The Waynesville Mountaineer
Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At The Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park ^ ^ |
68th YEAR NO. 28 IX FACES Associated Press WAYNESVILLE, N. C . THURSDAY AFTERNRON, APRIL 2, 1W $3.00 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
Officials At Commissioners Meeting
Prior to the annual District Commissioners meeting held at the courthouse Wednesday, three of
ficials looked over some of the topics for discussion. From left are Jennings Bcyson, chairman of
the Jackson County Board of Commissioners; C. C. Francis, chairman of the Haywood County
Board; and John Alexander McMahon, from the Institute of Government at Chapel Hill.
(Mountaineer Photo).
?
, I
Democrats To Discuss
Plan To Extend State
Senate Term Two Years
Challenge Day
On Beer Election
Set For Saturday
Challenge day fnr the April 8
beer election in Waypesville will
be held Saturday between the
hours of !l and 3 o'clock.
Close to 300 new registrants
added their names to the books
before they rinsed Saturday fol
lowing a three-week registration
period.
More than 200 new voters were
addrd to the registration books
in Precinct One, and about 75
were added to the books for Pre
cinct Two.
The election wilt he held next
Wednesday and voters will be
asked to deride on the question ,
of legal sale of beer in Wa.vnes
villc.
Work Started
On C. Elementary
School Tuesday
Four days after the building :
contracts were awarded, work was
started on the site of the new
Central Elementary School build
ing.
A heavy bulldozer commenced
work Tuesday leveling the ground
in preparation for foundation work.
The grading will be completed
this week-end.
The contracts were awarded last
Friday.
William B. Dillard was given the
general construction contract as
low bidder of $198,600. The build
ing is being built at Haywood
Street and Daisy Avenue.
Members of the Democratic ex
ecutive committee of Haywood
county will meet here tomorrow to
discuss a proposal to alternate
State Senators with Henderson
rout'? on a two-term basis instead
of the present one-term system.
Charles B. McCrary of Fines
Creek, chairman of the committee,
invited all other interested Demo
crats to attend the meeting which
is to be held in the court house.
The underlying reason for the
proposal is to enable a senator to
gain seniority in tHe upper branch
of the General Assembly. As it
now stands, the senator goes down
each time as a freshman and rare
ly has opportunity to get a key
post in any of the senate commit
tees. Under the proposal the two
counties would alternate each four
years in nominating the senator
rather than each two years, as
under the present system.
Mr. McCrary said that the com
mittee would attempt to arrange
a plan with Henderson whereby the
senator would stay in Raleigh
throughout the term of the gover
nor. Senator William H. Hodges
of Henderson is present Senator
and would stay in Raleigh during
the term of Governor Umstead.
Henderson leaders have suggest
ed that Haywood nominate the sen
ator for the next two terms. The
suggesting is meeting with little
favor here because it would mean
that a senator would stay in Ral
eigh during the administrations of
two governors.
The present agreement between
Haywood and Henderson calls for
each county to nominate the sena
tor on an alternating two-year
basis. The other counties in the
district ? Transylvania. Polk and
.Jackson?rotate every three years
in nominating the other senator
from this district.
Tax Equalization Board
To Begin Hearings Monday
ff you feel an adjustment j
should be made in your property
valuations, the Board of Commis
sioners of Haywood County will
hear your reasons at special hear
ings. beginning Mondav.
Chairman C. C. Francis said hi?
board would sit as a Board of |
Equalization and will hear and re
view complaints of county taxpay
ers who feel that an adjustment
should be made.
The recent revaluation program
has been, with but two exceptions,
completed and results are on file
in the county tax office. Mr. Fran
cis said. The program has not been
completed In Waynesville and
Beaverdam townships.
Mr. Francis said that any prop
erty owner who has not already
learned of the valuation recently
set upon property could find It by
going to the tax office and checking
the listing books.
The first hearing will be Mon
day, April sixth, when the taxpay
ers of Ivy Hill. Jonathan Creek.
White Oak and Cataloochee will
be heard.
On Tuesday, April 7, the hear
ings will be for Fines Creek, Crab
tree and Iron Duff townships.
Wednesday, April 8, the citizens
of Pigeon, East Fork, Clyde and
Cecil will be heard.
Then the board i will visit the
premises of those registering com
plaints, and make necessary ad
justments.
The hearing for Beaverdam has
been set for April 20th. and Way
nesville for the 21st. This will give
ihe listers time to finish the two
large townships. Mr. Francis said.
M/. Francis said, that under the
law, this is the only time In which
the commissioners have the au
thority to change valuation ?l real
estate.
Schools Are
Discussed By
Commissioners
A discussion of public schools
occupied most of the session here
Wednesday of the annual District
Commissioners meeting.
Twenty commissioners from 11
western North Carolina counties
were, present. John Alexander Mc
Mahon, assistant director of the
institute of Government at Chapel
Hill was in charge.
The annual Commissioners meet
ing Is held in a different county
each year. This was the first time
Haywood County had served as
host.
The meeting wac occupied gen
erally with budgets and the pow
ers and duties of commissioners
presented in a review by Mr. Mr
Mahon: In addition, rural fire pro
tection and county homes were dis
cussed.
Starting at 10 a. nr. the meeting
was adjourned at 3:30 n. m.
Bird Killers Are
Violating Law;
To Be Prosecuted
Waynesville is an official bird
sanctuary and as such has laws
prohibiting the killing of birds,
with but few exceptions.
J. B. Akin, state wildlife protec
tor. said today that several com
plaints had been "made by citizens
to the effect that some boys had
been killing birds. "Songbirds are
protected all over the state by laws
passed by the State Legislature,"
Akin said, "and people who are
caught violating that law will be
prosecuted.
Several, birds are not protected.
Among them are sparrows, jays,
Coopers hawks, great horned owl,
sharp shinned hawks, crows, star
lings, and buzzards and their nests
and eggs.
Akin also reminded the violat
ors that biologists have stated that
it would be practically impossible
to raise crops without birds.
Editorial Used
To Urge Passing
Of Cherokee Bill
An editorial in a recent issue of
The Mountaineer is being used to
help secure passage of a bill in
the State Legislature that will can
cel a State loan of S25.000 for the
construction of the Cherokee In
dian village.
The editorial, "A Big Bargain
for the State," appeared in the
March 30 issue. Tuesday a request
; was received from Harry Buchan
an, president of the Cherokee His
torical Association, for 35 copies
j of the editorial to be sent to
Raleigh. The request stipulated
that the papers must arrive in
House member hands by noon
Wednesday.
Accordingly, the papers were
sent by express bus at 8 p. m.
? Tuesday and arrived at 6 a. m. at
the capital city.
Haywood Officials Rebuke
Legislature For Secrecy Law
Four Sunrise Services Scheduled
IFor Sunday In This Area; Churches
Plan Special Programs For Easter
MYF To Hold Sunrise
Service At Junnlusku
The annual Kaster sunrise serv
ice conducted by the Methodist
Youth Fellowship of Haywood
County will be held at the Cross
overlooking Lake Junaluska Sun
day at 6 30 a.m.
The program will include a play
presented by members of thek MYF
of the Waynesviile church The,cast
will include Linda Sloan. Betty Jo
Shope. Patsy Jones. Barbara Jones,
j Rita Kitchen. Sara Boone. and
Terrell Teague Music will he by a
I choir composed of the intermedi
ate MYF of the same church, dl
j reeled by Stanford Massie.
Jeff Recce is serving as stage
manager and electrician and the
Rev. and Mrs, J. E. Yountz are
directing the play.
Charles Mainous of Canton, sub
district pnesident. will preside dur
ing the opening devotional, which
will bo given by members of the |
MYF from Clyde, Maggie, and
Crabtrcc Churches
I
Special musical numbers will boi
presented by a brass ensemble
from Canton composed of Bill
i Morgan. Harry Fincher. Jimmy Mc
: Elrath, Bill Anderson. Frank Med-]
I ford. Jerry Warren, and Bruce Bot
i toms.
Those attending the service have
been asked to assemble on the hill
side, leaving the driveway open
for traffic and the spare beneath!
the cross for those who will pre-1
sent the program.
Canton Churches Plan
Many Easter Programs
1 Special East< r services have also
been announced for all the
churches in the area.
The ehoir of the Canton I'resby
| terian Church will present a new
! Easter cantata, "The Empty Tomb," .
Sunday evening at 7:30 In the ]
church. Ushers will provide I ho j
audience with librettos so that Iho
program may be more easily fol
lowed.
Paul McElroy
Is Promoted
To Captain
I'aul McElroy. Jr., has been pro
moted to the rank of Captain in
the U. S. Air Force, according to
news received here today.
Captain McElroy was recalled
to duty in August, 1951 and has
heen stationed since that time at
Hickman Field. Honolulu. He is
serving with the Military" Air
Transport Command as an instruc
tor in navigation.
With him in Honolulu are his
wife, the former Miss Doris Col
kitt of Waynesville. and their two
small daughters, Rebecca and
Susan.
Capt. McElroy served in the
Army Air Corps during World War
II and was stationed in England.
List Of All 1953
C. of C. Members
Will Be Published
The Chamber of Commerce plans 1
to publish soon the complete list |
of firms and individuals who have ?
1953 memberships.
According to Miss Edith Cham-j
hers, secretary, the list will be (
compiled as of noon April 11, and
published on Monday.
Score* of firms and individuals
have become members for the cur
rent year. Miss Chambers said, and
a number of others are expected to
have taken out membership by the
'time the 1953 list W published.
Funeral Held
Oliver H Shelton, well known -
former postal employee, was
buried here Wednesday after- -|
noon. >
TT 1
u. n. bfteiton Uies [
Following Short
Illness; Was 74
Oliver M. Shclton, 74, retired >
postal employee, died at 12 40
Monday afternoon in the llaywood
County Hospital. He became ill j
and was taken to the hospital Sun- 1
day flight.
Funeral services were held yes
terday afternoon in the First!
Methodist Church with the pastor,
the Rev. J. K. Yountz, officiating. I
Interment was in Green Hill
Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were L. N.
(Sec Shrlton?Page 6)
Welfare Office
Moved Tuesday
To New Quarters
I
The Haywood County We I fa re
Department has a new home.
Oi? j'uesday the office personnel
and equipment was moved from the
Stringfleld Building, where it had
occupied space on the second floor
since 1937, to offices above the
REA office in the Noland Build
ing.
In order that the public can see
the new office, the Welfare Depart
ment will hold an open house at a
dale to be announced later.
Sunrise Services To
Attract Many People
SUNRISE SERVICE SCHEDULE
Cherokee 610 a m.
S?K'? (lap (meet at Free Metho
dist Church at 6 a.m.).
Lake Junaluska 6:30 a.m.
Green Mill Cemetery 6:30 a m.
Four Sunrise Services have been
scheduled in this area as hundreds
of church-goers planned special
observances of Easter.
Pre-Kaster union services, which
started Wednesday night at the
Waynesville Presbyterian Church,
have been attracting many people.
Rev. J. E. Yountz. pastor of the
Waynesville Methodist Church,
spoke at the opening prc-Easter
service.
Tonight the services will be held
at the Methodist Church and Rev.
Malcolm Williamson, pastor of the
Presbyterian Church, will apeak.
Friday nighl the services will be
held in the baptist Church Charles
Isley will direct the combined
choirs of all the churches in spec
ial Easter music.
Many other Easter programs, j
ranging from Sunrise services to
Easter egg hunts, have been sched-j
uled throughout the county. Sun-,
rise services are scheduled to be1
held at Lake .lunaluska at 6:30
Sunday morning by the sub-district
Methodist Youth Fellowship. The
program will consist of an Easter
play given by members of the youth
(See Easter?Page 6)
Bill Introduced
For School Job
In The County
RALEIGH Joe H. Palmer, a |
member of the House, introduced
Tuesday a hill that would permit J
the Haywood County Board of !
Education lo create a job of super- j
intendent o f buildings and J
grounds.
The hill would set the top salary i
of the superintendent at $200 j
monthly plus nol more than $50
traveling expenses each month.
Appointment of a member of
the board of education to the post j
would he permitted, but he would
receive only the salary of the of
fice and not the per diem or ex- :
penses allowed for board members
The bill was referred to the edu
cation committee.
M
N. C. Press Deplores
Secret Sessions Law
RALSfGH Directors' of the
Canton Kiwanis
/
Oppose Secrecy
Law Of Assembly
i
Thr Canton Kiwanis Club has
voiced It* opposition to the sec
recy law enacted by the I.egls
lature. and went on record to
that effect at the regular meet
ing Monday night.
The following resolution was
passed:
"The Kiwanis Club of Canton
voted unanimously to go on rec
ord as being opposed to the re
cent legislation of the North
Carolina General Assembly,
which in effect, permits secret
committer sessions to determine
the course of law to he binding
upon the citizens of this state.
"The Cluh also opposes any
such legislation In thr future
which Infringes on the rights of
the people as provided In the
Uonstitution of the Gnlted
States." 1
North Carolina Press Association,
following a called meeting here
v< storday to plan its protest moves
in connection with the hurriedly
enacted secrecy law, issued the fol
lowing statement:
"We deplore the action of the
North Carolina General Assembly
in legalizing secret sessions of its
joint appropriations committee and
sub-committees.
"We have given careful, earnest,
calm study to all of the available
facts and considerations involved.
"Our organization represents
some 200 newspapers. Moreover,
it appears that every newspaper in
North Carolina, with a few ex
ceptions. each speaking for itself,
is of the same mind as all of the
others on this issue.
"But in what we say here, we
speak as citizens?a group of citi
zens whose profession daily re
minds its members of the impor
tance. In a democracy, of the free
flow of information,
"And let us make it clear that
(See Press?Page ?>
Local Officials
Will Continue
'Open Door' Plan
The doors to rooms where official
meetings are held were propped
open even wider this week by Hay
wood Boards, in a direct rebuke
of the "secrecy policy" of the
General Essembly.
Haywood Boards have followed
the "open door" policy for a long
time, and this week, on the heels
of action in the halls of the I.egi -
| lature of closing doors of some
I committees to the public, the Ha: -
I wood officials made it even clear
er that they wanted the public to
know that they did not approve of
the action in Raleigh.
C. C. Francis, chairman of the
county commissioners, event went
to the trouble of being sure the
p^ess and public could attend a
joint meeting of the commissioners,
school board and school building
advisory commission before defi
nitely setting the time of the meet
ing.
"We believe in the 'open door'
policy for more reasons titan one.
In the first place, we ate carrying
on the work of the public. They
are the ones paying the bills, and
they should know what is go'
j on. In the second place We no:,
j it is only good business to let the
people you are working for know
just what you are doing, and
why," Mr. Francis said.
His statements brought a nod of
approval from J W Kitlian. chair
man of the board of education.
The board of commissioners re
cently refused to draw a jury for
a criminal term of court until some
spectators had been brought into
their room to watch the proceed
ings.
Chairman Francis was quick to
explain to the publishers of The
Mountaineer, when renewing an
invitation to attend the meetings,
that "at times we may not make a
scratch of news for you. Init any
way. whateve'r we do is an open
book for the public. Sometimes
the meetjngs are dry. and just rou
tine. We have no control over
that, but the door is always open."
Rep. Palmer Votes
For Secrecy Plan
RALEIGH?Among the member i
of the House voting for the Secret
Meeting law when official busine s
was being enacted was Represen
tative Joe Palmer, of Haywood
County.
Hazelwood Puts
On Dog Catcher
The town of Hazelwood has a
full-time dog catcher on duty, it
was announced today by Mayor
Lawrence Davis.
Mark Smith has been named to
the post, and has been instructed
by officials to catch and impound
all dogs on the streets that are
without a 1953 town tag or an
inoculation tag.
A charge of one dollar will be
made for each dog caught, and
more if the animal is kept over
night.
Highway
Record For
1953
In Haywood
(To Date)
Injured .... 17
Killed .... 0
(Thi. information mm
pllrd from Rrrorda of
State Highway Patrol.)