ison County Licrvry
Volume 72. Number 47.
5 - Year Surge
In Madison
County Economy
Madison County's economy It represented sales at the Carolina.
conUnoes to grow, year after rate of $2,284 per household, as Although most families are
vnir deanite inflation and asainst 12.118 in 1967. making substantially more
year, despite inflation and
despite rising taxes, domestic
and international turmoil and
the frequent forebodings of
bad times ahead.
It reflects the fact that local
families, armed with fatter
pay envelopes, are still in the
market place in force,
spending as much as is
necessary to maintain the
standard of living to which
they have become ac
customed. The reports show that they
have been buying a record
number of new cars, have
been acquiring better homes
and have been spending more
for household appliances,
clothing and leisure-time
activities.
The progress mad in the
local area in ttv: past five
years is brought out in figures
compiled by the Standard
Rate and Data Service.
They snow that the amount
of business done by retail
stores in Madison County
during the past year rose to a
high of 111,488,000. Five years
ago the total was $8,565,000.
It was a Digger increase
than was recorded in many
sections of the country. Much
of it, of course, was due to
inflation.
McDevitt Is Named
Intern To Assembly
A. Junior political science
(oajor at the University of
North Carolina at Ashevlllt
has been appointed a legis
lative intern for the U7
General Assembly.
Ronald Wayne McDevitt,
son of Mr. and Mrs. tear
McDtritt of Marshall, will be
ana of IS college and univer
sity students la the state to
participate ia the program
sponsored by the N. C
General Assembly and Am
department of politics of .
North Carolina State Univer
sity. A 1171 graduate of Marshall
tUgb School, McDevitt was
mm of 401 applicants. When
4ht selection was narrowed to
I
: , , .
against $2,118 in 1967,
The advance that was
achieved in the local area was
due, basically, to the fact that
the amount of disposable
income in the hands of the
average family increased
greatly in the period, off
setting higher living costs.
The SRDS figures show that
Madison County residents had
a net disposable income last
year of $34,733,000, after
deduction for taxes, as against
$22,200,000 five years before.
The rise, 56.5 percent,
compares with 46.6 percent in
the United States and with 50.1
percent in the State of North
Human Resources
Office To Open
In Black Mountain
RALEIGH The western
regional office of the North
Carolina Department of
Human Resources will be
opened January 2. That an
nouncement came today from
Secretary of Human
25, the finalists including
McDevitt were interviewed by
IX Gov. James Hunt, House
Speaker Jim Ramsey and Dr.
William Block, chairman of
the NCSU Department of
Politics.
McDevitt will receive U
semester hours of academic
credit through NCSU while
enrolled as a legislative in
tern. Interns serve as staff
assistants to officers and
members of the General
Assembly while pursuing a
parallel course of study at
NCSU.
At UNC-A. McDevitt to
active In the Political Science
Assn. and the Commuter
Students Union.
r
. I T J""".-
ma
making substantially more
than they did previously, they
feel that they are in a
squeeze that even with ;
their increased cash, they 4
cannot buy as much with it as
they could formerly.
However, as some
economists see it, what they
don't realize is that they have
been steadily raising their
sights over the years and have
developed life styles that are
more sumptuous than ever
before. Which accounts for the
squeeze they feel when prices
go up at an unusual rate, as
they have been doing lately.
Resources David T. Flaherty.
The western office, located
in the Nurses Home addition
on the campus of the Western
North Carolina Specialty
Hospital in Black Mountain, is
the first of four regional DHR
offices to be opened.
Renovation in the other three
locations, Fayetteville,
Winston-Salem, and Green
ville, is expected to be com
pleted during January and
February.
Housed in the Black
Mountain office will be em
ployees of Social Services,
Mental Health, Blind,
Vocational Rehabilitation,
and Developmental
Disabilities Representatives
of the Division of Health
Services will move in after
further renovation.
Also located in the office will
be a staff of eight that will
form the manpower
management team. The
manpower office will be made
aware of vacancies within any
Human Resource agency in
the region. They will recruit,
train, give merit exams, and
process hiring and transfers.
This new team approach will
provide more personnel ex
perts to be responsive to
management and employee
needs.
Approximately M em
ployees wui ork tathejafflce. Winners Are
Regional managers will be " "
Benjamin 1 R, Carpenter, . . -Social
Services; Dr. Trevor AnnOUHCed
Williams. Mental Health; , , . -
John Y. Yoder, Vocational winners of the Marshall
Rehabilitation: R.L. Clark, .lions . Club Christmas
Blind Services; C Spears promotion are announced as
Alexander, rvekjpmental follows: Zenith Color
Disabilities; and Michael Television , Set, Mika
Byrne. Manpower System. ' Maynard; Winchester It-.
The office will serve a
population of l.T million North
Carolinians la 34 western
counties. The counties In the
western region are Stanly,
Union, Cabarna, Rowan,
Itpcklenburg. Iredell, Gaston,
livcln. Catawba, Aw"r,
s, An--lary, CvC 1,
kt, CaJi 3, t' '-
, r --' -t r ' m
y, : ; :. -,
r ' i, i
--I, Tr--; - ,
c
I ' l r V I H,! -M '
I N ' f K J'
I .
A $1,000.00 CHECK from the directors and
stockholders of the Citizens Bank, wa presented
Svpemtendent R. L. fofcytuB byjC,f. MaAburnf t
vTrWnian of tA CHis4i k:f trtoi j 1
last Tuesday to kick eft a drive for lie Madison'
County High School Band. Looking on at the
Farm Outlook Bright For 1974
The new farm year probably
will be a good one for the
farmer - compared to any
year except 197S. The record
shattering net income of the
season just completed isn't
likely to be repeated in 1974.
This seems to be the con
sensus of the experts at a time
when the difficult task of
predicting agriculture is even
more difficult than usual.
In many ways it's a new ball
game. There is a new
government program with its
"target" prices and strong
appeal for expanded
production; there is a delicate
balance of commodities
Mail Order Licenses
RALEIGH Mail orders
for 1974 North Carolina
automobile license tags will be
a little behind schedule this
season. "Due to cir
cumstances beyond ouf
control, we won't be able to fill
mail orders and orders for
persona Used and official tags
as fast as normal," said Motor
Vehicles Commissioner Boyd
Miller, "We will be able to fill
these orders by the end of
January, but we want people
Local Lions
gnage shotgun, E. V. Taylor;
Winchester 30-30 rifle, Bennie
Thomas; Horn elite Chain Saw,
Charles Jackson; Winchester
22-eaL rifle, Marsha Reed;
Lady's Fur Cape, Charles
Bradley; All of the winners
are from Kaisfn County,
"We arrrecl; .e t; e fine
ff) oseol t' i" ..' ':c, bet?! in .
f-i o'it of t' t ?, v:.h
r - '-: 2 r"'"'- '' ' f C '..is
X " ; cf f It ' ' '. !3 ?
I tj f r - r
1 ! ; '
i
"V
worldwide; there is a serious
shortage of such basics as fuel
and fertilizer, and there are
increased costs almost at
every turn.
These are Just some of the
factors that promise to make
1974 an "interesting" year for
agriculture and the farmer.
Whatever happens in '74,
farmers will be hard pressed
to match the income they
received last year. Realized
net farm income probably
reached $25 billion, up over $5
billion from the previous
record set only the year
before.
North Carolina State
to please be patient" The
delay does not affect mail
orders for tags for other
vehicles such as motorcycles,
nor will it affect motorists who
wish to obtain automobile tags
at contract agencies or
various Motor Vehicle offices
Billy Roberts Honored
BiDy Warren Roberts, son of
Earl Roberts of Marshall, was
one of forty-eight graduating
seniors at Bcra College
honored at a Recognition
Service on Saturday, Dec 15,
in Phelps Stokes Chapel on
Berea's campus. Mr. Roberts
received a B. S. degree in
Agriculture and was elected to
Delta Tan Alpha Agriculture
" Honor Society m addition to
being named to the Dean's
Honor List he two terms. .
V Dr. Harry Booth, visiting
Union Service
Here Sunday ;-
' . The regular Fifth Sunday
night Union Service of the
; Marshall churche will be held
this Sunday r ' t at the
Presbyterian Church bere. ,
; Service, wi'J tr'i ft 7;39
o'clock. The r.-.-v. f . 'er
LGrsvl,pisircf " I
C.Hrch, w;'.l i " r e
!-" P"-fT n
: 1 .1 s : ,i
m
g
-7, ,
presentation which was held in thfe Citizens Bank
are, left to right, E. C. Teague, Mrs. Annie May
White. D. M. Robiftton, John O. (iorhett (between
rcaJf! tisifl 1 Mannrrillob'JK.ChahdIer
JameS SpriisJe, JrT, Dr. Hoyt crlackwell and
Frank T. Moore, directors of the bank.
University economists point
out that this "phenomenal"
increase in farm income was a
result of the continuing strong
domestic demand for
livestock production and an
exceptionally strong foreign
demand for crops.
Higher prices for all com
modities and increased
production of most major
crops contributed to the strong
agricultural picture in North
Carolina. Production of flue
cured tobacco was up 18
percent, corn 5 percent,
soybeans 27 percent, cotton SO
percent and peanuts 22 per
cent. Delayed
across the state.
Approximately four million
117 thousand vehicle plates
have been sold thus far in 1973.
That is an increase of over 400
thousand from 1972. The 1974
figure is expected to be well
over the 4 million mark.
professor of religion, spoke on
"Questions of Authority." Dr.
Booth is on leave this year
from Dickinson College,
Carlisle, Pa. The candidates
were presented by Dean
William F. Stone.
A reception before the
ceremony for seniors and
their families was held by
President and Mrs. Willis D,
Weatherford in .' - The
President's Hoase, Originally
scheduled for Sunday, the
. service was moved np t
; prevent Sunday driving
problems for the families and
friends of the graduates. ! .
. . . r t .
''is, ON DEAN'S UST
- ,- ' ' ' - '
- Asbeville - Buncombe
Technical Institute announces
that the tr" owing students
have been placed on V
Dean's List for Ce faU
charter, 133. E.ir"'" 't must
a 3.3 c j p-'t
Sv r - in g -t I H
rf- '.d f t-
r ' - 1 . v e . t
Vf
V.' - . ;,.-..( i
."11
Looking into the new year,
the NCSU economists point
out that markets for im
portant commodities are in a
delicate balance. Prices are
likely to move up and down
during the first half of the
year, but they should remain
strong for commodities
produced in '73 and carried
over for sale.
Farmers' response to the
new farm program will be a
critical factor influencing
prices in the second half of the
year. If they respond as an
ticipated and weather con
ditions are favorable, grain
and soybean prices next fall
will be lower than last faU but
well above the average of the
late 1960's.
Increased feed supplies at
lower prices will encourage
expansion of livestock in the
second half of 74, the NCSU
economists suggest.
The story on costs is the
same as It has been for years
they'll be higher. Taxes and
farm wage rates will continue
to rise, also.
Buncombe Is No w
A Member Of
Region B
By ED SPEARS
Citizen Staff Writer
Buncombe County was
formally accepted into
membership by the Region B.
Planning and Economic
Development Commission
Wednesday, and the four
county group reorganized for
the coming year by electing
Brevard Mayor Charles H.
Campbell to a second term as
chairman.
Also elected, in a unanimous
approval of the nominating
committee's report, were
Buncombe County Com
mission Chairman R. Curtis
Ratcliff as first vice chair
man, Henderson County
Commissioner William Prim
as second vice- chairman,
Transylvania County
Chairman William Ives as
secretary and Madison County
oner James Ledford
as fir ea surer. . i
Viodef'-it - Marifeon
my -.s u outgvwg
secretary and Mars Hill
Mayor William Powell the
outgoing treasurer.
At the conclusion of the
commission session at its
office in Skyland, former
executive director L. D. Hyde
challenged the legality of
procedures by which Bun
combe County was admitted
after asking to speak as a
private citizen.
Hyde also suggested that the
commission become a Council
of Governments rather than a
planning group, as a means of
being independent of state
control and asked that the
commission pay him alary he
said it owes him. If not paid,
Hyde said, he would bring suit
against the commission.
No reply was given to
Hyde's remarks at the
meeting.
Hyde later told a reporter
not all of the former members
would have voted In favor of
Buncombe in his opinion.
The admission of Buncombe
was taken up by Campbell
after calling the session to
order, remarking to Ratcliff
that "We are glad to have you
with as."
Ponder offered the com
ment that Buncombe County,
which had been a member in
fact since the commission was
formed but at the past year
- , -7
had come to a decision that it
had not taken required
membership resolution action
in the past and declared
Buncombe not a member in
late summer, was "like a yo
yo, in and out" of the com
mission, and asked Ratcliff if
he were sure of Buncombe's
status now.
"Has your attorney,"
Ponder asked, "verified that
you have carried out the full
procedure?" ,
"Yes," Ratcliff replied,
"We're back with you whether
you want us or not."
Free Adult
Education
t f ve adult eiuis.uon ciaai "iT
through Asheville y Buncombe, ii1
to anyone in the surrounding
area who is 18 years of age or
older and who has not com
pleted high school
requirements or anyone who
wishes to complete their
educational level with em
phasis upon Math, language,
and Reading.
A quarter has been com
pleted and two men and one
woman have completed their
high school requirements and
have received diplomas from
the North Carolina Depart
ment of Public Instruction.
Why not start the new year
off with a goal to better
yourself educationally and
have a better chance U im
prove or advance yourself
personally as well as year
chance for better em
ployment ?
To enroll, simply call I8S
2534 or come out to Class
December T7th or January 3rd
to visit and perhaps register.
There Is no expense to fen
other than sacrificing a little
time for a great deal of per
sonal sanafactton. 1 '
Classes are held at the Mart
H01 Community Center en
Monday and Thursday nifihts
from T 10 o'clock.
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