Editorial Comment
Let's Hire A
County Manager
In their meeting this month, the
Cherokee County commissioners
discussed hiring a county manager.
It's a good idea, as proposed by the
Chamber ofCommerce president Gene
Farmer. Macon County and several
other progressive counties now have
managers, he said, and others are
searching for a manager.
A county manager (as the one in
Macon has done) can be very
instrumental in always pushing for
collection of back taxes. As the hired
hand of the commissioners, he can run
the county government on a day-to-day
basis and serve as a watchdog,
insuring efficiency in all county
departments.
Perhaps the most valuable way he
can spend his time is in the pursuit of
state and federal grants for various
county projects. There are scores of
programs which have money to either
begiven away outright to the counties
for use or else put on a local matching
basis. To keep up with all of them
andattend the meetings where they are
discussed is more than a
commissioner, with a fulltime job, can
do.
For example, people in and around
Murphy have been talking for several
years about constructing a large
community center on the
Fairground property. But so far,
nothing concrete has been done.
In Macon County, they have a
nice new county recreation center
picnic tables, a swimming pool, three
new ballfield, etc. Their county
manager knew that the Bureau of
Outdoor Recreation had money
available, knew how to fill out the
forms and secured a federal grant for
Macon County for $140,000 to build the
center.
7VT 71M .!?
Salary estimates for a manager foi
Cherokee County begin around the
$12,000 range. But the man would be
worth it if he can bring the count)
benefits such as a new recreation
center. Or spot ways in which the
county could save money iii its
business operations.
The Cherokee board seemed most
worried about the manager's future
ifand when the balance of power in the
Courthouse changes hands again. They
said flatly that if the county manager's
office was just another Dolitical
appointment, it would be money
wasted. They figure, and rightly so,
that at $12,000 a year, his training on
the job would be too expensive to see
him tossed out with the other
Courthouse officeholders.
There seems no way to lock a
county employe into a job and really
there shouldn't be, because someday
he might need to be removed. A
manager, if one is hired, would have to
be warned about the Cherokee County
political wars and instructed not to get
himself identified with either party.
City managers regularly survive
changes in the balance of power,
serving a new board as well as they did
the old one.
Half in jest, we made an offer at
the commissioners meeting to
photograph the county manager, if one
is hired, registering as an Independent
on the day he is hired, and run the
photo in this paper as an indication of
his neutral standing. The offer still
holds.
We hope the commissioners talk
some more about hiring a manager
and we hope they end up taking
favorable action on the idea.
iyews meaia auopoenas
Atty. Gen. John Mitchell has retreated fron
his former position on issuance of subpoenas t<
the news media and that is good news where the
right of the people to freedom of information u
concerned.
United Press International reports thai
Mitchell has authorized only two subpoenas to
reporters since he issued strict guidelines in this
connection last summer. The guidelines grew
out of the protests by the news media after a
sudden surge of subpoenas calling for reporters
to appear before federal grand juries
investigating criminal and civil cases with which
the reporters had dealt. The reporters were
ordered to submit their notes, unused film and
other such material to the grand juries.
At the time the subpoenas were issued,
Mitchell defended the practice, contending that
it was necessary to obtain information "which
might be of some aid in both criminal and civil
investigations." The news media objected thak
the action was an invasion of its First
Amemfenent rights and that, in fact, it
constituted in most cases "fishing expeditions,"
which made the media an investigative arm of
the Justice Department. To his credit, Mitchell
changed his position and forbade indiscriminate
use of such subpoenas.
There can be no question but that requiring
reporters to reveal their sources and similar
confidential information to grand juries would
severely hamper the media in bringing
information to the public, information to which it
is entitled and which it should be given.
Hopefully, the attorney general and the Justice
Department will continue to see that this right of
the people to know outweighs any investigative
help reporters could be forced to give federal
investigative agencies. - Dallas (Tex.) Times
Herald.
Outpost
Seven Oregon youths who toiled 25 days
trying in vain to conquer Alaska's Mt. McKinley
returned with wondrous stories of Minding snow
and buffeting winds that drove them to huddle 14
days in ice caves.
But nothing astonished - or appalled - them
as much as what they found at the 18,200-foot
level, 4,100 feet short of the peak. "The wind had
blown tons of paper and some of the oddest
things - ski bindings, underwear, socks, and
anything that anyone didn't want to carry back,"
reported a climber. They collected and brought
back 170 pounds of trash, evidence that no place,
not even North America's tallest mountain, is
beyond the reach of well, civilization. -
Norfolk (Va.) Virginian-Pilot
i
The CHEROKEE \
SCOUT
i
/
and Clay County Progress
OFFICES IN MURPHY, N.C. - PHONE - Area Code 704-837-5122
ESTABLISHED JULY 188t
Published by Scout Publishing Company, Inc.
Jack Oa^te - Editor and Rjblisher
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WALLY AVETT MANAGING EDITOR
MISSHATTIE PALMER SOCIETY EDITOR
MRS. NEAL KITCHENS - CLAY COUNTY CORRESPONDENT
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Red Schuyler - Advertising Manager
Jimmy Simonds ? Production Manager ||
Lonnie Britt - Pressman
Mary Jones - Circulation
Ruth Anderson - Compositor
Weaver Carringer - Compositor
Betty Clay ? Typesetter
Jo Ann Jones ? Bookkeeper
Published every Thursday at Church Street
Murphy, North Carolina - Jtto*
Second Class Postage Paid at Murphy, North Caroli na
$5. IS One (1) Year in Cherokee and Clay Counties
ALL OTHER AREAS
1 Year S7.73
All subscriptions delivered in North Carolina
include the state's three per cent sales tax.
'As you go out into society seeking truth, beauty
justice, unemployment compensation .. '
CUFF BLUE...
People & Issues
"WALKERS" ... In
reporting on the passage of the
Mecklenburg liquor -by-the
drink bill last week the
Charlotte Observer had right
much to say about the
"walkers" - the legislators who
take a walk from the chamber
to keep from voting on a
controversal bill, . Every
General Assembly has its
"walkers." Walking out of the
chamber to dodge voting on a
bill is not regarded as a
statesmanlike thing to do. On
the other hand, standing up to
be counted when the going is not
easy is much more
characteristic of a statesman
than taking a walk or going to
make a telephone call.
Could you imagine Lindsay
Warren Sr., or Jr. taking a walk
on any issue?
EVERETT JORDAN . . .
We thought Senator Everett
Jordan made a very rational
statement last week in
explaining his vote for the
"End-The-War" amendment in
the U.S. Senate. Here are a
couple of sentences from the
Senator's statement: "Most of
the American people by using
plain horse sense and cutting
through complex issues have
long sense come to the
conclusion that we have
everything to lose and nothing
to gain by continuing our
military intervention in
Southeast Asia. In ten years of
fighting we have more than
fulfilled our nobly-intentioned
but ill-advised commitment to
help the South Vietnamese
defend their country against
aggression."
HUGH MORTON ... Hugh
Morton of Wilmington and
Grandfather Mountain has let it
be known that he, like many
others would like to serve his
state as governor. Already
running, but unnannounced, are
LL Gov. H.P. Taylor, Jr.,
Senator Hargraove (Skipper)
Bowles,and Attorney General
Robert Morgan who will likely
feel the call by the time that
"frost is on the pumpkin."
LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR .. .With Bob Scott
having made it from Lieut.
Governor to the Governor's
Office and with Lieut. Gov.
Taylor a very formidable
candidate for the top office, the
number two jobs is becoming
more inviting. Particularly so
in view of the move to make the
job a full-time salaried position.
Already running but
unannounced, Jim Hunt of
Wilson is devoting about two
thirds of his time to lining up
support for his candidacy in the
May primary'. Hunt has been
active in YDC circles, having
served as State YDC President
and headed Governor Scott's
Democratrric Party
Commission to revise the rules
of the Democratic Party which
led to the passage of the
presidential primary
legislation. Bert Bennett of the
Sanford wing of the
Democratic Party is reported
to be a supporter is regarded as
a likely contender as is C&D
Director Roy Sowers, although
neigher McGeachy or Sowers
are involved to the extent that
Hunt is at the present time.
There are several others who
have been toying with the idea
of running for the job including
Rep. Ike Andrews of Graham
County, former State Senator
Ed Kemp of High Point, former
State Senator Voit Gilmore of
Southern Pines and no doubt
others.
HIGHER EDUCATION . . .
Governor Bob Scott has
decided, and probably wisely
so, to "go for broke" in an effort
to get the General Assembly to
enact his Higher Education Bill.
If Scott is going to have any
effective say about higher
education, he will have to move
now for two years from now
they will not be listening to him
any more than the powers that
be are not listening to Terry
Sanford, Dan Moore, or Luther
Hodges.
State Denator "Big John"
Burney of Wilmington is
A Voice
In The Wilderness
We get out of life exactly
what we put into it. We create
our own destiny by the acts we
do. Always there is that
resultant effect created by the
actions we have performed. It is
allowable to say that by the
ways of kindness we project to
our human brothers and of the
animal world so do we derive
thebenefit of this concern. We
are elevated on the steps of
endeavor relating to our intent
to practice the laws of
brotherhood and of our love for
one another. Let us wish for
only the very best for others and
in so doing only the very best
will rest besides ourselves.
By taking a stray animal
into our home so do we acquire
the "treasures of heaven." By
projecting love and concern to
our fellow travelers so do we
derive the position of apostle
let us remember that God
said, "Give to one another." Let
us do that with a glad heart
and joyful sound.
ANIMAL SHELTER
BL'ILDING FUND $1038
Won't you add your name to
this list by sending your
donation to help build an animal
shelter? Send your
contribution to:The Cherokee
Clay Humane Society, Inc. P.O.
Box 660, Murphy, N.C. 28906.
Tax deductible.
The Cherokee-Clay
Humane, Society, Inc. meets
every third Tuesday evening of
the month at the Power Board
Building in Murphy. The next
meeting will be July 20 at 8
o'clock. Young people are also
invited to attend. Won't you
please join us?
MARGARET SCHROEDER
heading up a group in the
Senate in an attempt to delay
Scott's Regency plan, at least
until 1973 by having a
Legislative Committee
appointed to study the matter
and come up with
recommendations for the '73
session. Don't discount
Burney's proposal, and if his
proposal is adopted Bob Scott
will be out of the long range
Higher Education picture.
EMBARASSING WHO? ...
We pretty much agree with
Senator J. William Fulbright
who says the only harm from
the New York Times release of
Vietnam War documents is to
em harass "a few individuals
who were party to the deception
of the country." More and more
it appears that the United States
had no more business in
Vietnam than Russia had in
Cuba in 1961.
My faithful old watch died
Monday afternoon, at five minutes
until two o'clock.
Not really a very large event in
the history of what happened in the
world on Monday, but quite
significant in one man's little world.
Sort of a landmark, a time which will
be remembered as when the watch
stopped.
Because it was the first real grownup
type watch I ever owned and after 14
years of fairly regular service, it has
finally expired.
So few words of description see it
appropriate at this point. The
deceased watch was an Elgin, gold in
color, with about 17 jewels, a
moderate-priced Christmas gift. It
was supposed to be shock resistant
but it didn't always work out that
way. In fact, the watch man said
Monday afternoon that the trouble
was its usual appetite for balance
staffs - somehow it had suffered
another broken staff and to put that
little pin in working order would cost
another $4. He was familiar with the
watch, having performed similar
surgery a couple of months back.
I decided against the operation
and the little watch tried to run for a
few minutes, but it was no use.
Shaking it produced a few more
minutes of activity and it finally
stopped for good.
The watch has become a part of
me over the years, its modernistic
rectangular face has been a
dependable, familiar friend in
strange places. I shouldn't throw it
away, too many memories are
involved. I have consulted it for the
time in meeting a thousand deadlines,
show times, check-out times, get up
times, go-to-bed times. I looked at it
frequently as I chain-smoked
cigarettes before my own wedding, it
has clocked my children into this
world and several friends and
relatives out of this life.
To be perfectly frank, the watch
had a vicious streak in its earlier days
- when it wore a flashy gold expansion
band. On several occasions, when it
became hooked on something and slid
up my arm, the wicked band gleefully
drew my blood. Then for a long time
it was well-behaved as a watch could
be, lulling me into a false sense of
security. Then about two years ago,
while trout-fishing on the reservation
at Cherokee, it struck like a
rattlesnake. Unfamiliar with my new
hip boots, I stumbled and fell off a
large rock and the treacherous
expansion band ripped into my wrist,
leaving a permanent scar. I then
drew its fangs by throwing the band
away and installing a soft leather one.
Since then it has been a loyal servant
and has not bitten.
I considered for a moment buying
a good pocket watch, perhaps an old
timey railroad watch, but found that
only by blue jeans still have watch
pockets made in them. I could be
perfectly happy wearing jeans the
rest of my life but the rules of
etiquette demand that even a country
editor must sometimes wear more
dressy clothes.
I'm going to have to break down
and buy a replacement for the watch.
In public places now, I find myself
absent-mindly lifting my left arm and
peering intently into the hairs on the
back of my wrist. People are going to
start to talk...
H
Would You Like For Your Son To Be A Scout?
Send in this information slip and you will receive
information on how your boy can join a Cub pack
or a Scout troop.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE:
a Cub Scout, boys 8-10
a Boy Scout, boys 11-14
My name is.
Address City Zip
Send to: SCOUTING.
c/o Cherokee Scout,
Murphy, N.C.
Phone
I would be willing to serve as an adult Volunteer YES NO
There's more room for living
in an all-electric mobile home!
Save living space by going all-electric.
Appliances like the electric range,
built-in dishwasher, and new, smaller
versions of the automatic washer and
electric clothes dryer are ideal for the
mobile home. The compact electric
water heater can go anywhere?under
a counter or in the bathroom?to
conserve even more space (because the
electric water heater needs no flue
or vent).
All-electric living just makes good
sense in a mobile home. You get the
famous convenience of electric
appliances. You pay only one energy
bill. And most importantly, you make
the most of your avai lable I iving space, j
See us or your dealer for more details
on the all-electric mobile home.
MURPHY ELECTRIC
POWER BOARD