The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-01-04
Open Forum
COLUMN
FOR THE VOICE OF THE
PEOPLE
Suggested New
Year Resolution
For Ashe County
PEOPLE

DOnQer, we SnOulQ COuuL OuI OACo-
sings.
More Appreciation Less
Condemnation
Rotarian Levern Johnson SCUM
ded a note which is needed IN
Ashe county when he told the
Rotary club that we should have
in Ashe county more apprecla-
ton and take time to express our
appreciation to those response
BILE for our benefits and blessings.
We all can recall from our school
days and from our experiences
as members of any group that the
surest way to become unpopular
is to wear chip on our Shout
der, to develop an inferiority
complex, or to cultivate feeling
of suspicion of our fellows. Have
we not in Ashe county sometime
erred along these lines?
There is a great deal yet to be
done for us to- have the Highway
System that we want. The High
way to the Tennessee line must
be completed. There are a num-
Der of country roads leading from
fine communities to the State
Highways and serving our peo-
pie that must be improved. How
ever, before we complain too
much and criticise too much and
talk about discrimination and
dirty deals, would it not be
fair and proper for us to COM
pare what we have in Ashe
county to what we had a few
years ago in our road system? If
some one would take the trouble
to count up how much honey has
been spent in Ashe County for
the past year and for the past
several years and compare the
amount with what we have paid
as a County into the fund out of
which Highways are built, we
might find that we have received
great deal on our side of the
ledger, and that upon the basis
of area and population and car
| registration, we have not been
Disseminated against and that we
ought to have and express appre-
citation of the work of the High
way authorities. If we have not
had all that we deserved, let us
not show a spirit of suspicion Of
our neighbors.
In 1910, we should be boosters
of our town and county. We
should resolve to be better boos-
tiers than we have been in the
past; but to be boosters we do
not need to criticize and con-
denim our officials or blame our
neighbors for what may have
been omitted or committed. To
grow and develop as county and
as town we need the friend
ship and cooperation of our
neighboring counties and towns
and of those in authority. We
should not jump to conclusions
and blame some one in Boone or
North Wilkesboro if something in
Ashe county happens of which
we do not approve.
Take our School System. Many
Of our citizens do not understand
that the State of North Carolina
sends around $17O,OOOOO per year
to the county to pay the expen-
ses of teachers salaries and all
other operating expenses OF our
schools and school buses. Not one
cent of taxes levied and collec-
ted in the county is used for this
purpose. If some one would take
the time to figure out how much
Ashe County pays in any form of
taxes collected by the State in
to the fund which operates the
schools of the County and the
State, it would be found only to
be fractional part Of what we
receive.
Let us consider the much ma
ligned and ridiculed WPA. Do
we appreciate the roads and
school buildings and the hospital
and the community building and
other public Improvements that
have come to us as a result OF
the WPA? Has anyone counted
the amount of money that the
WPA has brought into the coun-
ty from entirely outside sources?
Have we considered what we
have that would have been i'm
possible without it?
There is perhaps disagreement
as to the benefits of Old Age
Pensions, Aid to Dependent
Children and other welfare work
in the county and it is true that
tax increase has been necessary
to pay a part of these expenses.
Have we thought, however, that
from the State and from the Fed