Newspapers / The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.) / June 29, 1923, edition 1 / Page 8
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Mr. Taylor Arraigns County Boards For Failure To Work Where is Hertford County drift in*? When and where will she strike bottom? Progress seems to be on the wane. Reaction seems to hold full sway of the county administra tion, being led by the chairman of the board of county commissioners. The devil seems to be turned loose un bridled, led and is running riot; apathy has taken posession and the trend of things seems to be everybody for himself and the devil for us all, with everybody living in the present and no one living a day in the fu ture. The idea of the county admin istration at large seems to be that the present generation is the last that will ever live in this good old county of Hertford. But not so gentlemen. There will be people who will live after us, who will be more enlighten ed than we. (God grant it) They will rise up and call us blessed if we prepare a decent county for them to live in. Contrarwise they will call us cussed. Any man that lives but a day at the time and lives that in s selfish way ia not a fit subject to hold any office. Any man that does not desire or strive to make the community in which he lives a better place for the future generation to live in. or who cannot be traced by his tracks as hav ing made the community better off by his having lived in it, the community would have suffered no loss if be had never been born. The downward trend began early last fall, the first prominent step be ing the attack on road superintend ent Hines, to oust him from his job, just at the time when he had about succeeded in getting the road work of the county organised and system atized. Apparently they did not take into proper consideration the ^ fact that he had only been on the job a little over a year; that he began work in the county without any equipment of any appreciable value and practi cally without funds being provided with which to carry on the road work; that it was in November, 1921, before the proceeds of the bond issue began to be available; that the winter months were then on, when it is al ways impossible to do any toad build-1 ing, maintenance work only being 1 possible; that the spring and summer months following, up to the very time he was attacked, was an unprecedent ed wet season which played havoc with with all road building. Main tenance being attbut all that was pos-1 sible to do. No one can dispute the fact that the road business had pro gressed up until that time and that the future was bright for the county. I Had the working plans of the road board then in vogue been continued,! conditions now existing would not have been as they are, but reaction I set in, the board became divided against itself and down, and down, and down the trend has been until this day. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I To cap the climax, while not cast-1 ing any reflection on the gentlemanly qualities and unimpeachable charact er of Hertford county's recent repre sentative, and not doubting his sin cerity, but his ability and judgment as a legislator, it is known that he was adverse to the issue of the county road bonds, and belongs to the re actionary group and that an equal share of the responsibility for the downward trend of the road admin istration rests directly on his should ers, due to the fact that he made changes in the road law which cut the very heart out of it. It rendered it worthless, leaving it entirely within the discretion of the road board as to the abolition of county road superin tendent and as to whether or not they should continue to operate under the county unit system or return to the township unit system. Everybody knows the result and that practically speaking, nothing is being done of any appreciable value. Not even maintenance work is being kept up with, the oh) winter mud holes are still in the roads, dry to be sure at present, and we can manage to drive over them by going a snail's gate at the expense of our machinery, but they are there waiting for the rains to come and All them up, and the re turn of mud and impassiabie roads is sure. The future looks dark to me. It now looks ae though we are not going to receive any appreciable results from the sale of our bonds, all due to the fact that the road board has no working head. I do not wish to cast any reflection upon any member of the road board; they are all gentle men and men of good business quali fications so far as their line of exper ience is concerned, but they are abso lutely without experience and know nothing about read building. Neith er do I, but I know what a good road is after an experienced man has built it, so do they. I know how to operate an ant sees bile after exper ? lanced mechanic* have built it but i I do not know how to build one. > I previously said the road board I had no working head. Yes, it is so. How can they do any appreciable ' work without some one of experience > to direct? It is a matter of impos - sibility. Let me illustrate. I pic I ture myself as going into the drug business and attempting to run a first class drug store without the use of any experienced pharmacist to show me what I need to do and how to do it and what to have done. How could I succeed? I would be without a working head and, as a fish out of the water, so is the road board at present. I plead with the gentlemen of the board to wake up, before it is too late, to put their working head back, and to get a man of experience to take full charge of the county again. Let him furnish the exper ience and they advise with him, fur nish him the money to operate, and keep tab with him so as to render an account before the people. I suspect Mr. Lawrence will say | that he is in no way responsible for the existing conditions, that he so arranged the law as to leave it dis cretionary with the bpard, as to the matter of doing away with the office of road superintendent and choosing! the maner in which they operated.! But he cannot get from under it. He: knew as well the temperament of the] board and what it was going to do,: when he threw the law open, as he knows Christmas is coming if time lasts. His actions in this one in stance at present, is liable to cost the county more money than any act that has ever been placed on the statute books. The second prominent step down ward by the county administration was taken on first Monday in last December, by the county commission ers, when two of them with Chair man Dr. Mitchell's two votes, re pealed the action of the former board in making provision for the mainten ance of an all-time health officer' for the county, an office which no county can afford to be without. The duties of this officer have already been out lined in a previous article. I cannot conceive how a man or set of men with normal minds can afford to register their votes against such an important, humane, and progressive movement towards the preservation of health of the people of the county, and in turn vote to spend thousands of dollars annually towards the preservaton of the health of the lower animals. Moreover, one of them beinig a medical doctor, and the leading spirit, was so filled with enthusiasm, directed towards stamp ing death on the movement, as to prompt him to deal it two death blows. There can be no excuse of fered for these three wilful minded officials. They have plenty of intelli gence and knew better, yet they dealt the fatal blow, for the time be ing, under the disguise of trying to save the poor people of the county from the burden of a trival tax they would have to pay to maintain a health officer worth while. Every man with normal mind knows full well that an all time health office properly conducted would be an asset to the county rath er than a liability. It is a matter of foregone conclusion that it is im possible for the individual, county, state or nation to economize at the expense of the health of our people. Let people who are afflicted with any contagious disease go free, mingle with well people, and the malady will run riot. An example if you please: At the time of the county school commence ment, there tvas not a case of measles or chickenpox in my township, but both were in other parts of the county. Now then, there was a large number of people in attendance atj both colored and white commence-! ments. Evidently somebody was there out of infected families who ought to have been under quarintine and who were, at the time, slightly infected themselves, but just fit sub jects to broadcast the disease. The result was that within ten days both diseases were here, and confined to children who were in actual attend ance. Since then both diseases have 1 run riot, with heavy doctor bills, loss of time, sickness, and death in their wake. Since then the loca) doctors have been kept busy and the end is not yet One large family, from both par ents down to the babe, is infected, the mother at this date being seriously infected with chances slim for recov ery. The local doctors are doing what they can to stamp out the epi demic, but what can they do with no backing? I have in mind two famil ies who have measles, both brothers living within one hundred yards of each other. Messrs. John p. and Lacky T. Worrell are the gentlemen jsatJis i Jj.ii.s)* 'a_. * sssas to whom I refer. Dr. Burbage ig at-1 tending Mr. John F- Worrell's family, and has set up a quarantine. Dr. | Railey is attending Mr. Lackey T. Worrell's family and has not set up a ? quarintine. I am informed through a reliable [ i source that Dr. Railey has dona what | he could to do likewise. But being | a Virginia doctor naturally did not > [ have the necessary North Carolina j ' papers. He wrpte to our so-called' health officer for same, but had not1 i received them. I believe every word I of that statement. Now, think of it. I Two brothers, both with measles, at i tended by separate doctors, both liv ing so close together, held over one ! and none whatever over the other, | who is to blame T Certainly neither | doctor is. My answer is the chairman | of the board of county commissioners, (Dr. Mitchell,) and his two associates, who stabbed to death with their votes the all-time health officer movement, J must bear the burden. Furthermore, | there are plenty of cases whch do not I come to the attention or under the ob servation of the local doctors, that travel at will to and fro throughout the county at the expense of the health of the county, sowing doctor bills, loss of time, sickness, and [death in their path. Furthermore, Chairman Mitchell not being satisfied with the dealing of the death blow herein referred to, has sought to deal a aether blow at the dead, for the time being, to pre vent ite resurrection, in furthering an intrigue with other members of the health board to oust and did oust a charter member of the health board who has served continuously on the board since its organization in the county and with Chairman Mitchell a number of years ago, (Dr. T. I. Burbage is the victim) who ho knew to be an ardent advocate of the whole time health office. He set forth as his excuse for ousting his brother member and physician, that he was too old, when the facts are that Dr. Burbage was the second youngest man on the board. Dr. Mitchell him self being chairman and an older man than Burbage. Now to feed Dr. Mitchell with his own medicine or doctrine, I ask should he not be ousted on account of his age now? Dr. Mitchell need not deny what 1 have said, for if he doee I will introduce testimony furnished by as good and honorable a gentle man as Hertford County possesses as to the truth of my statement. The third prominent step of a downward tendency is the stubborn fight the former chairman of the county board of education, now chairman of the county board of com missioners, and by virtue of his of fice, chairman of the county board of health, made on May 28th in the courthouse at Winton in a joint meeting with the Board of education in session for the purpose of forming a budget for the maintenance of the schools of the county the incoming scholastic year. His ultra speeches in advocacy of retrenchment before that body and again on Monday, June 4th before the commissioners against the present school system, denouncing the value of education, saying that he knew only three young educated men in the county who amounted to any thing, will be remembered by the people of the county, especially by those of limited means who must necessarily depend on the public schools to assist them in educating their children. I trust that my purpose in writing this article will not be misunderstood. I have dealt in personalities as little as possible, in order to place the bur den where it belongs. I have no fight against any individual. Be it remembered that I am at peace with all men. It will be remembered that early in the spring of 1922 I, while on the board of commissioners, advocat ed an all-time health office. On first Monday in November the board of health of which Dr. Mitchell was then chairman, made Dr. Burbage its spokesman and came before the com missioners and asked that an approp riation or provision be made for maintenance of an all-time health office. On that day I supported the movement with all of my might. I, am supporting it to this day, hence the purpose of this article. The ousting of Dr. Burbage as a member of the health board and the manner in, and purpose for which,it was done is an outrage and offense against the health movement which should not be allowed to go unnoticed. Where is Hertford County drifting? When and where will she strike bot tom.? JOHN.C. TAYLOR. A Correction Since the above communication was put into type, the HERALD has re cleved a letter from Mr. Taylor ask ing us to correct that part of his article which says Dr. Mitchell had been serving on the Board of Health prior to his becoming chairman of the board of county commissiioners. Dr. Mitchell was never a member of the board until he was elevatad to it by his election as chairman of the other board. . jsi . um PROFESSIONAL CARDS DR. C. G. POWELL DENTIST ? i i i OFFICE: Third floor, Room? 2 and 3 Farmers-Atlantic Bank Building ' AHOSKIE, N. C. X-Ray Service Phone No. 21 R. R. ALLEN & SON Dealers In SASH, DOORS, BUNDS, WINDOW GLASS, HARDWARE, PAINTS, and BUILDING MATERIAL8 . GENERALLY Wholesale and Retail ? 927 Washington Square SUFFOLK, VA. TOMBSTONES OP ANY DESCRIPTION ? See or Write J. B. MODLIN AHOSKIE, N. C. Agent for ?COGGINS MARBLE CO. Dr. W. C. Mercer. DENTIST Offices over Mrs. Britton's store Ahoslde, N. C. " Wk JUNIPER HEART SHINGLES ?The Wood Eternal For Solo By C B. MORRIS Colerain, N. C. Ask tor (Ulivory, prico* tat itmpUi 1 DR. ARCHIE SMITHER Practice limited to Examination and Diagnosis of the Eyes and the ' - Fitting of Glasses Own Optical Laboratory on Premises Suite No. 605-06-08-10-12-13 National Bank Building SUFFOLK, VA. MARY F. HUFF Palmer Graduate Chiropractor Tarboro, N. C. Over Farmer*' Bank Tarboro, N. C. Office Hours?9 a. m. to 1 p. m. 2:80 p. m. to 6:80 p.' m. Tuesday and Friday from 7 to 8 p. m. Phones?Residence 612. Office 607. DR. CHARLES J. SAWYER Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat AHOSKIE, N. C. Every Wednesday. Farmers' Atlantic Bank Building 10:00 A. M. to 6 P. M. In Windsor office: Saturdays and C Mondays. v FOR I; FIRE INSURANCE < SEE Strickland & Hale AHOSKlE, N. C. ? NOTICE The undersigned has qualified as administrator, with will annexed, of Mrs. Agnes Ward Askew, late of Hertford County North Carolina. All persons indebted to said estate must make prompt payment of the amount due to the undersigned. Persons holding claims against said estate must present the same to the undersigned within twelve months from date of this notice, or it will be pleaded in bar of any recovery. Thi, May 28, 1928. J. D. ASKEW, Administrator of Mrs. Agnes Ward Askew. NOTICE - Having qualified aa executor of the eetate of Brodie B. Hall, notice ia hereby given to thoae that are in debted to aaid estate to please make immediate payment All those hold ing claims against the estate will please present the same to the under signed on or before the 25th day of | May, 1924, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. NORMAN HALL, Executor. JNO. E. VANN, Attorney. B-l-2S-8t IT PAYS TO DEAL WITH HERALD ADVERTISERS fSmmmEmmmmSmmmmmSmmmmmmmmSmmmS They Succeeded! There's What They Say: Rockfeller:?"I determined that in addition to work ing for money, I would make money work for me." Schwabs?"No man cans prosper unless his expenses are kept below his income." Carnegie:?"The man who does not and cannot save money, cannot and will not do anything else worth while. Harriman:?"No man can afford not to be thrifty. Only the poor are wasteful. # Hill:-?"If you want to know whether you are des tined to be a success, you can easily find out. 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' I To The Business Man On The Farm We invite your patronage on the same bases as does the merchant?we have something to offer which we believe has more value than you can secure elsewhere. ? The increasing number of farmers who use tbis bank is proof.that we are rend ering a valuable service that helps them to solve their farming problems. You'll be cordially welcomed here. Farmers-Atlantic Bank AHOSKIE, N; C. !5S5SSSS53S5S5S25E3S5IS555SS^ZISS5S2ZSS555SsiEISw
The News-Herald (Ahoskie, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 29, 1923, edition 1
8
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