CGUNTY-WIDE
BRIEFLY BUT
THOROUGHLY
TOLD
ESTABLISHED
OLDEST PAPER
WEST OF
ASHEVILLE
r
INVESTIGATE MACON COUNTY
HEART OF A MOUNTAIN EMPIRE RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT
VOLUME XLV
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1930
NUMBER NINE
"4 '
IIDGHES' ABILITY
!S INDISPUTABLE
. 'i
All Sides Concede To In
, tegrity of New Chief
.ir Justice
LIVE ISSUE, HOWEVER
Protests Against Tendency
of Supreme Court To Ex
ceed Authority
(By Fred Holmes, Washington Corv
. respondent of Franklin Press)
; Washington, Feb. 19. It is said
that a least one generation must
elapse before the works and apparent
lapses of any public man can be re
viewed with equanimity and recount
ed without prejudice or bias.
' Had the fight against the ' confir
mation of Charles Evans Hughes as
Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court involved any question
of the ability or the integrity of Mr.
Hughes, any attempt to analyze the
situation at this time would be per
mature. But his ability and integri
ty are conceded on all sides ' to be
' indisputable. The fight was against
a theory or a principle of economic
jurisprudence not in accord - with the
Views of some of our liberally mind
ed senators but of which Mr. Hughes
was known to approve.
Further evidence has been forth
coming that the senate has got hold
of a really live issue which may grow
into such consuming interest as to
wash off the party labels now borne
by many statesmen and bring about
a new political alignment. Protests
against the asserted tendency of the
Supreme Court to exceed its author
ity by assuming to regulate economic
conditions have been renewed ' and
stated with even greater vigor.
Dill Serves Notice
Senatqr Dill, of Washington, served
notice by name on justices of the
Supreme Court that it depended up
on them whether the court was to be
come a political body, and he gave
the serious warning that the people
of the country would not tolerate be
ing oppressed by its . decisions. If
they found that they were being ex
ploited in water and electric rates,
in car fares and telephone charges as
a. result, .of Supreme Court actions,
and that they could get no relief
either ' through City Councils, State
Legislatures or Congress for the same
Teason, the people, he said, would find
a means of changing the situation at
the ballot box.
There . was scant . sympathy here
with those who fought against the
confirmation of Mr. Hughes, but the
fight was productive of two outstand
ing considerations. In the first, place,
there is no doubt about the fact that
a great many who would have deeply
regretted his rejection-agree that the
fight against him was the most inter
esting and illuminating as well - as
one , of the most wholesome and
worth-while things that has happened
in a long time. It is said that Mr.
Hughes will be a better Chief Jus
tice for the experience. In spite of
his unquestioned ability and integrity,
it is the , consensus of opinion on all
sides that it is a good thing for the
country that the attack was made.
One of the things that has enabled
those who have had personal contact
with Mr. Hughes to easily restrain
their enthusiasm about him is the
conscious air of " superiority with
which he is constantly enveloped, to-
continued on page five)
FRANKLIN LOSES
TO DEMOREST ON
TUESDAY, FEB. 18
Franklin high school basketball
teams were defeated in a double
header last Tuesday night against the
teams of Demorest high school. The
games' were played in Demorest. The
boys lost by the 9core of 21-32. The
girls lost by a count of 18-21.
Gun Battle Follows Thief's Effort
To Gain Entrance To Ingram's Office
The corridor of Macon coun
ty's ancient court house echoed
to a fullisade of pistol shots be
fore day last Saturday morning
when a marauder attempted to
enter the office of Sheriff C. L.
Ingram, and remove the sheriffs
store of spirits of Indian corn.
This is said to be the third time
within six months that the sher-r
iff's office has been entered.
Ninety gallons of whiskey were
stolen from the office last No
vember. . f 1 ;
Deputy Sheriff Arthur Ray was
sleeping in the office last Friday
night, where he is said to have
been sleeping regularly in order
to catch some such marauder.
The intruder unlocked the door
of the office with a skeleton key,
then returned with a case knife
and forced the night lock. As
he started to enter the office
Deputy Ray fired. The would be
thief ran toward the upper end of
the court house, with the deputy
firing after him.
HUNDRED ENROLL
fflC.0FC.BODY
Trade Organization's Chart
er Membership Is
Complete
Franklin's recently organized cham
ber of commerce reached its goal of
100 charter members last- week, an
nounces the secretary-treasurer, Mrs.
Alvah Pearce.
"We are giving to The Press this
week,'" states John E. Rice, the pres
ident, "the full list of 108 members,
making the charter membership com
plete. We find that a number of
our best and most influential citizens,
both men and women, have not as yet
joined us. We appeal to you to join
the organization at once. Let's have
a 100 per cent community, and with
a larger memDersmp ana everyone
pulling together, we can prove to you
that Franklin is the best place on
earth tb live in. Come on now and
give us your support. One dollar
will carry you up to April 1."
Charter Members
The list of charter members to
date: ,
J. W. Addington, Logan Allen, Earl
Angel, Dr.1 Furman Angel, T. W.
Angel, Sr., Wade Arvey, Judge John
Awtrey, Jo's. Ashear, M. D. Billings,
Dr. John Brabson, Glen, Brendle, C.
S. Brown, O. C. Bryant, John B.
(Continued on page four)
COMMISSIONER'S
SYSTEM
Fred Slagle To Act As Fire
Warden And Game
Warden
After, two weeks of disasterous
forest fires in Macon county, the
board of commissioners has. passed
an order to reinstate a fire warden
in the county in co-operation with the
North Carolina department of con
servation and development. The cost
to the county will be $600 annually,
and the state will appropriate an
equal sum to be added to this amount.
County Game Warden Fred Slagle
will become the county's fire warden,
and deputy wardens will be placed
throughout the county.
W. K. Beichler, district forester,
in a letter to The "Franklin Press
relative to the move, writes:
Letter-.'
"Dear Mr. Harris:
"As you probably know by this
time, the Macon County Commission
ers entered into co-operation with the
State Forest Service on Thursday on
As s6on as they came into the
open, the fleeing man opened fire
on Ray. After both guns were
emptied, without anyone being! hit,
Deputy Ray gave further chase
and finally cornered his man back
of the Baptist church. There a
scuffle ensued. The result was
that Deputy Ray was over power
ed and his gun taken away from
him.' The might-have-been pris
oner the.n 'made good his escape.
But he left his motor car. In
the car were found two five gal
lon containers, several pieces of
hose pipe, several empty jars and
bottles, and one' fruit jar of liquor.
Officers are working on this clue.
Deputy Ray also claims to have
recognized the man, and officers
are on the lookout for him.
Sheriff C. L. Ingram was arous
ed, and shortly afterward Fred
. Young was arrested and charged
with being associated with the
court house marauder. Young is
held in the county jail, after fail
ure to make a $700 bond.
SIXTY MEXICAN
QUAIL BROUGHT
INTO MACON CO.
'Sixty Mexican quail were brought
from Black Mountain to the Way
ah Game refuge last Monday by
C. N. Mease, assistant state game
warden. These quail are' exclusive
ly for the refuge, though other
quail are to be distributed by War
den Jess Slagle to applicants from
Macon county.
ThM exican'rgl,faweiri'rof(yj
North Carolina from Texas.
MACON JURORS
TO GO TO CLAY
Thirty Citizens Summoned
To Appear In Hayes
ville, April 29
Thirty Macon citizens have been
summoned to appear in Clay county
on April 29, to act as jurors in the
case of the , State versus Marsh
Scroggs and Bon Berrong, charged
with house breaking , and larceny.
Two trials have previously been held
on this case, but it is stated that an
unbiased jury cannot be obtained in
Clay:
The following notice was received
by Sheriff Ingram:
"As per . order of the Board of
County Commissioners you are hereby
directed and instructed to summon
each and every one of the follow
(Continued on page five)
REINSTATE FIRE
IN COUNTY; $600
the basis, of a $600 annual appropria
tion from each party.
"I wish to take this opportunity of
expressing our appreciation of your
efforts to bring this about through
the medium of your paper. The
Franklin Press has always been our
outstanding example of County News
papers co-operation in District One.
"The acceptance of a new county
at this time represents something of
a sacrifice on the part of the State
organization. It means the expen
diture of time and money toward the
putting on of a brand new organiza
tion when that time and money is
badly needed in other counties whose
co-operation has been continual. We
are, however, thoroughly interested
in Macon county as wen as in tne
others and are undertaking the step
in spite of its obvious disadvantages
to us.
Guarantee Effort
"The Forest Service, of course, can
not guarantee that there will be no
REDUCTION IN TAX RATE
FORESEEN FOR COUNTY
Bible Class Holds
Delightful Social
The F. S. Johnston bible class met
at the home of Mrs. M. L. Dowdle
last Friday night for its monthly
social. Mrs. Dowdle, Mrs. W. T.
Moore, Miis Mary Allman, Mrs. Lon
Campbell, Miss Rachel Davis, Mrs.
Walt McConnell, Mrs. Claude Uo
sell were hostesses.
This was a Washington's birthday
program. Miss Elinor Sloan won first
prize at the program for pinning a
wig nearest the right spot on a like
ness of George's head;
Mrs. John Davenport won second
prize for composing he best Wash
ington telegram.
Delicions refreshment?; were served.
serious froblem
, "Agriculture is not prosperous in
the nation and, is certainly a serious
problem in this state. It is receiving
the most careful thought of the pres
(Continued on page four)
WARDEN
IS APPROPRIATED
State Also Appropriates
$600 To Aid Warden
System
fires, any more than a Sheriff can
guarantee that there will be no rob
beries. We do, however, guarantee
to make every possible effort within
our limitations to both prevent and
suppress forest fires.
'"County Warden Fred Slagle and
myself will decide very shortly upon
the personnel of our District Warder
organization. When this is completed
we should appreciate any publicity
you may give to the ten or twelve
names involved.
"I am enclosing a copy of our State
Forest Laws and wish to make it
clear to the people of Macon county
that we win do all in our power to
enforce these Laws which . are of
benefit to all citizens who use the
products from that timberland in anv
form. .
"Again let me say that we appre
ciate your co-operation."
REVISION LIKELY
IN NEARTtmiRG
Macon Can Make Possible
Reduction of 40
4kh. Per Cent
HAYWOOD CUT LIKELY
Power Developments Make
Slash In Rates A
Possibility
Radical revision , of the tax rates
in at least three Western North Caro
lina counties appears almost certain,
as a result ot the creation of the
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park , and of power developments.
Macon county will be in a position
to , slash about 40 per cent off its
tax rate at the end of two years.
A cut of nearly 20 per cent is prob
able in Haywood when the tax rate
s next fixed in that county.
And Swain county, because., of its
oss of taxable property to the park,
aces an increase of about 23 per cent
n its rate. The' increase in Swain,
lowever, jn all probability will not
e permanent, with the possibility of
hat county ultimately becoming one
f the richest in Western North
h i: -
All of these estimated changes are
based on the presumption that other
Iroperty values and the expenses of
the three counties will remain approxi
mately the same as at present.
Situation in Maoon
In Macon county, the present tax-
fable values are $7,412,386. The tax
rate is $1.64.
Ruf of Rprlnr in farnn niintv.
the Nantahala Power and Light com
pany is constructing a power develop
ment at an estimated cost of approxi
mately $10,000,000or more , than the
valuation of all other property in the
county.
Of course it is not customary to list
Iproperty for taxation at even ap
proximately its value, but it probably,
would be conservative to fix the
taxable value of the Beecher project,
io be completed in about two years,
at $5,000,000. . ...
40 Per Cent Cut Possible
This will increase the county's tax
able values from about seven and a
half to about twelve and a half mil
lion dollars, and make it possible to
raise the same amount of revenue as
at present with a 40 per cent lower
rate. In other words, the rate can
be cut from the present one of $1.64
to about $1.04. If the' plant is as
sessed for more than $5,000,000 the
rate cut will be more; if for less, the
rate wilj not be, cut so sharply.
Haywood county's situalion is some
what different. In that county the
Carolina Power and Light company
is now completing a plant even larg
er than thai at Beecher, but Hay
wood is a much richer county than
Macon, and the taxable value added
by the plant will be much smaller,
in proportion to the county's present
wealth, than is the case in Macon.
FIRE BURNS OVER
300 ACRES OF LAND
OF NATL FOREST
A fire that burned over 3001 acres
in Habersham county, "Georgia, on the
Nantahala National forest lands was
reported during the dry spell of last
week, Friday ahd Saturday. The fire
was strung over three . miles in a
heavy smoke that made fighting dif
ficult. '
Only a small acreage was lost on
North' Carolina lands of the forest.