THE WAYNES VELLE MOUNTAWEEE
City In Kansas Has No
Taxes, No Debts After
Taking Over Utilities
CftANWE, KM (AP) You
don't have to pay a city tax to live
here and no resident has paid one
since 1930.
But the city Isn't in debt. It
doesn't owe anybody a cent and
has some $350,000 to $400,000 in
its treasury.
Chanute, a beacon of civic pros
perity in an America of debt-ridden
communities, is the only debt
free, tax-free municipality of its
size (11,0001 in Kansas.
It didn't get that way through
siphoning off part of the take
from gambling dens and race
tracks, as have some Florida and
Nevada communities. Gambling
is illegal in Kansas.
Chanute put itself into the black
ink side of the civic ledger by go
ing into business for itself. It took
over the ownership of its own pub
lic utilities water, gas, electricity
and pays for the cost of all muni
cipal government through earnings
from these services.
"But our utility rates are well
within the average charged by oth
er municipalities throughout the
state," said Ross Cooper. 45. city
clerk, "and most citizens approve
of our way of paying city govern
ment costs."
These costs are about SI 25.000 a
year, including police and fire de
partment expenditures, but they
measure only partly the earnings of
the city-owned utilities.
Chanute issued S44.000 in bonds
to build a water plant in 1893. It
bought out a private gas company
in 1899 by threatening to build its
own municipal plant.
In 1903 the city took $32,000
;rom its municipal gas company
i arnings to buy out an unsuccess
ful private electric power com
pany.
"The owner was glad to sell
for $32,000," said Cooper. "Now
our electric power plant is worth
at least $2,000,000."
The water and gas plants have
similarly increased in value.
The city owed $480,000 when it
ceased levying taxes in 1930.
That bonded indebtedness had
been reduced to zero by the begin
ning of this year.
I'tility earnings also purchased
a $90,000 municipal airport, one
of the first in Southeast Kansas,
a $375,000 municipal building
and war memorial which serves
as a community center, a $50,
000 city swimming pool with
I submarine lights, a $15,000 city
warehouse, a S25.000 municipal
library and other improvements.
A S50.000 program is now under
i way to double the output of the
1 municipal power plant and permit
i it to extend its operation further
into rural areas.
We are now selling electric pow
! er to four nearby communities and
' also hav e about 350 rural custom
I ers." said Cooper,
i The city is hard-boiled about its
j utility service and doesn't coddle
clients.
"We think we can get service
; started faster to a new customer
jthan any other company," said
Cooper, "and we can turn it off
faster too
"We've educated the public to
I pay their hills If the bill isn't
settled by the 27th of each month,
, we cut them off without notice or
I argument. The people approve of
that and like it too.
"We have pioneered in lots of
things, and uy think we have a
pretty good city here."
DIANA BARRYMORE HELD IN BJAWl
Drs. Seaver and Lockard
, OPTOMETRISTS
Of Asheville
WILL BE IN WAYNESVILLE FRIDAY EACH WEEK
Masonic Building . . Hours 8:00 to 1:00
Eyes Examined Glasses Fitted
H. M. Seaver, O. D. John C. Lockard, O. D.
Now In Stock
2 Panel Poors
and .'Most
All Sizes of Windows
REASONABLE PRICES
In Our Hardware Department
Aluminum and Plywood Boats
Sylva Coal & Lumber Co.
Phone 71
Sylva, N. C.
Mothers Who Use
tWiynwviUe
Laundry
APPLAUD ITS MODERN DEPENDABLE SERVICES
tew ) WSJ
II you, too, wish to enjoy the satisfac
tion of our perfect cleaning and laun
dry services phone 205.
We Call and Deliver
Ucynesville Laundry
I I ' III IT" I" I - n ---
library Notes
MABGABET JOHNSTON
County Librarian
ACTRESS-DAUGHTER of the late John Barrymore, Diana Barrymore, and
her husband, John Robert Howard, face a court hearing in Louisville,
Ky., on charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct. The
hearing was the outgrowth of what police offcers called some fist
swinging on a downtown street corner and in the police station bullpen
They were released on a J 100 bond each. The couple accused the polic
of having knocked down Diana. Her husband, a professional tennL
star, asserted: "They (the police) hit me with a club." (international;
SOUVENIRS RUN FROM
EGG TO GARTER
HOLLYWOOD Well, I can see
that my wife was right. I never
should have started saving all this
junk.
I'm a sucker for souvenirs.
Thumbtacked to my wall are all the
curious knickknacks that come a
Hollywood reporter's way but all
my bright reminders of pleasant
hours are becoming dingy dust-
catchers.
There's the hanky that wiped a
blob of Dotty Lamour's lipstick off
my face after I had boldly verified
a mechanical Kiss Tester's finding.
The perfumed garter I hung on
Carole Landis' shapely gam (sure,
'twas a stunt contest in which a
dozen screenland newsmen parti
cipated! . . .
The basket containing an egg
that invited me to a cocktail party
for Betty MacDonald, author of
"The Egg and I" Ithe egg was
fresher than the treatment the
movie-makers gave her book) . . .
The document that testifies I
am a member of the Navajo In
dian Tribe iwith the name of Slau-Naspit-Appen
or "Warrior Who
Brings the Light of Dawn." This
is a gag for the picture, "Pursued."
which needed clarity and plausibil
ity more than this to make it in
teresting. An engraved diploma notifies all
by these presents that I am a Doc
tor of Philosorhy by the grace of
Potts College, Pottsfield, U. S. A.
It is signed by "Frank Morgan,
Keeper of the Dean," who presum
ably hoped I'd mention his radio
program.
There's a hunk of Shirley Tem
ple's eighteenth-birthday cake; an
invitation from the governor of
Utah, engraved on Utah copper, to
the premiere of "Ramrod"; a toy
bronze shovel announcing ground
breaking for the Lou Costello Jr.
Youth Foundation; photos, clip
pigns, "Official Press" ribbons
All I know is there's too. too
much. I'll have to tear it all down.
Some other day not today.
Cutting-room scraps: Fast-talking
Lee Tracy remember? is
back at his old tricks as a movie
newspaperman in "High Tide".
He's 49 now and, they say, as dy
namic as ever . . . Bob Cummings,
working every week-day in his cur
rent picture pays a Hollywood
barber 10 bucks per trip to come
to the set and trim his hair . . .
Pat O'Brien's dressing-room door
bears not his name but. in big let
ters, the name Kathleen Brigid.
She's the doting Irishman's nine-month-old
daughter, and there's a
big picture of her on his dressing
table.
THE SEA OF GRASS
OFFERS MUCH HAY,
REVIEWER REPORTS
HOLLYWOOD "The Sea of
Grass" takes its title from the,
wind-waved miles of prairie graz
ing land, which Spencer Tracy
seems to love more than Katha
rine Hepburn, his pretty bride from
St. Louis
Tracy. the rock -jawed and
wealthy cattle baron, despises and
persecutes the settling farmers be
cause they spoil his cow-fattening
domain. Opposing him is the farm
ers' lawyer friend, Melvyn Doug
las. Fed up with Tracy's cruelty to
a farm family, Miss Hepburn flees j
to Denver and. some time alter a
fadeout kiss from' Douglas, finds j
herself with child. The stigmatized
boy grows up to be wild and reck
less Robert Walker. Miss Hepburn,
separated from her embittered hus
band, her son and her daughter,
sulfers and suiTers through the
years but without apparent aging.
"Grass" is two hours and five
minutes long and secins every min
ute of it. The only coiaedy re
lief is provided by dependable Ed
gar Buchanan as the ranch cook.
This is Douglas' first picture
after more than four years in the
Army. Prairie scenes .were filmed
on 35.000 acres of grassland near
Valentine,' Neb.
Phyllis Calvert, beautiful British
actress, makes her American film
debut in "Time Out of Mind," a
movie based on Rachel Field's nov
el about a New England sea cap
tain's family.
The gruff old mariner, Leo G.
Carroll, wants Ids son. Robert
Hutton, to follow the family sail
ing tradition, but the esthetic Bob
wants to be a concert pianist.
Miss Calvert, his foster sister,
helps him flee to Paris for musi
cal study. He returns with a rich
man's daughter as his bride, whose
SIGNS
We have a new sign saying "Hay
wood County Public Library" and
on the door it says Library Hours
10 to 12 and 1 to 5 and closed Wed.
Afternoon'.
Sometimes we wonder if people
read signs on doors of Libraries,
Offices etc. Really, we don't know
how to' make it any clearer. Now,
Mrs. Atkjns and I are at the library
from 9-5 every day but we need
every minute of the time before we
open at 10 o'clock for the many
activities involved in Library Work.
"Checking out books" to you is one
part of our work and every minute
of the day is filled in helping people
to select books, answering refer
ence questions, typing Library
Notes, cards for new books, and
catalog cards, renewing books,
sending out notices for books re
quested or those overdue. Every
little bit you help us gives us more
time for these many details even
the way you sign your name can
be a waste of pur time. Some
married women use three or four
different ways, yet they are regis
tered only one way. If you are
registered as Mrs. T. H. Jones,
please sign your Book cards that
way and not Mary Jones.
After you select your books, take
the cards from all the books, leave
the books open and while you are
signing the cards, we will stamp
the books for you. In that way it
enables us to help some one else
and it keeps you from having to
wait.
If you ever hear of "Murder in
the library", it will probably be be
cause someone has said, "Oh, it is
just wonderful for you to work in
here and it is so nice for you to
have this lovely fireplace where you
can sit and read". Wish those adults
could follow us around a while.
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right Se
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Song Recortmg Reyiyes Question,
What In World Is a Whif f ertpoof ?
Stamp Centenary Celebration
This week marks the Celebration
of 100 years of the U. S. Postage
Stamps. A study of the stamps
which have been issued since 1847
will give you thejstory of the men
who created our nation. They tell
of the struggles, expansion, inven
tions and the growth of our country.
You will want to see the new
book entitled "American Stamps"
by Maud and Misha Petersham,
who are stamp collectors as well as
famous artists.
It contains:
1. Over 500 large, clear litho
graphs of each stamp issued.
2. Over 60 drawings of events
and places of philatelic and historic
interest.
3. Descriptions of the historical
background of each stamp, and
something of its value to collectors.
4. The excitement of collecting
and the beauty and variety of
American stamps.
5. A panorama of American
History, anecdotes, little known
facts, personalities and events.
You will want to See the stamps
on display by some.of the collectors
in Waynesville. No rare stamps,
but there will be history of our
country in each one displayed.
Some of the boys are anxious to
form a Stamp Club in Waynesville.
If you are interested too, they
would like to know about it. Here
is an opportunity for some adult
leader to work with a grand group
of teen-age boys.
AP Newsfeatures
A 36-year-old drinking song . is
providing inspiration for amateur
artists and doodlers around the
country. It started when a record
company (RCA Victor) announced
a recording of "The Whiffenpoof
Song" by Metropolitan opera aci
tone Robert Merrill. An old favor
ite in and out of Yale where the
gay Whiffenpoof Society embrace's
it as its traditional "official" song,
the Whiffenpoof Song aroused a
flood of queries as to what a Whif
fenpoof is.
When Merrill sang the number
on his radio program, quiz-conscious
listeners demanded a descrip
tion. Many referred to it as the
Baa-Baa-Baa song or the Three
Sheep song.
But the record company and
Merrill's radio sponsor couldn't
find anyone who knew exactly what
a Whiffenpoof was. Confronted by
this crisis, a crew of researchers
was set loose.
Archives revealed:
A group of Yale Glee Club boys,
given to comradely and sentiment-;
al indulgence in old ballads and
old ale, banded together into a
separate group in 1909. They
picked as their name the Whiffen
poof Society and their official tune
the Whiffenpoof Song, both from a
musical comedy popular at that
time.
The lyric was adapted from Kipr
ling's "Gentlenfen Rankers." Th
tune was composed by load Uallo
way, Amherst '85.
The Whiffenpoof itself, according
to a story related by an actor in
the musical comedy, was- a fish
caught by boring a hole in the bot
torn of the boat and placing a piece
of cheese beside it. for bait. Mad
dened by the cheese, the WhiffenT
poof came up uttering harsh criesf
ana was tnus caugnt.
An emblem of the Whiffenpoof
Society, designed about 1912 de-
picts the Whiffenpoof as more bird
than fish and remarkably like a
griffin. Perched atop a swizzle
stick, the Whiffenpoof sproiits
wings resembling mint leaves and
has a horse's neck from the drink,
ot the same name.
The question, What is a Whif-
fenppof?, was taken up and made
into a national- letter-writing and
drawing aontest in cities through
out the country.
"I've had to.add the song to my
concert repertoire," says Merrill.
111 -I'tMhute
Th'-' thread.
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material.
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" me acidl
Peat and .snhal
ecd da!
Plants jusi faJ
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but nut
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I't'in Inirn seed.
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tin- .
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The Allies were
winces of almost
their rubber supp
I'ore tell in 1942.
"hen ilu. rniiJ
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Mississippi nas approximately 1 11 had on hand mJ
. . A -1
io.bou.uuo acres in iorest areas. lion kikkI tires on
half-price sale!
0
COLOGNES M
V II
' .
See us for your Painting Needs. We
handle a full line of Sargent & Pee
Gee Paints.
Waynesville Hardware
, Co.
. 'Main Street
Drivers Warned To Obey
Traffic Lights In Town
Drivers in Waynesville are
warned to observe stop lights
strictly or prepare to pay fines in
Mayor's Court. Another word of
caution issued by Chief Orville No
land is to motorcycle drivers, who
are asked to make sure they have
mufflers on their vehicles.
During the past week-end six
drunks and one drunken driver
were arrested by local police, and
a number of tickets were given to
parking violators.
.large bottle now only plus tax
Exhilarating, deeply-scented
luxurious refreshment morning, noon and
Three new scents Moonvine Bouquet, Summeri
Bouquet, Floral Spice in handsome bottles
make perfect gifts. Get several now and save tal
SMITH'S CUT RATE DRUG
ABANDONS NEW MODEL
DETROIT General Motors cor
poration abandoned plans to pro
duce a new light Chevrolet.
A GM spokesman said the proj
ect was dropped because of mate
rial shortages and the "public de
mand for the established line."
r
giddy interference with his work
drives him to drink. Again Miss
Calvert conies to the rescue. ,
All this is grim and humorless
stuff but well acted. Ella Raines
is Bob's sister; Eddie Albert a hard
and practical man; John Abbott a
cynical music critic. The role of
Aunt Melinda is played by Lilian
Fontaine, mother of Joan Fon
taine aqd Olivia de Havlland.
'
If you missed the tuneful and
generally interesting "Alexander's
Ragtime Band" seven years ago,
you can see it now during redis
tribution by 20th Century-Fox. Ty,
rone Power, looking slighter than
now, leads a jazz band. Alice Faye
is bis aig, . Don Amah bis
pianist. Jack Haley his drummer.
Let's all get behind the Spring
Wrf
i y j. .
The
PLUMBING
And
Heating Industry
Completely Covered
Electric Double Unit Water Heaters
Automatic Oil Burning Water Heaters
Shell-On Cement Two Compartment
Laundry Trays
Complete Bath Fixtures
Chrome ftatetl Bath Room Trim
Double and Single Drain Board Sinks
Single Cpmpartment Flat Rim Sinks
Pumps and Water Systems
To Suit Your Needs
We Will Gladly Survey lour Project
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Phone 1$5
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mm mm
Inlpl