Newspapers / Gastonia Daily Gazette (Gastonia, … / Feb. 23, 1906, edition 1 / Page 2
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official wrong, though he alone he involved at tha time, doaa a servlet.to his community and to all those who fat the long pro cenrion of subsequent day*, may be saved by bis action from aelvea. II, then, tbe contest I wnRe.dull eanae officers of the iowo ir kud i ctfirvr pciCfpuoB if tfccir poytgi fajfi ^**4 to form a higher regard for the lost rights of thorn whom they ant appointed to serve, I shall not regret the sacrifice and Ac pda which a conscientious per* fbrioaact of As extremely on* VBAT TBt UV SAYS. To a clear eadeatanding of the matte? out of which As com filet arose a brief statement of . ' tbe law applying in Ac case is necessary- The legislature of 1909 enacted on the 6A of March a fire-waste law applicable A 0 cities ami towns hi North Carolina, sopersediag previous legislation on this snbject. This .(1) Contains a code of fire and boikBng regulations which ■met apply in these looms. (2) Provides that permits for whsthir Is the fire i he obtained O) tea practically aU W* af tbe hands af g5i _ jas to fining (4) Requires the hoard af to establish and frilit -"■I. . n IJ.. mmtmMmm their duty la co-operation with ‘heir inspector and fira-commit tee to enforce the lava. How have they enforced them? mt-uinrsToouiGE. . Having Ira-limits already es tablished. dm board made do tshaDgas when the aatr law want lot® elect July 1st. Bat dm iron clod bnik&ng allowed under the Old law was apt permissible on dor^ba now, dot coaid say •OOdav buildings be erected io tha Ire-limits. These fact a pointed iatvit.bly to the aeees ••ty Of reducing dm area of the Ik Kctioa, (which tecloded foot residence blocks sooth of Maio street and considerable Kaldeaca anas oa the north ride) or of working gnat incon venience, loss, and injustice. The new law was satisfied with Ire-limits which inclnJ d the principal business portion of the town; and Ute Inclusion of other territory that worked harm or is justice to the citizens therein •aa not repaired and not right or wise. tattwmnwtp. Oo the Hat of November, X applied for permission to build a small metal coveted annex (26x28), with next front* and finish* on my vacant Mala street lot adjoining Thk Gazrttk of fc* on the west. The site was in the fire -limits bat Dot ta the ■--r— pwuoa. All that WU necessary in order to Mtkfv the law va to reduce the boundaries aad set the site oa the oatside. Thu would have carried outside also a real* dcaca oa either ride, a large stable in the rear, a shop, par soaage, church, aad two small brick oSces, aad would have gives oo ooe test cause lor crit icising the board. This resort to avoid doing injustice was ad vised at Elisabeth City by Com nriseiaovr Young, and when here, later, he told Mr. Lawrence Beal, the inspector, that the board could act oat Mr. S. P. Stewart’s residence If they wanted to. I expressed to the board a desire concurrent with theirs to see good brick buildings on Main street, bat advised them that 1 was not able fo build ai brick, and that the revenue iron this temporary structure would enable me to hasten the day when I could pul a brick building on the lot. There is no record that an ap plication for a permit to erect a building of this kind was ever refused by any board is all the previous history of the town, bat the board, reversing tradi tion, refused to allow the build teg to go up aad so mads record aw the mistakes. AM OMLAWFtrt, ntUMIT. At the same meeting, the board granted to Mr. J. B. Baal a permit to areet a wooden build lag Within the fit* limits—some thing plainly forbidden by tba law. The minutes and the build lag stood to-day to show for thrmaatvss. They had a right to set Mr. Baal’s site oatside the Barits sari could aot be justly criticised for it; bat instead, they unlawfully granted him a permit. Knowing that others ksd haaa slowed to erect forbidden hailitegs fo the ftrs section 1 began to make some tavestiga Ixo wnuxoo ox aoxx.» Mow Mr. L. L. JnUx <• 1 —— iron-cUd stable (50x128 teet two storks high) since the new kw went Into effect, lie be gan work in September inside the Ira limits and wns not molested. Mr. Page also k a patron of the fire alderman's bank, but that fact aad bis ex emption from molest si ion may be passed over as possibly ma rker mere coincidence. On the 24th of October, Mr. J. k. Beard was permitted by the board, as shown by the minutes, to erect a wooden frame structure covered with cloth }nst •cross the street from Tint Ga XCTTK office where a framed building covered with brick siding eras denied. It so hap pens that Mr. Beard, too, is a patron of the fire alderman's bank, ao that the coincidence and special privilege features begin to look a trifle suspicious. And when k appears thst Mr. J. B. Beal, to whom the unlaw ful permit was graoted, also has an account at the fire-chairman's bank, one baant much choice left as to whether he will be lieve la mere coincidences or not. BCILDUS NOT TO BLAMK. Let it be understood that I am not attaching blame to any of the applicants or boildera above mentioned. So fir u 1 know, they acted in good faith in every instance, with no inten tion to take advantage of the town or disobey the law. Why thee were they not informed of the law and required to observe it? It was claimed by members of the board. that Mr. Page was denied permission to bnild ■ second stable. If so. there is no record of it. In case of Mr. Beard, it is claimed that he too was not allowed to erect an iron covered building, but this is not a matter of record. It is argued that these applications were brought up outride the meet ings and turned down 01 withdrawn vafter private dis canton. And this brings t< surface the fact that no suet gentle warning was vouchsafed when I brought the matter np b> ‘phone with the members of the fire-committee, the two aldermen with whom I was most intimate personally. They invited me cordially enough to bring m> application right along before the board, and neither of them dropped a hint of any kind thal it would be an unwelcome prop osition or cause say embarrass ment. And why should one sop pose it did cause any? i-au--■■■ _LI—!LL!UL for thoMk « nu sf ample means •*) resource* be is respon sible for th* presence in the y*ty ***** o< Main street ol more tin shocks and eye-sores than every yield a lajapa^ofiSorjTSa “"***< •** which ere not to be TBMJKn LIMITS IM THXSX MQXTH9. Ob the 14th of December, at shown by the minutes, the fire limits were changed. There is soenu interesting history back of of this simple record. Bear in mind that the town had the limits already defined when the State law went into effect the first of July. September 19tb tbc fire-limits ware fixed over again and made to include the area between Oakland Ave nue. Franklin Avenue, Chester, Airline, and Dallas, and Long streets. Noting the change on Dec. 14th, .already mentioned, the reader will ob serve that within the short space of three months between the middle of September and ^bt middle of December the town bad three sets of fire-limits! ONKTAKKK, ANOTHEU LEFT. But it ia the last change, the one made on the 14th of Decem ber, that furnishes some inter esting features. At that time the board bad before it a renew al of my former application and also an application from Mr. J. J. Kincaid to erect a wooden residence in the same block. But as the proposed building wss next to my residence and near enongh to raise my rate oi insurance, the fire-chairman bid no great difficulty in convincing tuv wuu nr. iuncaia should have a permit. But they had began to see light. Mem bers of the board in session asked me what I thought of it. "You ought to let ns both build," was the answer given them. Now both cases were precisely on all-fours at law. Both wen in the fire-limits; neither was is the principal business ' portion; change lines from there to thii place and all difficulty is re , moved, the law is satisfied, am the public welfare suffers m hurt. The lines were changer so that Mr. Kincaid was allower to build, but the other man no at all. I was left facing the or dained threat that if I pnt i building on my lot as other cit seas had been allowed to do, . would be fined $50 for putting i there, $10 a day for keeping i< there, and that* roy workmei would be dragged off and finer $50 for helping to bnild it I 1 bad no remedy but to break thr law or try again to persuade thr board to have a reasonable re gard for my rights. Brcakiui the law, even when it is a bar law, is not a proper remedy foi grievances. Laws are made t< be respected, honored, am obeyed. I am a respecter of thr law, and resolved to go befon the board once more if baply ] might persuade them to ebaogt a bad and oppressive law of theii own making. ONE MO** TRIAL. On the night of January lGtb the application waa renewed be Ion the board. They weri asked in respectful terms U modify their harsh sod onoeces aery ruling In the case. It wai without precedent in the town’i history. It wan n matter entire 1y within their discretion, enme to them for no favor, naked for Just treatment. A lit waa presented of 54 bnalnaa men and property owner* in tlx fire-limits who add oyer that aigmatpre* that they bad n objection to the erection of nr email annex. This list I ob taiaed by taking men a* I cam > to them sad my Harited tier , basely permitted me to get ball way round the Ire-liarfta. Agaii the case was left with the board Adjeuramenl waa takes fo ' fates* aetlen. was rr a aguARs oral? Oath# 50thM Janaary. Ms 1 J. E. Yoaag. the State’s lasof Qastsals apon the. invitatioe c , Mayor Dtsea, osteairihiy to male [ a pnbUe talk abontth* Are-waef ■—_1. _J„.. ... piece of paternalism and wcie keeping the Insurance Commit •inner on the go. Charlotte, Wilmington, RHaabeth City, and numerous town* have hod the matter np. Commissioner Young came to Gastonia on the noon train from Charlotte. The May or sought him at the hotel. A public meeting seemed out of the aueution on account of the shoe-deep lee shed by the pre vailing blisslrd. The board was called together, as usual in pri vate session. Mr. Young made hia talk, my cate was stated, discussed, and ruled upon In my absence. It makes no difference if no names were called. It was my cause, I had a right to pre sent it on equal terms with the board. I was not invited to tha meeting, was not even advised of it. Mr. Young was not al lowed to see my location; he was taken up to the other end of town. That is tbe board’s idea of a square deal; it Is not mine. TniUtK STRJKF.S AND OUTt My reqaest was finally refused a third time. I had pre sented my esnse openly and re spectfully at three separate meetings, and then quit the bus iness of expecting just treatment from such a board. The high wayman has at least the selfish pica that be enriches himself with tbe spoils be lakes from bit victim, but what shall be said of him who from the love of despoiling deprives where he cannot appropriate? KKQVimSD BY so LAW HUMAN OR ULVIFiC, All deliberative bodies sre guided largely in their action by the recommendations of their committees. If the fire-commit tee of two members bad recom mended favorable action in my case I believe it would have been taken. The chairman enthusi aatically opposed it and the committee was against it. That was their right, if their con ! sciences approved; bnt a con* science that uses official position I to benefit favorites and oppress others needs reconstruction. ' Conscientious! Conscientious! A man may be as conscientious as a Pharisee and just as blind ! and wrong. He can follow a • conscience like that to tbe gates i of dcatfa. But be may be as sav , age and malevolent as Saul of Tarsus—and still get right! . Prom tbe date when tbe new law went into effect business favorites of the fire-chairman | were allowed, as 1 have shown, to violate the law unmolested. Where was conscience then? Asleep? Did ray application wake it np? An officer who will fail in duty through favoritism may be expected to go beyoud I bis duty to gratify the opposite , motive of malevolence. I can not believe tbe other aldermen knew to what extent they were lending themselves to such purposes. The general welfare ; of tbe town did not demand such action, had never de manded it before, and they ' were under no law save their own discretion. 1 offend to bond myself to te*r the annex away upon maturity in five or . she years of the $1,000 worth of , building andloan stock which the rental wouia carry, ana pcrnaps before that time. Member* of tbe board are interested In worse buildings in tbe very heart of tbe business portion and are tin* dsr no obligation to observe such a time limit. But the board cbose to make tbe time between vacancy and a btlck building ow my lot aa long as possible. They chose to binder rather than help tbe very cense they professed to espoese. They stubbornly put the line there in stead of bint, and thus damaged • law abiding cltlseo $1,000 with no commensurate advantage anywhere. There wee no law human or divine which required fct But that is peat. I have oo application before the board nsAUr. For sixteen yearn I have ' served the community the best I could in my humble capacity ! as a neighborly men end e lew 1 ehtdiag eftisru. 1 have tried to 1 reap ret the lew. In honor He 1 officers, end he every way to be * loyal to my tosra and people. 1 f believe the beard ef aldermen ef It km tiM of GflflCOoii hftwfi abused the trusts committed to them, and I have taken the only means in my power to call them to account. If unjust in my judgment of them 1 shall wel come the ascertainment of the troth. I would rather suffer wrong than do wrong; W. F. Marshall. leal Batata. Messrs. Poag and Groves have sold the Anderson Davis prop erty on Bast Franklin Avenue to Mr. Perry Dover, of Clover. The property consists of about 6 acres and the purchase price was $2450. Though the same firm the Clover Manufacturing Company purchased Mr. Dover’s home place at Clover consisting of store and dwelling and about four acres of laud for $3250. Mr. Dover will move to Gasto nia. Mainspring Of Life If* Im Can b* Strang with n Weak Stomach. J. B. Ken nedy 4 C*., Tall Baw It May ba Strengthened. Tbe stomach is the :n»io aprlng ol life. When it is strong sod sets perfectly, then tbe whole system Is right, as similation is perfect, and body sad brain sr* thoroughly nourished. One may perhaps get tem porary relict from stomach troubles by wring pepsin, or I | i | MAKING HOR8E8 INVISIBLE. MitW4a Tmv Wufut Balsa Caaild •*•* *7 Uanasn Couslsalaa. A modal military comiololon has baen sitting In Iterllu coustdorlug the bast means of i: -iking cavalry as Invis ible ss possible in warfare, says tbs Loudou Express. Harmonising the men's uniforms with us rural conditions sa nsneb as possible Is not enough, end the com mission bss bom discussing ibe artvls sblllty of dyeing tho bocsee or scrcon log them with light canvas trappings. At the British war office the other day It was sold that several expert meats bad boon made la Uiks direction daring the war In South A fries. One official said: 'Many horses were dyed, bat It was found that tbs dye toon wasbsd off all except gray horses. Severs! vegetable flyss and n diluted fluid were need, but the experiment* proved of little value. Canvas trap pings made the homes perspire and Impeded their movements, and bee Idee, when tbe sun la behind tbs cavalry the horses' tags esn bo seen through tbe nan ns. "Tbe best screen for cavalry aaod In South Africa was s combination of various hoatharilk* shrubs picked up on tbs veldt. Tbs** plants wore in many eusss strung opwmrd end down ward from tbe trappings and gnre tbe appearance, when cavalry were moving Slowly across tbe sky line, of waving regetetloa.” " *UMIru. Ai**rtr*a. Alcactraa. Whan jroo are about to wtr* ua T**J Jf****» dtttlod mattan Mrti*M And that all an aallalM. That aaeh Ratio*'* hoaaat nrlff. ■eatbad la and laid u nat^waic Oa« roo not. O Atawtraa. ' nr d^ruua °d » Utti* aaaaon'a W OaRtirJJtt M t* tea kalarr Tb4l 1*4 tot hte Htfl aa.uA ^afan M 1*4 »t»lv« ki* tatttaM. Sjj}?**' Wft *» woart ta tlr* aa— u2XS&BSJ?~ if la *ra aa . with bar laaanda. — "“laTTi?- £ “«*»• J* bar at) baa gtartaa «n *An tluut aaattr eutba bn Tb«* Ha arta at tan an taat. gftatha ft ^aptr. Ale.atraa »g»3s»er »SXna -ttew^rsru •acratarr left bt e laraat adatirwr of ipoehor Oaeuoa. nji tbe Waahleetoa •rr"£'«« “*• rWtatWpWe «*»•« hi* A^ToT fcBjrT*^ T'-* hM SrSr&sSjE •«""* A* aetatft w*r !«• 0UMH4, AWTnJSeSIid^aoStlty*** ^ • k*‘ tketT'aMoet T«tm bteeh met oil DerJa Rbatbr'a Waa bd* ateeti le trade far ■ You may not havethought of It, but now la a good time to buy Flour. We advise oor friends to stock up B on this staple. g OHB I We have lust received two and a half car loads | of Lily of the Valley, | Tellico, and 1 Cream of Wheat § Bone n lose you; q >eat, this M El B | HMamw
Gastonia Daily Gazette (Gastonia, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 23, 1906, edition 1
2
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