,1 ; i a
key ciTr of toe mountain
- I
If o
' 4'
VOLUME XLII
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1927
NUMBER FORTY-TWO
I N ml
WW
COST PER PUPIL
SHOWS DECREASE
Franklin Tbwnship School
Funds Well Spent Cost
Per Pupil Decreases
While Qualifications of
Teachers Increase.
As was shown ,in last week's
. Press there has been a remarkable
growth in the enrollment 'and atten
dance in the Franklin school. This
growth has, of course been most
marked m the high, school on ac
count of i number of factors, the
most important of which is the
opening of the high school to a great-
er numDer- oi siuueius. a ma
the only cause of this growth how
ever for the slow but steady growth
of .the town has caused large en
rollment in the elementary school,
which growth has in turn increased
the number of students entering the
high school every year. . .-, .
While the enrollments in both de
partments of the school have grown
with leaps and bounds, that of the
high school having increased 450 per
cent in . the last seven years, it is
found to be a fact that the net
cost of instruction per student per
year has not increased but on the
contrary ha shown a fairly regular
decrease during the same period. The
figures should be interesting to -any
one who is interested in the expendi
tnrp of nublic funds and who has
some curiosity regarding the final
disposition of taxes collected.
In 1920-21 this school in all or its
- departments spent $34.33 per child
for instruction. This does not in
clude anything except teaching serv
ice, as will none of these figures.
In 1921-22 there was spent for the
work of instruction a total of $4U.itt
per child per year. ,
In 1922-23 this school made an ex
penditure of $37.30 per child for
teaching while in the year 1923-24
the cost of instruction was
the total
cost if instructing each child in the
systeem was $27.60 while in the year
Of V)i0-O) tnc COSl was fi.u.w,
Last year the net cost of teaching1
each child for the entire term of
nine months was $27.10 or $3.01 per
month. This is the lowest cost of
instruction per child ever incurred by
this school. ' . , ,
In this connection it might dc
well to explain that on any scale
of measurement of school efficiency
that' an expenditure of not less
than $50 per year per child is con
sidered necessary to produce results
expected of a thoroughly efficient
school system. In no case has this
amount ever been available and based
on this scale this school would rate
a little better than 50 per tent of
..i.t If nnrrtlf tn hp.
At the same time we find tnat
;n rarh successive year the faculties
of this school have taught more
t.jontc than thev did the year be-
fore and with, one or two exceptions
have done this at a less cost per
student per year. As an illustration
of how this works out in do lars
and cents we find that if this school
had spent as much yer student ior
teaching last year as it did in 1921
22 that it would have cost the tax
payers of this county and district
practically $10,000 more than it did
cost. In the years used we find that
there was an enrollment of 411 in
the entire system in 1921-22 while
last year showed an enrollment of
628. . . .
. , Using these same years as basis tor
further comparison - we find - that - in
1921-22 twelve teachers handled 411
students or an average of 34 per
teacher while, in 1926-27 16 teachers
handled 628 students or an average
of 39 per teacher. ' , . . .
In these same years it is found
that the average training of teachers
has risen. In 1921-22 we, find the
.average rating of the high school
facultv to be 720. This figure ts
secured by giving 100 points for
every year of high school and col
lege work. A graduate of a standard
high school would therefore have a
rating 400. A graduate of a two
year noniial would have a rating of
600 while a college graduate would
have a rating of 800. On this basis
the faculty of . 1921-22 has' an average
of three years and two months of
col'cgc vork. ' , . ', .
On this same basis the faculty o;
1926-27 had an average of three years,
four and a half months of college
work or an increase of two and a
half months of college work or an
increase of two and a half months
of training over the other. This is
not such an increase as to write
home about but it is an increase and
is not a lovcring of standards.,
(Cdntinucd on page two)
TOWN BOARD WILL
SUBMIT TO VOTERS
$80,000 BOND ISSUE
This Amount Decided As Necessary for Water Supply
and Sewers Engineers Recommend Cartoogechaye
Creek As Source of Water Supply.
The Board of Aldermen of Frank
lin, at a called meeting on Saturday
night, after careful consideration and
much discussion, decided to submit
to the voters of the town the pro
posal to issue $80,000 in bonds for
the purposes of providing an adequate
water supply for the town, and of
eliminating cesspools in the town
limits, by means of laying sewerage
so as to make sewers accessible to
all. living within the town. -
The town attorney wa' sauthorized
to draw up the papers calling an
election on the matter. Two ques
tions will be submitted the issuance
of .bonds for not more than $68,000
for a water system; and of bonds of
not more, than $12,000 to complete the
sewer system.
Members of the Board, at Satur
day night's meeting, pointed out that
it quitei possibly, would not prove
necessary to issue all these bonds;
the amounts , decided upon arc the
maximum, that will be necessary, it
is estimated. ,
Confronted with- the fact that the
town had a water shortage in the
summer of 1926, a serious shortage
during the summer just passed, anrl
the probability of an even more
serious water situation next summer
with serious fire hazard a prac
tical certainty the Board of Alder
men recently employed Mces and
Mees, Charlotte engineers, to make'
a careful survey of the various means
by which the town might secure an
adequate water supply. ,The engi
neers were instructed to investigate
the various possible sources, estimate
the original and maintenance cost in
each case, and make recommenda
tions. That report, recently submitted, has
been made public.
The engineers', recommendations
Rrc
"That Cartoogechaye. Creek be uti
lized as a source of water supply for
the Town of Franklin.
"That a filtration plant with a daily
capacity of 500,000 gallons be con
structed on either the Hauscr or
Trotter sites on the Georgia road. "
. "That, for the present, connection
be made to the distribution system
at the end of the 6" main opposite
the Standard Filling Station on the
Georgia road." . . .,
The estimated maximum cost is
$68,000.
About the time the engineers' re
port was made on the water situa
tion, John E. Floyd, district sani
tary inspector for the State Board
of Health, appeared before the Board
of Aldermen to present another situ
ationthat with reference to sewage
disposal in the town. A' serious
sanitary situation exists, he told the
board, on account of open sewers" and
cesspools within in the town limits.
Citizens to whom sewers were not
accessible are using cesspools long
prohibited by the State law.
Under provisions of the law, he ex
plained, the individual property own
ers must replace the cesspools with
septic tanks, or connect with the
town's sewer system. He recommend
ed that the sewer system be ex
tended - to take . care of all families
living inside the town. Such action
probably would ' save money in the
first place, he explained; and, in the
second, the expnditures for .; septic
tanks certainly would ultimately be
wasted, since it is only a question of
time - until such streets as Harrison
avenue whose residents now are us
inf cesspools will be given sewerage.
The cost of replacing the cesspools
with sentic tanks has been estimated
at $1K,000. To place sewerage within
the reach of all, it is estimated, would
cost the town not over $12,000.
These two situations an inadequate
water supply. 'and the necessity for
some different provision for -sewage,
disposal coming before the body al
most simaltancously, it was decided to
submit the two questions to the
ncople in the form of a bond issue.
The proposal, if carried out, would
take care of these two needs of the
town for many years, members said.
The water situation, and the route
by which the engineers came to their
conclusion as to the best source of
w:ter supply, is outlined in detail 'in
th$ report,
ft reads, in part, as follows:
fThis investigation took into con
sideration all practicable sources of
water supply for the Town of Frank
lin ,as follows:
"Improvement of present wells.
"Drilling 'of additipnal wells.
"Gravity supply from" Wayah creek.
"Gravity supply from Trcmont
creek. ..' ,
"Lake Emory filtered supply.
"Cartoogechaye creek filtered sup
ply. :
"By careful elimination hereinafter
cited, the scope of this investigation
was narrowed down to the two more
desirable sources of supply as to
which, of course, first cost, eventual
investment and production costs in
clusive of operating cost, and fixed
charges, and sanitary considerations
were investigated in detail."
Turning, then, to the general as
pects of the engineering problem
presented, it is pointed out that
"Franklin is ' located in the heart of
the Blue Ridge Mountains and is the
gateway to , the Nantahala National
Forest.
"The : estimated present population
is 1,200. The existing water supply
is obtained from two wells, one 450
feet in depth, the other 750 feet deep.
An analysis made by us indicates the
quality of the present water supply
to be surprisingly good. The quanti
ty which may be derived from these
wells, however, is limited and the
town has already exceeded their ca
pacity." "Past experience nidicates that the
present wells will not deliver more
than" the approximate 140,000 , gallons
per 24 hours they are now yielding,
"and at certain seasons peak re:
quircments must be met out of stor
age to such an extent as to seriously
affect pressure at points in the dis
tribution system. The present norm
al supply, therefore, equals the pres
ent demand without safety factor and
without capacity to meet ' peak de
mands, a condition which approaches
dangerous shortage and also precludes
any appareciable extension of service.
It is quite doubtful whether Franklin
can . endure another summer season
without severe shortage, and serious
consequences might follow. In ad
dition to considerations of health
there exists a certainty that fire
hazard will become alarming and the
fire insurance situation in Franklin
may become embarrassing."
The fact that the .present supply is
"pumped' direct from wells into the
distribution system without steriliza
tion" is a condition of which the
engineers "can hardly approve."
"In view of the fact that the ca
pacity of the present supply has beeen
reached," says the report, "and that
indications point to a rapid growth in
population due to an ample power
supply arid other valid reasons,- it
appears imperative that immediate
steps be taken to improve the water
supply of the town."
The report then truns to a dis
cussion of well supply, and says :-."'
"Generally speaking the disadvan
tages of well supply are as follows:
"1. It is generally conceded to be
more or less of a gamble as to the
depth a well must be drilled to ob
tain water, if obtained at all, in suf
ficient quantity to warrant, use of . the
well.
"2. Thq quantity of water available
in most localities is limited.
"3. The methods of pumping water
from wells is relatively inefficient.
"4. The water is likely to bc hard
or high dissolved minerals and gases.
"5. Works for obtaining well water
arc subject to comparatively rapid
depreciation.
"6. More or lesr- speculation is in
volved in predicting such factors' as
the yield per well and : its ultimate
capacity and life.'
"In view of the above reasons,
sound engineering principles dictate
that a growing .municipality pursues
the much wiser source in adopting
a surface water supply ratehr than
an underground supply."' .
"Franklin- is the only town of note
in' the western portion, of the state
that is now deriving its water supply
from wells, it having been, in general,
conceded to be an . unsatisfactory
source of supply for towns in this
area."
The report then takes up the four
other possible sources of supply
gravity supply from Wayah Creek;
gravity supply from, Trcmont Creek:
filtered supply from Lake Emory;
ANOTHER STORE
F0RFRANE1N
Local Men Organize Farm
ers Supply Company Lo
cated in Munday Building
Will Open For Business
Latter Part of Week.
As another indication of Franklin's
prosperity and the general increase in
fall business The Farmers' Supply
company has been organized by local
men and will open for business the
latter part of this week in the Munday
building recently vacated by the Farm
ers Federation. This company will
do both a wholesale and retail busi
ness, according to the announcement
made Monday, in feed stuffs, gro
ceries, fertilizers and general supplies,
with particular reference to the needs
of the farmers of Macon county. The
new store will be under the manage
ment of Henry W. West assisted by
J. ; W, Hastings, the latter having
been connected with the Farmers
Federation for the past year. Before
opening for business the building will
be thoroughly renovated and painted
on the inside. Early Monday morn
ing Henry was busy with the broom
and was making plans to care' for the
large business which he anticipates.
and filtered supply from Cartooge
chaye Creek.
"The headwaters of Wayah Creek,"
says the report "offer the most prac
ticable water supply for Franklin,"
but the report eliminates this source
from consideration on account of the
estimated initial cost $45,000 for an
impounding dam and intake; $155,
000 fort a 12-inch pipe Mine or the
approximate 10 miles' distance; and
$15,000 miscellaneous cost total $215,
000. Trcmont Creek is eliminated since
the supply would "be inadequate for
the Town of Franklin.". It; would be
necessary, in case of this source,
says the report, to go upstream
to get sufficient elevation to a point
where there is a drainage area of
onlv three-fourts of a square mile.
"Undoubtedly, the initial cost of
installing works for obtaining water
from Lake Emory would be lower,
than that for any other practicable
source, of supply, says the' report.
The cost is estimated at $56,000 at
one site, and . $61,500 . were another
site used. ' ,
Two difficulties, however, stand in
the way .with reference to Lake
Emory, according to the report:' The
fact that "the elevation of Lake
Emory is 22 feet: lower than the
proposed intake on Cartoogechaye
reek," thus increasing the cost of
pumping an estimated increase of
$240 a vear for 250,000 gallons a day,
and of $480 per year at 500,000
gallons a day ; and, sanitary considera
tions. Referring to the "sanitary charac
ter of the stream," the report points
out about the Lake Emory source
of supply that "the drainage area is
inter-state, a condition which, under
present circumstances, places it be
yond the control of the Town of
Franklin, There is considerable habi
tation upon the area including the
Town of Highlands and several small
villages located along the Tallulah
Falls Railway. Again there is the
likelihood ' that trouble might be ex
perienced tiith micro-organisms due
to impoundment in Lake Emory.
This might impart disagreeable tasts
and odors to the water supply."
- None - of v the objections .to the
various other possible sources ap
plies to Cartoogechaye Creek, the
report states. The area above the
proposed intake is approximately 55.
7 square miles, and this source will
provide an "ample supply for Frank
lin for years to come."
"It is proposed to .construct.:, a
small diversion dam at the old Coun-.
ty bridge located about '100 yards
below the' present', highway bridge
The raw water '. pumps v.r.U ;-b
located adjacent t this dam will
remote control provided so as .t
from the filter plant."
"It is proposed, to pump - treated
water' from the filter plant throtvji
an eight-inch f.ipe.lme .to.-t'n- dis
tribution system the "point . of. mn
nertion being the end of. the six
inch line opposite the Standard Fill
ing Station on the Georgia - road. , A
oan'lcl line may be laid, at some
future . date when the demand justi
fies expenditure for additional carry
ing capacity."
The report quotes a letter from
the State Board pf Health ' recom
mending the Cartoogechaye source
rather than Lake Emory, -for sani
tary reasons: and the engineers cop
elude with the following conclusion-:, :
ROTARY CLUB IS
ORGANIZED HERE
Club Has Seventeen Charter
Members Officers Elect
edMeetings to Be Held
Wednesday of Each Week.
Mr. Ernest L. Withers, a member
of the Rotary Club of Waynes
ville, came to Franklin Tuesday of
this week and assisted in the organi
zation of the' Rotary C)ub of Frank
lin. Mr. Withers stated that it is
seldom that a town no larger than
Franklin, can qualify in all ways for
a Rotary Club. He was particularly
complimentary concerning the citizenship-of
Franklin and predicted that
the town would reap much benefit
from the new organization.
All but two of the seventeen char
ter members met at the office of
Jones and Jones. After adopting, by
laws the club elected the following
named officers: Sam. L. Franks,
president; D. I). . Rice, vice-president;
S. A. Harris, secretary-treasurer;
G. A. Jones, W. T. Moore, E.
S. Hunnicutt and A. R. Higdon
were elected on the Board of Gov
ernors. The club .decided to hold its week
ly meetings at the Scott Griffin
hotel from 12 to 1 each Wednes
day. On receipt of the charter
sometime in November the formal
installation will take place, at which
time many prominent members from
other towns will be present.
The names of the charter mem
bers are as follows: S. L. Franks,
D. D. Rice, S. A. Harris, W, T.
Moore, Alf Higdon, J. C. Ledbetter,
J. S. Conley, G. A. Jones, R.' S.
Jones, J. E. Lancaster, E. S. Hunni
cutt, Dr. W. A. Rogers, Dr. Furman
Angel, Dr. W. E. Furr, J. S. Porter,
H. S. Sloan, J. L. Farmer.
GIBSON INSTALLS
WATER SYSTEM
Mr. Walter Gibson, who lives at
Ictla, has installed a Delco light
water system at his home. He is
also having plumbing . placed for a
completely equipped bath room and
other' modern conveniences. Mr. Gib
son has city power and uses his well
as a source of water supply. The
system he has installed requires no
tank, the water coming directly from
the well to the -faucets. Compared to
.the benefits of the system the cost
is small, iris stated.
Sometime ago Mr. George Slaglc
who lives near town had a similar
system, installed at his home.
Potato Law Suit
George Carpenter, justice ' of the
peace, Saturday gave Weimar Love a
judgment against the Macon County
Farmers Federation for the amount
the federation formerly had offered
Love for 2,839 pounds of Irish pota
toes sold through the marketing bu
reau of the federation.
After selling the potatoes, the fede
ration offered Love a check in
payment, at the rate of 36 cents a
bushel. He refused the check, and
sued for recover at the rate of
$1 per bushel.
Love claimed that he understood
that he had sold the potatoes to the
federation for $1 per bushel. The
federation, on the other hand, offered
evidence to show that the .marketing
bureau of the organization had simply
sold the potatoes for Love and other
farmers, that the consignment reached
its destination in bad condition, that
all- of the co-operative shippers re
ceived 36 cents per bushel, and that
all other shippers had accepted this"
amount.
Because the federation's offer to
Love of 36 cents per bushel was made"
by check, rather than in legal ten
der, the costs of the case "rc asses
sed against , the federation
A. W.-Horn' represented ' e federa
tion, li. 1). Sisk, the plaint ', Love;
FIRST SNOW
Early .Wednesday 'nfirning; accord
ing to reports, reaching Franklin,,
snow, fell on', the near-by mountains.
"1. That either Lake Kmo-y or
Cartoogechaye Creek offers a prac
ticable source of water supply suf
ficient for all requirements of the
Town of Franklin for years to tomei
"2. That fo sanitary reasons Car
toogechaye Creek is to be favored
over Lake Emory.
"3. That an intake may be located
on Cartoogechaye Creek at the old
County bridge on the Johnston prop
erty. "4. That a 500,000 G, P. D. (gpllon
per day) filter plant may be located"
on a suitable site.
-V