no
ESTABLISHED IN 1885
Oldest North Carolina Newspaper
West of Asheville
DEDICATED TO MACON
County and the Welfare
of its Good People
A
X '"V
PROGRESSIVE-LIBERAL-INDEPENDENT
VOLUME XLVI, No, 5
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1931
$1.50 PER YEAR
M BANK
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COUNTY AGENT
JOB AT STAKE
Commissioners Believed
Willing To Change
Their Decision
PROGRAM OUTLINED
Outstanding Speakers And
Farm Experts To
Be Heard
Farmers and their families from
all sections of Macon County arc
expected to come here Saturday for
the big farm meeting to be held
at the courthouse, beginning at 10
o'clock in the morning. '
One of the most vital matters of
business expected to come before
the meeting will be the question
of .whether Macon shall continue
to have a farm demonstration
agent.
A half dozen outstanding agricul
tural speakers, each an expert in
his line, are scheduled to take
jiart in the program. County Agent
Fred S. Sloan announced their
names Wednesday as follows;
Speakers' List
John W. Goodman, district faun
agent, who is managing Gover
nor Gardner's "Farm To Live at
Home" campaign in this section of
the state.
F. R. Farnham, dairy specialist
of the North Carolina State Col
lege Extension service. '
C. F. Parrish. poultry expert of
the State College extension service
A II. R. Niswongcr, horticulturist of
the extension service staff.
G. G. Filler, livestock expert con
nected with the. State Department
of Agriculture.
Miss Pauline Smith, home demon
stration agent. Miss Smith will
speak particularly to the. wives of
farmers who attend the meeting.
Count Agent Sloan will preside at
the meeting. He said Wednesday
that he expected all of the experts
mentioned above to accept his in
vitation to speak at the gathering,
and predicted that it would be the
largest meeting of is kind held
here in several years.
. Purpose of Meeing
The purpose of the meeting will
be to formulate plans for Macon
County s .agricultural' program in
1931.
Among those expected to be pres
ent are the members of the conn
ty board, Commissioners W. I )
Barnard, chairman. C. H. Mc-
-Clurc and Walter Gibson. - For th
past few days it has been tin
.opinion in Franklin, that these nun
would rescind their recent action
abolishing the job of farm demon
stratum agent, effective February
1, provided sufficient evidence were
presented them to show that the
farmers themselves wanted the of
fice continued.
A number of Franklin business
men are 'vitally interested in' the
meeting and are planning to al-
t tend. Several days ago a group
of them signed a letter requesting
tlio farmers to turn out in full
force for Saturday's meeting. This
letter was mailed to hundreds of
' farmers throughout the county. It
follows: v
Letter to Farmers
"Franklin,.'' N. C.
"January 24, 1931.
"Dear, Farmers and Farm Women :
"During this period of readjust-,
nu-nt many things have taken place
which vitally affect you as well as
' :IIS.
"The matter to which we wish
to call to your attention is the
action about to be taken by he
county commissioners regarding
o unty agent work. They plan to
discontinue1 it after February the
first. Such an action would affect
a!) of us, but especially you. Wc
have been investigating the matter
and now we firmly believe that
this action can be prevented if you
show, along with us, that we can
not afford to do without a. county
aiicnt in Macon County.
"Macon County's future is based
ntioii vonr success as a farmer.
Your success is directly dependent
. unon the sale of your surplus com
modifies to the very best possible
ad antage. V
'This can best be done through
'I co perative sales such as poultry,
hop, lamb, wool, etc. Through co
operative carlot sales yon farmers
i .',.(""' -"! on ..'piw S'X) .. ,:.
Macon County Deficient
$612,684 in Production
Of 8 Crops, Says Report
(Special to Th Franklin Press)
RALEIGH, Jan. 28. In order to
make Gov. Gardner's "Live-at-Homc"
campaign a success in Ma
con county, the farmers must im
prove their position as far as the
raising of food and feed stuffs is
concerned, according to John W.
Goodman, district farm agent, who
is working to make the "Farm to
Make a Living in 1931" slogan a
complete success in North Caro
lina. According to Mr. Goodman,
Macon county is deficient in the
sum of. $612,684 in eight crops.
This total deficiency, which is due
to the fact that Macon, county
farmers are buying produce from
without the county and are not
'raising enough of these eight crops,
is based on the latest complete
tables of figures available, obtain
ed in 1929.
Governor Gardner urged the
farmers a year ago to raise more
food and feed stuffs. In 1930 North
Carolina farmers saved $19,000,000
by increasing their food yields. The
aim for 1931 is the saving ot an
additional sum of $40,000,000 by
Legislation To
Butter Producers Sought
DENIES PLANS
OFANNKATION
T. D. Bryson Opposes
Scheme To Take . "
Part of Macon
In a letter to the editor of The
Press, T. 1). Bryson denies emphat
ically that he is sponsoring a move
ment to annex a part of Macon
county to Swain. .
For some months there have
been rumors that Swain, ' seeking
some means to increase its tax
revenues, greatly dimmisiiea- since
a large part of its land was taken
over for the Great Smoky Moun
tains national park, might seek to
extend its borders. Senator K. E.
Bennett is reported to be holding
conferences at Raleigh in an ef
fort to obtain some means of state
assistance, but there has been no
indication that he would introduce
a bill to take part of Macon coun
ty and add it to Swain. Senator
Bennett has estimated that Swain
couny would lose land valued at
$1,000,000 for taxation purposes
through creation of the national
park. .He blamed this largely for
the county's default in bond pay
ments this year.
Mr. Bryson's Letter,
Following is Mr. Bryson's letter
to The Press:
Editor,
The Franklin Press,
"Franklin, North Carolina.
"Dear Sir:
"ft has just been brought to my
attention that there is a rumor be
ing circulated in. Macon county to
the effect that 1 am sponsor of a
movement to introduce a bill in the
present General Assembly to carve
from Macon county and add to
Swain county a certain portion of
(Continued on page six)
School Instruction Costs
Vary Greatly Over State
(Special to The Franklin Press)
RALEIGH, Jan. 27i From $39.40
in Durham coun.ty to $15.81 in
Cherokee is the range in per pu
pil cost of instructional service in
the rural white schools, of the
State, according to the current is
sue of School Facts, publication of
the, Department of Public Instruc
tion. In the 34 largest charter
systems, the range in this respect
is from $66.87 per pupil in Ashe
ville to $27.35 in Henderson.
"Among the colored schools dif
ferences in instructional service arc
also apparent," says School Facts,
"the range being . from $30.00 in
Mitchell, a Wnty havini? only one
producing at home, stuff which
have been bought without the
counties in the past. By living
more nearly on their own produce,
the farmers of any county will be
aiding the "Live-at-Homc" cam
paign; they will have more cash
money at the end of the year; and
their examples will stimulate people
all over the state to greater ef
forts in coming years.
Macon can help greatly. The
picture is not so terribly bad.
There arc several bright spots. For
instance, Macon raises much, beef
and veal, with a surplus over needs
of its farmers of 2,462 head, val
ued at the sum of $116,699. In
four other particulars the county
produces its own rural needs and
has "a surplus left over. The stun
total of the five surpluses is $264,
038. The net food and iced de
ficiency is $348,645, and this sum
is too large for a rural county with
Macon's farm population. These
figures .mean simply this: Macon
-county is spending needlessly an
average of $37 per man, woman and
(Continued on page six)
Protect
Association Asks Laws
To Guard Against
Oleomargarine
The North Carolina Dairymen's
Association plans to seek legisla
tion at the present session of the
General Assembly to cope with the
effects of a recent ruling of United
States Internal Revenue Commis
sioner Burnette permitting colored
oleomargarine to be sold without
paying the federal tax of 10 "cents
per pound, according to a letter
received by County Agent Fred
S. Sloan from J. A. Arey, of Ral
eigh, secretary and treasurer of
the Dairymen's Association.
Mr. Arey expressed the Opinion
in his letter that this ruling is
partly responsible for the prevail
ing low prices of butter, and asked
that Macon County dairymen give
their support to the legislation pro
posed by his association.
"This ruling," Mr. Arey said, re
ferring to the one exempting col
ored oleomargarine from the feder
al tax of 10 cents - per pound,
"makes it necessary that slate laws
be nasscel for the protection of
the dairy cow.
"1 want to ask that you 'acquaint
a number of your leading fanners
with this bill who will agree to
wire or write their senator or rep
resentative to support it when it
is introduced, which will be around
February 10-12. I will notify you
of the exact date later. 1 his . isj
very important.
"Some agricultural leaders feel
that this ruling is partly -responsible
for the present low .market for
butter and that recovery in the
butter market will be very slow
unless law arc passed protecting
the dairy cow against this unfair
competition."
It is believed very likely that
this matter will be brought before
the meeting of farmers at the-. Ma
con' County, courthouse at 10 o'clock
Saturday morning.
school of nine pupils, to $5.81 in
EdgcYombc county.
"An examination of the affecting
factors for these; systems," that
paper continues, "will explain in a
general way the wide differences
in their per pupil instructional ser
vice costs. For example, Durham
count v has a school term of 100
days, employs teachers and prin
cipals with an average of 3.34 years
of scholastic training, has an aver
age of 30 pupils to each teacher
and principal employed, and ex
pends annually for teachers salaries
an average of $1,196.24 to each
teacher and principal. Consequent
(Continued on pace six)
Bench Brigade Gets
Early Spring Bath
The weather was bright and
warm Monday afternoon and the
bench brigade was enjoying it
to the utmost, idly watching
Chief Bob Henry and assistants
wash the streets with the fire
hose.
Suddenly the basking brothers
were aroused to action. Some
thing went wrong with the hose
and a stream of water showered
the whole bunch, a score of
more lounging lazily on the loaf
ers bench on the square. Nearly
all were dampened and half a
dozen or more", drenched to the
skin, headed for home like hors
es for the barn.
SACON'S LAND
VALUES GIVEN
Property Worth $20.38 per
Acre, Report from
Raleigh States
LEADS THIS SECTION
Jackson's Average Acre
age Value Put at $17.51,
Swain's $16.83
(Special to The Franklin Press)
RALEIGH, Jan.' 28 The average
value of land per acre in Macon
county is 20.38, according to figures
compiled by the State Hoard of
Assessment which were made pub
lic recently in a report to the Gen
eral Assembly.
The average value given for town
lots in this county was $'J7.52.
Macon's per acre value exceeds
that of the neighboring counties of
Swain by $3.55; Jackson, $2.K7;
Graham, $9.43; Clay, $0.09; Chero
kee, $9.21.
List of Values
The figures announced by . the
Hoard, of Assessment lor the coun
ties of VVestjSn North Carolina fol
low; -
Aver Yal. Aver. Val.
t 'of land of town
Per Acre
Lots
$2,577.82
029.35
1,551.00
2,323.53
2,438.42
' 7-18.07
473.29
823.72
: 1,493.48
2,344.88
7. 13
997.52
1.247.8X
757.71
773.05
1,147.07
, 992.54
998.10
1,051.03
994. XX
857.18
Buncombe
Avery .'.
Alleghany ......
Burke '.." ,
Catawba
Cherokee .-. .
Clay .'.
Graham
I lay wood
Henderson ......
Jackson
Macon ...,....
Madison ......
McDowell ......
M iirluli ....'...
Polk
Utr. her ford
Swain
Transylvania ..
Watauga
Yancey
... $(.1.55
-20.31
32.99
42.50
18.05
11.77
13.09
10,15''
.20.39
03.71
17.51
20.3K
ix.71
2S.01
21.02
31'.
. 3X.H5
- I0.X3
21.25
2X.44
24.99
$32.15
Aver, for stale
$1,911.80;
FOREST SURVEYOR
TO EXAMINE LAND
IN GRAHAM COUNTY
Supervisor A. A. V
if the
Nantahala National Forest has an-
iiounceil t In- arrival liere in i
VV
Tabutt, forestry surveyor, who will
assist in -the examination i 30,000
acres to be 'acquired by the forest
in Graham county. This is part
of a tract of Tl 1,000. acres which
oie' I'.iicst officials are planning to
acquire.
A. R. 'Kinney has. completed the
survey of a tract in Kabtin Countv,
Ga., and his crew has disbanded,
and Mr. "Kinney -has returned to
his headquarters in Bristol, Tenn.
J. K. Bradley, in charge of a
survey of lands being acquired in
Cherokee has completed his sur
vey, and is in -.Franklin completing
office work on his findings.
DIRECTS ROAD SURVEY
Survey for the improvement of
the road from Highlands to Horse
Cove is being conducted by J. J.
Smith of 'Highlands,. The Nanta
hala National Forest will foot the
bills for this construction.
PUSHES PLANS
TO PAVE ROAD
State Highway Engineer
Promises Action on
Surfacing No. 28
REGRADING NEEDED
Work To Start as Soon
As U. S. Engineers
Give Approval
.in i f i . i .i
nans wnercuy oosiacies m me
way of completing the hard-surfacing
of the road from- Franklin to
Highlands will be removed were
outlined the latter part of last
week by John D. Waldrop, chief
engineer for the State Highway
Commission, who came to Macon
County to inspect the road.
Mr. Waldrop explained that the
delay in laying the macadam sur
face on Route No. 28 from the end
of the concrete at Gneiss to High
lands was occasioned by disap
proval of federal engineers of cer
tain grades on the road up the
gorge. As soon as these grades
can be altered to meet the require
ments of the United States high
way authorities, he declared, funds
will be forthcoming to finish the
project.
To Survey New Lines
The slate highway engineer
promised that within the following
week he would have James Conn-,
cil.now in charge of the new high
way from Kla into the Great
Smoky mountains, transferred to
Route 28 to survey a new line
through the points to be regraelcd.
He expressed the opinion that il
would take about a week to finish
this survey. Then it will be neces
sary to plot the new grades and
submit the plans to the federal en
gineers. As soon as they are ap
proved, he stated, John C. Walk
er, (listrict - highway engineer, can
begin regrading and surfacing.
Federal approval is necessary be
cause part of the funds to be used
in the work will come from the
federal government.
The cost of regrading was es
timated by Mr. Waldrop at about
$15,000.
The surfacing will be 'earned
through the town of Highlands
with a width of 18 feet without Cost
to the town, Mr. Waldrop said.
Other Road Plans
Uefering to the stretch of No.
28 west of Franklin, Mri Wahlrop
stated that 'the Forestry service has
promised to donate its next annual
appropriation for this vicinity, of
$45,000, ordinarily expended on for
est roads ami trails, to the high
way commission to be used on the
cost of surfacing thc highway west
of Franklin, provided the unsur
faced gap between Gneiss and Sap
phire is completed within a reason
able length of time. This will be
another incentive for rushing the
latter project, said the state engi
neer. When the gap between Gneiss
and Sapphire is surfaced, No. 28
will be paved as far west as .Frank
lin from its eastern terminus at
Bat Cave The highway has been
surfaced at the extreme western
end, which runs from Murphy to
the Tennessee line, and the last
gap to be paved will be that ly
ing between Franklin and Murphy
on, which route Hayesville is Jocat
cd. Opening of the latter stretch
will ' put Franklin' on llavcsville's
most direct route to Asheville.
(Continued on page six)
Former Macon County Man
Drowns Self in Georgia Lake
The body of Maltie M. Dills,,
former Macon County 'man wh
disappcarrel from his home at Tal
inlah Falls, Ga,,' last Thursday, was
drawn from the bottom of Tallulah
I.r.-kc Friday afternoon about 4
o'clock after discovery of his hat
naileel to the railroad trestle across
the lake. .
A coroner's jury returnee! a ver
diet of suiciele.
Dills, who was said to have been
despondent and to have threatened
suiciele several times, Was thought
to have jumped off the trestle
sometime Thursday morning. The
water at that point is 60 feet deep
and efforts of Georgia Power
Company employee to discover his
Little Hope Seen
For Reopening of
Bank of Franklin
Henson Says $132,000 Cash Needed To Revive Old
Bank Besides Agreement To Freeze Deposits
For at Least Two Years
BANK OF MACON MAY OPEN
FEBRUARY 15, DOWDLE SAYS
Notices Sent Subscribers Calling for Payment On
Stock; Move Expected To Boost
Business Activities
Plans are rapidly taking shape for the opening here soon' of the new
Bank of Macon, for which $25,0110 capital slock already has been sub-'
scribed. , '.
Mark I.. I lowdle, who was elected president of the proposed bank at
a recent meeting of its hoard of directors, announced Wednesday that
he hoped and expected the bank would be ready to open its doors by
February 15. Notices have been sent to stock subscribers informing
them of the board's plans and calling on them to ay in the ' amounts
they subscribed as soon as possible.,
"The sooner stockholders send
us
the money for their
slock.
Mr.
Dowdle said, "tin
sooner we
vv I
he in posiiiiin
to iihiM the
Hew
bank."
Decision to go-ahead with plans
to open the new bank was leached
at a meeting' of the board of direc
tors Monday night after a series
of conferences by officials of the
old Bank of Franklin, representa
tives of the depositors and stale
banking department representatives
revealed that it would )( an al
most hopeless task to undertake
the reopening of I Ik- closed inst itu
tion. $132,000 Needed
A - .committee representing both
the bank and ils depositors went to
Asheville last week ami -conferred
with G. N, llensoii, who is in
charge of liquidating closed banks
in Western North Carolina as an
agent of the Slate Corporation
Commission. Details of this con
ference became known-'this week.
It was revealed that 'Mr. Henson
informed the Franklin delegation
that it would be necessary for
$132,000 in cash lo he placed in
PORTER IS NAMED
TO TAKE CHARGE
OF MURPHY BANK
J. A.. I'orter of . Franklin, has
been appointed liquidating agent
for the closed Bank of Murphy and
also for the Clay County Bank at
Hayesville. - I le wiU be. assisted in
the liquidation of the Murphy bank
by Bill Davis of Sylva, according
to The Cherokee Scout, and at the
Clay County -Bank by. Miss Myrtle
Scroggs. Savs the Murphy news
paper: "Mr. I'orter is well and favorably
known in this section, having been
a former citien of Cherokee
County.' He took charge of both
institutions Wednesday and Thurs
day of this week!
"Mr. I'orter appears to, be a
clean cut gentleman, and his state
incut is different from that -of -Mr.
Dardeii (representative ((( the Stale
Banking '- Department with refer
ence to this liqilielaliin; of the hank.
According to Mr. I'orter. he. is
here to do everything in his power
to assist the stockholdiTS and de
positors to. open (he Baiik of Mur
phy and the Clay Count v bank."
body by dragging wire fruitless
Finally, John Taylor, of Tallulah
Falls dropped a fish . Iioeik and line
immediately, under the spot where
Dills had tacked his hat and suc
ceeded in ratihing the hook in the
drowni'd man's clothing and bring
ing the boily to the surface.
Dills, had been in bail health for
some time, relatives said. He was
48 years old and had meived to
Georgia, where he- was living at
the home of his son-in-law, Ben
West, in Tallulah Falls, about six
years ago. lie is survived by his
widow and several children.
Funeral services were held Fri
day afternoon at Sugarfork Bap
tist Church, this county.
the vault of the Bank of Franklin
before ils iloors again could be
iiptni'd and thai 95 per cent of
its deposits, including both time
ce i lifii ales anil che eking accounts,
would have to De 'frozen, by
agreement .of the depositors, fur a .
pe riod of not less, than two years.
Certificates Non-Negotiable
Mr. Henson further revealed that
new certificates of deposit woiihl
have to be issueel, cancelling the
present ones, ami that the new
ce rtificates would be: stamped, "Not
Negotiable." The opinion hail pre
vaileil that once the bank was re
opened .the elepesitors could bor
row mone y mi their certificates, or
use them to cancel their obliga
tions to the' bank. This, however,
was found not to be the case.
Mr; Henson also, pointed out that
il would be necessary, fur the Bank
of Franklin drastically lo limit its
financial affairs. The bank, if re
opened under - the conditions just
stated, would not be authorized, as
long as ils 'deposits were tied tip,
to grant loans on money collected
freitu 'outstanding, notes in excess
of 10 per cent. He also explained
that loans on ibis limited basis
would require the approval, of. a
majority of the directeirs.
Among' certain groups of eh'posi
tors and stockliolelers ef the olel
bank there is .still Some hope' ef
ri'opening the institution but many
who in recent weeks have eiffircd
their reoperation' toward this end
have finally reached the opinion
that it would be better fur the wel
fare of Franklin and Macon coun
ty to abandon the -reopening plans
ami concentrate their efforts in a
move to open the new Bank of
Macon..'
To Boost Business
It is cemiielcntly expected that
business will begin to show rapid
improvement as soon as Franklin
has banking facilities. The coiu
inunity has been without a bank
ing house since December 16, when
the Hank of Franklin failed to
ope n in oreler . lo' conserve its as
sclsv Since then' some people have
been"' doing ""'without' a bank and
others have been "going . to High
lands eir sending their money out
of the comity, and merchants, busi
ness men, farmers and others have
learneel what a cash shortage
meaiis.
A meeting of the creditors of the
Bank of Franklin, and this iuchiele.s
elepo'sitors,'. has been called for
noon Saturday, in the, .offices ' of '
William L. 'McCoy. What action
is contemplated remains to be seen.
Members of the committee named
by ' the directors of the Bank of
Franklin who conferred with de
positors and banking department
officials were: ....
Mark L. Dowdle, Sam L. Franks,
George ration. R, D. Sisk, Gilmer
A. Jones.
The committee which represent
ed the depositors in these con
ferences was composcel of Joseph
Ashear, Dr. W. E. Furr and Claude
Ru'ssell. . - :
Following is a list ef the direc
tors of the new Bank of Macon :
M. L. Dowdle. president ; M. D.
Billings, now in charge of liquidat
ing the Bank of Franklin; S. A.
Munelay, Grover Jamison, C. F.
Moody, Dr, S. II, Lyle, Sam L,
Franks. ,