The Weekly Legislative Summary This is imUm of i ssrtas of weekly sum prepered by tho legislative sUff of Iho Institute of Govern moat on ths work of tho .North Carolina General Assembly of IMI. It is confined to discussions of mat ters of general interest. Jail Study Commission: The door clanked shut tiiis week on the Jail Study Commission, as a 15-bill package embracing its re cent recommendations hit the Senate floor (5323-5337 by Sen. Rauch). With that action, the commission completed the job for which it was created, two years ago —to study local jails and recommend changes in the laws af fecting them. Together, the bills that embrace those recommendations comprise the most thorough and comprehensive reform of jails ever attempted at one time in this' state. of the topics they cover and the reasoning be. hind the commission’s pro posals. are the following: ATTENTION! PEANUT GROWERS We Are Now Open and Ready To Shell Your Seed Peanuts. REMEMBER: An Experienced Operator Can Save You Money! Our plant is located on North Broad Street in front of the George Chevro let Company. We Also Have Certified Seed Peanuts For Sale Leary Bros. Storage Co. Phone 482-2141 Edenton, N. C. Puttiig you first, * Mk —jcySß Hi lifc, \jH | Kingswood Estate Wagon, Concours Station Wagon, Sportvan and Suburban. have such a enjoyment. f Show you what we mean. Maybe you’re a bit mor? serious about the Say youre in a Chevrolet Kingiwoodor great outdoors. So are we. Tbat’swhy we offer Conooun Walk-In Wagon, when suddenly the the Chevy Sportvan and Suburban. To an rood beoomeo nothing but chockholea and nits. outdooreman, they’re like dear skies and Only you can’t tell it’s rough. no mosquitoes. I You see, Chevy wagons float along on Sobrfore you head out to see the U.S.A., computer-selected cod wrings that smooth better stop by your Chevrolet dealer’s even the meanest road. Tgirtu ftrrulfm twt Reducing the Numbers of Persons In Jail: The commission found that jails have become a dumping ground for persons who should be kept elsewhere, for the good of both the individuals involved and of society in general. With the state’s Department of Correction available for persons sentenced to im prisonment for a month or longer, the commission rea soned that local jails should be used mainly for persons awaiting trial. The same use of the Depart ment of Correction could be made for prisoners ap pealing their convictions, but who must now wait out the long appeal period in local jails (5324). Mentally ill persons who have com mitted no crime are some times cooped up in jail houses until state mental institutions can make room for them. Public hospitals could be used for this pur pose and more humanely, without further damaging unstable personalities (S --328). Alcoholics are an other group that jails can not help but who might THE CHOWAN HERALD, EDENTON. NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY. APRIL 10, 1909. receive some help in state institutions (5334). The commission also found that many persons who could be relied upon to appear for trial are not released until trial because they cannot raise their bail. By giving these persons sum monses instead of arresting them, or by releasing them on their promise to appear for trial, another large number of persons who do not have to be in jail would be spared that ex perience (5337). Reducing the Time Per sons Spend In Jail: Persons in jail must sometimes wait many months for trial, either because court is held infrequently or because of heavy docket loads. If jailed persons were allow ed to be tried ahead of per sons flee on bail, and if persons jailed in counties with infrequent court terms could request an earlier trial in a nearby county, such long waits could be cut and justice could be served sooner (5332, 333). Improving the Correc tional Function of Jails: The commission found that limited funds and the rela tively short stays of many prisoners prevent local jails from attempting to rehabilitate their prisoners. Jails could take action, however, to minimize the harmful effects on prison j ers that jail stays often j have. Such effects occur Armco Corrugated Steel Pipe for ! Irrigation & Drainage It’s Easy to Install, Strong Uses include road culverts, | ditch crossovers, stock we lter supply lines and turn outs. Durable zinc-coated Armco Corrugated Steel Pipe is available in diame ters 6 to 96 inches. We maintain stock for youi needs. Call us for prices. ___ mrnwuno Doan 5 " A ARMCO ARMCO CONSTRUCTION V PRODUCTS I I Coastal Concrete ; Company, Inc. Windsor, N. C. 794-SIM Edenton. N. C. ttt-UN because many jails are too small or are overcrowded, so that incompatible types of prisoners are placed next to each other. The commission recommended, therefore, that jails be pro hibited from holding more than the number of pris oners they can adequately hold; that children and minor offenders be kept away from hardened crim inals, and that women be kept out of the sight of male prisoners (5331, 336). Improving State and Lo cal Cooperation: Rather than recommend that local jails be placed under state control or that counties be required to form regional jails (although the latter was endorsed on a volun tary basis), the commission recommended greater co operation between the state and local governments in working for better jails to gether. One way the com mission felt this could be achieved would be by making the Jail and Deten tion Service (which checks on local jails to determine compliance with the state’s minimum jail standards) part of the Department of Justice, since both agencies are concerned with law enforcement and together, could work more closely to improve it (329). Another way to improve coopera tion would be by bringing i local judges in earlier on the enforcement of mini mum jail standards and by broadening the judges’ dis cretionary authority in gaining improvement in jails (5323). A third way would separate local and state correctional functions more fully by gradually eliminating county-operated prison farms and houses of correction (5335). Finally, the slate would appropri ate money to use as grants in - aid to help counties bring up their jail- to the levels required by the state's minimum standards. A Review of Recent De velopments: An inventory of the legislative larder taken as recently as March 21st prompted two main observations: (1) that the volume of public bills and public (or statewide) legis lation this session is about on a par with the experi ence of recent legislative sessions, but (2) that there were a number of empty places in the cupboard, representing anticipated major proposals that had not yet been introduced in bill form. Particularly I prominent for their ab sence at that time were several significant adminis tration-backed measures for reorganization of state ag encies, and bills to imple ment several study com mission reports. Develop ments of the past two weeks have now largely filled these gaps. Six bills were introduc ed last ween and this week to carry out administration sponsored reorganizations of state agencies. 5343 (H 529) would substitute for the present five-mern ber State ABC Board, and career executive director, a full-time chairman and three - member board —a measure probably traceable to political differences be tween incumbent board members and Governor Scott. 5302 (H 485) would balloon the State Highway Commission from its pres ent 14 - member composi tion to 23 members, inci dentally eliminating a re quirement that each high way commissioner reside within the highway district he represents. This bill continues a trend toward increasing size for the SHC that was begun in the Moore administration. 5293 (H 452) carries out some of the recommendations of the Conservation and Develop ment Study Commission, supported by the adminis tration. It would increase the size of the C & D Board from 24 to 27 mem bers: would authorize the designation of one or more deputy directors for the department, and would en join the Governor to allo cate C & D Board mem berships equitably among persons representative of the respective points of view of conservationists, Continued on Page Six ~ l ' |ffi . ,^_ Virginia Bm-.li. Yn a ~ AdiSfo HSRf jjijjjuk A * T «P ■■ -V-rs.-v P '||. 4BM»fc . -;; : • mmlslgStßSMk ./>*.; - v ■ ■•.•■ ■/•. ’-, /...ly* * ,73tv ■&:-. * life* .. - Mrs. Johnson and her husband live in a very attractive total-electric community in Virginia Beach. Their heating system is not only modern electric heat, it's also one of the most modern types of electric heat: ceiling cable heat. How does Mrs. Johnson like it? Here’s what she says: “I’m enthusiastic about it. I really am!” Mrs. Johnson, how do you like the individual room-by-room controls? “Oh, yes. We can turn the heat up and down in any room. It’s great.” Now that you’ve Hved in your electrically heated Vets Corner .ulhoritalivc :in*w«*r« l»y the Vetera in* Administration tc some ot the many current questions from former service men and their lamilies. Further information on veterans bene fits may bo obtained at any VA office. Q. My aunt is the widow of a Spanish-American War veteran. She receives S7O a month pension from the Veterans Administration. However, a friend of hers, who is also a Spanish-Am erican War veteran’s wi dow, receives $75 a month from the VA. Why the difference? A. The $75 check goes to the widow of a Spanish- American War veteran who was married to the veteran during all or part of that war. The widow, such as your aunt, apparently, who married such a veteran af ter the war receives the S7O monthly check. Q. I was awarded a pen sion from the Veterans Ad ministration last year. My wife and I are planning to sell our home and move to Florida. Will the profit I receive on the sale of the home affect my pension? A. Not directly. Pro ceeds from the sale of pro perty are not considered income for veterans under the present pension law. However, you are advised to notify VA of the sale because net worth is also a consideration under the pension law in determin ing pension entitlement. While you live in the home its value is not reportable as part of youi net worth, but when you convert it to cash, the cash is considered part of net worth. For further information and as sistance in this matter, check with your nearest VA office. home for more than two and a half years, do you find that it’s easier to keep clean? “Yes. There’s less dust. And also it’s not dry heat. My son seems to get fewer colds, now.” What about your husband? How does your hus band like your electric heating system? “My husband especially likes it because when he comes home in the evening he doesn't have to do a thing to the heating system.” What about noise? “Oh, no. Once in a while I can hear a thermostat click, but nobody else hears it.” Mrs. Johnson is just one of the more than 4VOOO So. Security Questions-Answers Q. I will be 65 next year, but have no plans to retire. Am I eligible for Medicare? A. Yes. You can quali fy for Medicare benefits even though you have not retired. You should con tact the social security of fice about three months before you are 65 and file your application. If pos sible, you should bring your social security num ber and the best proof of your age that you have available. Q. I am 22 years old and I'/# q ftememlel j By MARVIN BARHAM x We ovei heard a remark the other day when a j person was saying: “He took a mighty hard fall i V ’ , 1 he bounced right back onto his feet." You know that is one of the greatest compli ments that can be said of a man—“ He bounced right back onto his feet.” There' are few among us who do not at one time or another stumble and fall as we weave our way through the briarpatch of life. Often we are innocent victims of fate . . , sometimes our misfortunes are of a nature which lays the blame squarely on our own shoulders. Whatever the nature of our fall, there Is a ( great amount of respect and glory in the ability to rise again. I Many years ago, from the pen of Oliver Gold smith, came these words: “Our greatest glory consists not in never fail ing .. . but in rising every time we fall As we recall the remark being made of the one bouncing back onto his feet there was I no mention of courage . . or strength ... or S glory, but it was there—it is always there, g Our thought to remember: “IT IS THROUGH gj COURAGE AND STRENGTH THE FALLEN I g RISE AGAIN.” I Colonial Funeral Home Edenton , North Carolina PAGE FIVE-B was in an automobile acci dent. Doctors have told me that I will never walk again. I have worked for the past two years. Can I receive social security disability benefits? A. A recent change in the social security law per mits payments to young disabled workers. In some cases, as little as one and one-half years of covered earnings are needed. You should get in touch with the nearest social security office as soon as possible to determine if benefits can be paid to you. satisfied electric heating customers in the Vepco service area. If you’d like to learn about how comfort able, economical and simple it is to convert your home to modern electric heat, call your Vepco Authorized Comfort Conditioning Contractor. His number is in the Yellow Pages. He’ll come out and give you an estimate. In dollars and cents. And at no obligation to you of course. We’re confident that once you fitKl out how easy and economical it is to convert to modern electric heat, you'll be just as enthusiastic as Mrs. Johnson is. Vepco

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