to call at the city hall j
svhere such information will be triven
ind-all suggestions received as infor
nation to be' used in adopting the
plans which appear to be Aiost sat
isfactory to the majority of the citi
tens who, after all, must pay these
Ixed charges, whether such payments
ire made by collecting water rentals i
>r assessing property for the neces- j
sary amounts.
GREENVILLE MAIL
SCHEDULE CHANGED'
I
Because of the condition of the I
highway between Greenville and j
Brevard, now being hard-surfaced in ?
both states, there will be but one i
Greenville nfail each day coming in, j
and one out-going mail, until work on '
the highways has progressed to the }
point where travel is made easier. j
The new schedule is as follows: >
Mail arrives from Greenville at 10 |
o'clock in the morning.
Mail leaves Brevard for Greenville)
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. i
Sunday schedule: Mail arrives]
from Greenville at 10 a. m? and I
leaves for Greenville at 10:15 a. m. |
The mail that has been arriving !
here at 6 o'clock in the evening is j
taken off for a while, oh account of :
the condition of the roads. Full ser
vice will be resumed as soon as the '
condition of the roads will permit. \
Crews on both ends of the road proj
ect are working overtime in an effort!
to complete the road work at the ear- j
liest possible moment.
FINAL NOTICE TO ALL
SUBSCRIBERS OUTSIDE ?
OF TRANSYLVANIA CO.
H'p are forced to remove from our
mailing list all names of subscribers
living outside of Transylvania county
who have failed to send in their
money on subscriptions. IV e maUea
statements to these subscribers a
month ( i(io , and those whose response
is not received will be taken from <
the list. We have gone pint as far
as we can in carrying our good
friends.
Similar action will be taken short
ly regarding the subscribers in th is
comity, ft is now a (jnfiition of buy
ing patter and ink, and we- believe
that our subscriber p will admit that
we have dove our part in carrying
past due subscriptions. We are mak
ing this anuouncrmnit in oraer to
keep from writing another bafch of
letters and' buying postage for same.
If it is not convenient to pay the 'two
dollars, then send in one dollar, or
fifty ceil#. We hope that every one
of you will realize that this action is
caused by absolute necessity, and
hope that ice shall not be ? forced
to remove a single name from the
I lilt. ???iriMM?
TOWN BOARD ISSUES STATEMENT ON WATER
RATES AND COSTS OF THIS DEPARTMENT '
Mayor and Board Asks Advice
and Counsel of Citizens and
Tax Payers ? Costs Must Be
Met In Some Manner.
{TO THE CITIZENS OF BREVARD,
1 a ,5hortlJ' after the present Board of
Aldermen took office a delegation of
citizens appeared before them to pro
test against the new water rates that
had been put into effect. At that time
the new members of the board were
not sufficiently informed about the
matter to deal with it. Since that
time, however, the clerk has prepared
a full statement showing the expens
es and receipt^ of the Water Departs
ment of the town under the old and
new rates. The board feels that the
/acts contained in this statement
should be presented to the public to
show the basis for the change in
rates made by the former board. The
lollowmg is a summary of the state
ment:
Expenses Charged to Water Dept.
Annual interest charge on
Water Bonds $11,000.00
Annual maintenance cost of
water and sewer system 3,000.00
Total annual expense ....$14,000.00
This does not include anv sinking
fund which should be set aside each
year for the retirement of the bonds
at maturity. Neither does it include
any cost of collecting water rents.
The $3,000.00 maintenance cost cov
ers only items of expense for labor,
repairs, replacements, patrolling of
the water sheds, cost of operating
Chlorinating plant at reservoir, cost
ol having water analyzed each month
and general upkeep of . water and
sewer system.
Receipts Fv&ni Water Dc/xt it went
To^al annual water rents
under the Old Rate (of
this amount $735.00 was " "fc
delinquent as of April 1.
_ $5,500.00
Total annual water rents
under New Rate i'.GOO.OO
Under the old rate there was an
annual deficit of $9,000.00. To make
up tjhat deficit required a general tax
levy of 27 cents. Under the new rate
there will be an annual deficit of
$4,400.00 which will require a gen
eral tax levy of 13 cents to make up.
Conditions are now such that proper
ty owners are not paying their taxes
and we must continue to have water.
There is no way at all out of paying
interest on water bonds and all other
necessary expenses of operating the
water system have been cut to the
minimum and will be kept so.
It is always assumed that the wa
ter Works system of any incorporat
ed town Is self-supporting. The treas
urer in furnishing debt statements
is allowed to deduct water bonds
from the gross debt in computing the
net debt. When this is done in our
own case it makes such statements
false and misleading to prospective
bond buyers.
It would seem that the new water
rates make a more equal distribution
of the. burden of paying the costs of
the water system. It places on the
consumer more of the costs of fur
nishing the water and maintaining
the system. It still leaves on th<- gen
eral taxpayer the payment of the
bonds issued to pay for the system
and $4,400.00 of the interest charge
on these bonds annually.
If more detailed information is de
sired the city clerk will be glad to
furnish it to any one desiring it. The
board themselves will be glad to hear
and consider any suggestions from
the taxpayers after they have ac
quainted themselves with "the facts in
the case. The board's only desire in
the matter i!f to do that which is for
the best interests of the town and its
citizens.
Very truly yours,
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
HUNDREDS ATTEND
INSTITUTE AT CAMP
Red Cross First Aid and Life
Saving Instructors at Camp
Illahee for 10 Days
Wednesday of this v.eck witnessed
the opening of the First Aid and Life
Saving Institute being held for ten
days at Camp Illahee by the National
Red Cross. This institute is being
held simultaneously with institutes at
Brimfield, Mass., Chautauqua, N. Y.,
i Narrowsburg, N. Y., Annapolis, M(L,
and in many cf the middle and west
ern states. A large number of people
[are registered for the ten days ses
sion at Illahee, and the men in charge
of the institute, together with Mr.
and Mrs. Hinton MeLeod, owners of
the camp, are anxious for all people
,:in the community to visit the institute
land earn of the great work being car
;ried on.
j Instruction is given in first aid, life
saving, swimming, diving, canoeing,
[and boating. Men and women well
.versed in these subjects are on the
program for lectures, in addition to
the actual training given by the in
structors. The institute has. long been
coming to Brevard for its sessions,
and on many occasions the instructors
and leaders have appeared by invita
tion before Brevard audiences and
1 told of the work.