Carteret County News -Times
A HfWr of The Beaufort N?i (rat. 1911)
and Thp Twin Ctly Times (est. 1926)
EDITORIAL PAGE FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1951
Talking Stops, Board Acts
Ai last the county board of commissioners has taken the
bull by the horns and raised the valuation of county property.
The 10 per cent increase is on real estate only, not on per
sonal property. This is a move which should have been un
dertaken before now and it has come to pass only after in
vestigation was made on having reappraisal undertaken by
professional appraisers.
The cost of bringing property values closer to their true
worth was beyond the ability of the county to pay. An esti
mate from a Charlotte appraiser was $65,000. Perhaps that
would have been the "right way" to do It. but once the ap
praiser had gone, the county board would have had to strug
gle with the complaints.
Actually, the increase in valuation will mean only a nom
inal raise in taxes. A man paying $10 in taxes in 1950 will
pay $11 this year. A resident whose property was valued at
$800 in 1950 will have a property valuation this year of $880.
Instead of paying a tax of $14.40 he will pay $1.44 more or
$15.84.
During the depression the county board, realizing that peo
ple could not pay their taxes, cut valuation 33 1/3 per cent.
The present increase in valuation only partially restores that
cut.
One more thing should be done. The county board should
establish the rule that unpaid taxes covering a period of years
will not bring to the delinquent tax payer a tremendous dis
count if he comes before the board asking for a reduction.
That practice penalizes the man who pays his taxes on time
and offers a reward for negligence to the man who fails to
meet his debts.
If the county board would stick to the rule of "Pay what
you owe and that's final," then they would really deserve a
pat on the back.
Newport Says 'No!'
Newport town commissioners, in banning carnivals from
town, have strengthened our proposal that the county place
such a heavy tax on carnivals that they couldn't afford to
cross the county line.
Because the three municipalities. Beaufort, Morchead City,
and Newport prohibit the showing of carnivals within their
town limits, this unfortunately does not prevent shows from
locating right outside the towns where they continue to fleece
the people.
Whether the law will be beaten that way at Newport re
mains to be seen.
The spring carnival season is now opening. The carnivals
are beginning their trek north where they will play this sum
mer. A carnival is expected in Morehead City in a couple
weeks. One is at Jacksonville now. In the fall, carnivals
hit us on their way south, after covering the northern circuit.
The following paragraphs are quoted from an editorial which
appeared in THF, NEWS-TIMES Friday, Sept. 8. 1980:
"Organizations within a town which jponsor carnivals ot;
invite such shows into the rtrnimunitj) can not rltse ttem
selves above the filth and trash that are connected with the
carnival nor can they ever crush the seeds of crime a carnival
sows.
"At a carnival playing near New Bern this week a man was
stabbed in a fracas with a show girl. The same type of thing,
violence, can arise from disgruntled losers at the gaming
tables or roulette wheels . . .
"Carnivals breed crime, they challenge the supremity of the
law and should be taxed so heavily by Carteret COUNTY, nof
municipalities, that no carnival could afford to cross our
boundaries."
A Contest That Teaches
Every farm family in the county should avail themselves of
the opportunity to participate in the Better Farming for
Better Living contest. This event, sponsored annually by
Tide Water Power company and the county agriculture ex
tension service, is not merely a contest for the sake of win
ning prizes. Farmers and their wives, by taking part in the
contest, "learn by doing."
The Better Fanning for Better Living program is designed
to encourage farm families to obtain increased benefits from
farming through better farm management, to make proper
use of the land in attaining efficient production, to improve
living conditions through better home management, and to
make wiser use of income.
It is not too late to enter the contest. A meeting of present
and prospective contestants, will take place at 2:30 Tuesday
afternoon at the Scout building on Pollock street. At that
meeting those who have not yet obtained contest booklets
may request them.
The booklets are filled in during the course of the year
and then returned to the farm or home agent's office. In
the past, the awavds to winners have been given at the annual
eaunty Farm Bureau meeting.
Farmers receive the greatest benefit by taking part in this
program, but in the overall picture it spells progress and
better communities for all of us.
The motto of the United States of America is "E Pluribus
Ununv" Latin for "one out of many," meaning one govern
ment made of many states. Thomas Jefferson suggested the
motto because it contains 13 letters, significant of the 13
original states.
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
Carteret County's Ni
A M?rter of THE BEAUFORT NEWS (EM. 1912)
and THE TWIN CITY TIMES (Eat. 193$)
Published Tuesdays and Fridays By
THE CARTERET PUBLISHING COMPANY. INC.
[Lock wood Phillips ? Publishers ? Eleanore Dear Phillip*
Ruth Leckey Peeling, Executive Editor
Publishing Office At
*04 ArendeU St., Morebead City, N. C.
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Raleigh Roundup
BY JAMES POU BAILEY
MAY LENGTHEN SESSION . . .
Appointment last Friday of a sub
committee of 18 men representing
both houses in the Legislature to
study a/ul make recommendations
on the amount of money which
North Carolina will spend during
the next two years was done to
shorten the session.
The rule has been for the Joint
Appropriations Committee to go
into executive session alter ap
propriation requests have been
heard. This has required a great
deal of time, what with approx
imately 85 men talking, studying,
arguing and sometimes just shoot
ing the bull on favorite programs.
The new approach should
nve time if the full conrniittec'witiU
accept the sub-committee's retoinH
mendations. However, if it insists
on doing its usual amount of
bickering, then the sub-committee
move will not shorten the session
but will lengthen it. In other
words, deliberation by 18 men
will not require as much time ? un
less the full committee insists on
deliberating on deliberations pre
sented t? it.
LONG BATTLE ... A money mat
ter laden with political dynamite
has finally reached the front pages.
For years now businessmen
throughout North Carolina have
been wondering why they frequent
ly have to sacrifice from a few
cents td a few dollars on checks in
order to get them cashed.
If a mill in Hickory, {or instance,
receives for goods a check for
$50,000 written on a non-par bank,
it costs the mil] $62.50 to get the
check cashed. The local bank does
not receive the money, but the
non-par bank does. If you re
ceive any check written on what is
known as a non-par bank, then
jt costs you to get it cashed unless
you go directly to the non-par
bank and- get your money. Gurney
P. Hood, State Banking Commis
sioner, is of the opinion that this
exchange fee system ? or non-par
clearance charge ? costs North
Carolina people upwards of *2,
000,000 per year.
There are 16,568 par banks in
the United States. There are 2,141
non-par banks. North Carolina has
2*0, or better than one-tenth of
all the non-par banks in the nation.
Some non-par banks in the State
are getting tired of the bookkeep
ing. bad public relations, and gen
eral messiness of the exchange fee
system and are going par. A bill
which would put all banks in North
Carolina on a par basis was de
feated in the legislature last week.
Although there are a number of
small banks now on a par basis ?
Moycock in Currituck county, for
instance? many of them say they
can't get along without the ex
change fees. All the par banks
want the non-par banks to cone
along and join their ranks. They
maintain that the non-par basks
can do all right without the fee
system if they will gat out and
promote their banks, lend more
money, work more enthusiastically
with their customers, and stop da
pending on exchange feea to car
ry them.
This Legislature is apparently
very much opposed to making non
par banks bring to an end the
exchange fee system. Nevertheless,
the whole argument has political
overtones with big money involved
and you will hear mora about it as
time goes by. The current battle
U merely a tempest in a teapot
TOE AND AGAINST ... In 1048
during the heat at the Kerr Scott
-Charles Johnaon campaign for
Governor, some friends of Scott *?
proachcd Gov. R. Gregg Cherry
asking him il there was anything
he could do for Scott.
Cherry knew he was unpopular
with a large segment of the pop
ulation. He told them he could
probably help Scott more by mak
ing a speech for Johnson. Rumor
had it that he was not for John
son and was on the verge of com
ing out for him. The Scott people
were not so sure of Cherry's un
popularity. They were uncertain.
The Johnson followers felt the
same way. So Cherry stayed out
of the picture.
Gov. Scott is refusing to comment
pn pet legislation. He feels that
Joy do, -so would hurt it. If the
pepitrVugtinues. you may find the
??ov#n^ making a public state
ment in favor of something he
really doesn't want in order to as
sure its being killed by the Gen
eral Assembly. That's the way he
feels now; and yet the Legislature
is looking kindheartedly on his
toll turnpike superhighway. It
looks as if the Legislature is willing
to go along with Scott on every
thing except higher taxes.
CONGRESSIONAL TALK . . .There
are two or three members of the
Legislature who may not be here
next time because of an interest in
going to Washington. Alonzo Ed
wards of Greene County, Julian
Allsbrook of Roanoke Rapids and
L. H. Fountain of Tarboro are con
sidered as likely candidates for
John Kerr's s?at in Congress.
Roy Taylor of Black Mountain,
Zebulon Weaver, jr., of Asheville
and R. Lee Whitmire of Hender
sonville may be among those run
ning for the seat vacated by Mon
roe Redden.
Congressman Hamilton Jones of
Charlotte is expected to have oppo
sition from one or more members
of the Legislature. The talk in
Charlotte is that Robert Lassiter,
jr., is being groomed for Gov
ernor sometime, but he may get
sidetracked by Congressional aspir
ations.
State Senator Hugh Morton of
WUliamston is mentioned quite
frequently as an opponent for Con
gressman Herbert Bonner.
BIG CHANGE ... Is is still too
early to say definitely, but signs
point to a big turnover in our Con
gressional delegation through res
ignitions and otherwise next year.
Redden has already said he is quit
ting after this term. Congressman
Harold D. Cooley may have formi
dable opposition. Congressmen
John Kerr and Bob Doughton are
likely to drop out at any time.
These possibilities, with those list
ed above, present a potential turn
over greater than we have had in
Washington in many years.
WAGE-HOUR CHANGE . . . Leg
islative sub-committee sometimes
deal harshly with bills turned over
to them for consideration and rec
ommendation. This is their priv
ilege; and the full committee can
accept the alteration' or kick it
out the window.
About a month ago the wage
hour bill cam* before the House
Manufacturers and Labor Commit
tee. There was a great deal said
for and against the bill, which
would put female laborers in North
Carolina on a 75 cents an hour wage
40 hours week, and time-and-a
half (or over time.
The sub - committee came out
Friday with its substitute MIL The
new measure says that no employer
shall employ any male person
under 18 of any female parson n
| Hollywood |
By GENE HANDSAKER
Hollywood? "Father's Little Div
idend," a sequel to "Father of the
Bride," is like most sequels. It
has its merry moments, but on the
whole it isn't as good as the origin
al.
"Father of the Bride" was a hil
arious examination of dad's woes
before, during and after his daugh
ter's fashionable wedding. Stun
ned by his child's casual disclos
ure of marriage plans, appalled by
the man she has picked, and be
deviled by bills, caterers, a wedding
nightmare, and a tumultuous re
ception, Spencer Tracy acted his
way to an Academy-award nomin
ation.
"Dividend" opens a year later
witlr Jersey's daughter, Elizabeth
Taylor, expecting a baby. The pic
ture is built largely around Tracy's
antagonism toward the idea of be
coming a grandfather. For six
months be is cool toward the infant
becauie soon after its birth, in their
first meeting, the baby screamed
violently at him. In real life, aren't
grandparents usually more indul
gent toward offspring than even
the parents are?
A quarrel between Miss Taylor
and her husband (Don Taylor) is
tiresome. A mad dash through
heavy traffic by Tracy and his
wife (Joan Bennett), to the hos
pital where their expectant daugh
ter has gone, is reminiscent of the
Keystone Cops. And when they
get there, of course, Liz has had
only false labor pains.
The sequel tries to copy many
of the original charms ? Tracy
soliloquizing on his troubles, while
tying his shoe, at the picture's start
? His unhappy reaction ? believ
able in the first picture, when his
daughter was getting married;
questionable now, when she's hav
ing a baby ? His wife's unbounded
delight in both circu6tances ?
The French doors in the Tracy
home still stick. But the second
time around, these touches don't
seem as fresh.
A few lines of dialogue are en
tertaining too, as when Tracy de
fines a gift shower given by friends
of an expectant mother: "One
form of highway robbery not pun
ishable by law."
hours per week. No employer shall
employ a female person at a rate
of compensation of less than .75
cents per hour for all hours worked
over and beyond 48 hours per
week.
Difference between the new bill
and the old one is tremendous. De
spite the change, observers are
strongly of the opinion the sub
stitute bill may be killed by the
full House committee or by the
Labor Committee in the Senate.
NOT PRESENT ... A speeding
case scheduled to be heard here
this week will not come up for
trial. Last June 9 a Wake county
youth was arrested in Wendell for
speeding. He was convicted in
Wendell Recorders Court/but took
an appeal. The same driver was
convicted in Raleigh City Court on
July IS, 1950, and Is Wendell Re
corders Court On February 2, 1951
for reckless and careless driving.
The defendant in these eases
was Harold Hay Hinton of Zebulon,
who last week carried six other
persons to death with him wbea his
new Ford speeding at a rate ol
9# miles an hour plowed Into t
truck between Wendell and Zebu
lon. A driver's license revocation
notion was in the mail to HintM
when the tragedy occurred.
HENRY BELL PICKETT
Meet Your News-Times Carrier Boy
CAMERA NEWS ?
< BY IRVING DESFOB ,
IT 18 CONTINUALLY AMAZING to hear of the specialized uses to
which photography is adapted in peace and war. After studying some
of the new cameras and methods, it is refreshing to return to the nice,
simple routine of normal amateur picture taking.
For instance, out in Chicago, Dr. George Peabody takes pictures on
35 mm film of the movements of the eyes in order to analyze reading
habits. The camera device is called an Opthalmograph and is in use
at the Foundation for Better Reading. It ingeniously places and holds
the head in a set position so that only the eyes moves as it follows a
paragraph of print.
Each time the eyes go back to reread a word or pick up an idea a
pattern is recorded on the film. A fast reader shows a uniform pat
tern of step-like lines. Slower readers, or those with less ability to
focus on reading matter, show uneven patterns.
By studying the 35 mm films, an analysis is made of the reader's
ability and a course of study is outlined to correct any defects.
ANOTHER EYE CAMERA has been developed by the Bausch & Lomb
Optical Co., in Rochester, N. Y., which takes color or black-and-white
photographs of the interior of the eye. These pictures are of diagnostic
aid in revealing certain systemic diseases even before clinical symptoms
THE FILM AND EYE ? This machine is an Opthalmograph. It photo
graphs eye movements in reading. Here Dr. George Peabody tests
June Myer for eye rhythm.
appear. They aid in revealing the extent of glaucoma which causes
12 per cent of all. blindness.
Photographs taken with this retinal camera may be enlarged many
times for close scrutiny, or projected on a screen for study by surg
eons before or after operations, or used as a visual aid for teaching
medical and optometric students.
ON THE WAR FRONT, the Air Force has a new aerial camera hold
ing 400 feet of film, or enough to map 7,000 square miles in three di
mensions when taken from a height of 20,000 feet.
This 85 lb. earner^ is aclled the most up-to-date in the world by its
makers, the Fairchild Camera Corp., and is undergoing tests at the
D.ivton, Ohio, air base. It records the altitude and time on each pic
ture taken, giving photo analysts precise information to enable them
to compute the heights of mountains and general contour of the earth
when viewed with stereoscopic glasses.
I guess science and its progress have left me far behind. I still have
to write out in labored longhand that Phyllis was 3 years, 2 months old
when I took her picture last Sunday. I never did measure her height.
PHOTO PRIMER ? Composition: better pictures will result from at
tention to a few elementary rules.
(1) Concentrate on a single center of interest. If there is more than
one feature in a picture, let one predominate, otherwise attention must
be divided and the picture weakened.
(2) The center of interest should never be in the center of the pic
ture space, nor should a horizon line cut across there. There's more
interest off center.
(3) You achieve a feeling of motion and dynamic interest with
diagonal lines.
(4) . Framing the picture by taking advantage of tree branches, arch
ways, etc., adds a third dimensional look.
Henry Bell Pickett, jr., is the
12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Pickett, Morehead City. He's
in thfe 6th grade at W. S. King
school, Mrs. Williams, teacher.
Henry has been carrying THE
NEWS-TIMES for a year in the
area of town west of 12th street
and north of Fisher street. He
uses his earnings for spending
money.
At school he's a member of the
Junior Safety Patrol and he at
tends the First Baptist church, the
Rev. Mr. Hall, pastor. His custom
ers receive their paper, via Henry
and his bike, early every Tuesday
and Friday morning.
COVERING
THE WATERFRONT
By AYCOCK BROWN
Swanquarter, N. C. ? Tommy K?
the highly educated Chesapeake
Retreiver which spent most of its
life at the Swindell farm a few
miles from this Hyde County cap
ital, when not bringing in geese
and ducks killed by hunters at
nearby Lake Mattamuskeet, is
dead.
He died almost simultaneously
with the publication of a Water
front column which listed briefly
his brilliant career from puppy
hood in a Park Avenue apartment.
The day I came over to Hyde from
Manteo to get material for the
column old Tommy K was mighty
feeble. He posed wearily for pic
tures. His 12 years on earth was
the equivalent of just about 100
years for a human being.
The story I did about Tommy K
was also printed is Victor Meek
ins' coastal newspapers. On his
return to Manteo after deliver
ing the Hyde Record that featured
the famous Chesapeake, Meekins
saw me on the the street.
"Know what happened?" he
asked. "That dog died just about
the same time we were going to
press with the story."
Because Tommy K was such an
outstanding dog, the Swindells at
their children's request buried him
in the front yard of their large
country homeplace. They even
erected a tombstone to the dog that
had its own blind in Lake Matta
muskeet, would retrieve ducks and
geese and place them in separate
piles in the blind, and on gray days (
when his eyes showed white to
wildfowl flocks flying closa over
(Continued on page 7) \
BOARD MEETING SIDELIGHTS
Government Isn't ALL Trouble
The Croatan Frozen Food com-,
pany, or what's left of it, is not
only situated on the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad right-of
way, it's also in the middle of
Arendell street.
These facts were forcibly laid
before the county board at their
February and March meetings in
order to obtain the desired reduc
tion in valuation. R. R. Barbour,
owner of the plant, waa represent
ed by Claud- Wheatly, attorney.
The town of Morehead City never
had a right to give a deed for the
Croatan Frozen Food property,
commented the chairman of the
board, Dr. K. P. B. Bonner, at Mon
day's county commissioners' meet
ing. (That goes for all the other
property situated east of the Cro
atan plant, too).
The frozen food plant was de
stroyed by fire in March 1950.
Just recently Barbour collected
more than $80,000 insurance aa a
result of the disaster. The attor
ney proposed to the board that
taxes for 1950 be paid on the val
uation of $22,500 for January, Feb
ruary and March of 1950, and that
the valuation be $5,000 for the re
mainder of the year and $5,000 for
1951.
The board was reluctant to agree
to that proposal at first. It wax
suggested that * realtor give an
estimate on bow much the proper
ty would bring at sale. The com
mute appointed at the February
meeting to appraise the building.
Commissioners Mose Howard and
Hngh Salter, and Auditor Jamea
Potter, claimed that they were not
expert appraisers . .. .
Than Wheatly turned on the
heat. Ha went into the argunwnta I
about the buildings being ?B other
people s property. "H you'd try
to tell the place, 1 know it wo?M
n't bring $2,000. Anyone would be
lucky if they even got that."
"Keep on, keep on," laughed Dr.
Bonner, "you'll have the county
owing you money!"
The laughter that followed sim
mered down finally to Wheatly and
Barbour winning their point.
Most people are sitting back now
waiting to see what the Croatan
Frozen Food plant will bring if
or when it is put up for sale. . .
Commissioner Walter Yeomans
was quite talkative. He seconded
motions three times.
In talking about giving a beer
permit to Milford Mann at New
port, Mose Howard solemnly named
the places selling beer in Newport,
besides the liquor store. Not
cracking a smile, he added, "You
can get drunk there, if you want
to."
It's very unlikely that the county
board will approve the roads in the
A. L. Pearson subdivision, Broad
Creek, for construction by the
state. Commissioners are of the
opinion that it's a private develop
ment like Mansfield park or any
other private enterprise and it's
up to the owner to build his own
roads.
At the Beaufort town board
?eating Monday Bight. Jias
Rumley was being taken tar a
rMe. Everybody said they hurt
ha was going to ma for mayor.
All Jim's denial* broagkt aoth
iag hat more chuckles.
The board was quit* impressed
with the town clerk's report that
people are flooding Oie town hall
to pay back taxes. This la the re
suit of a complete honM rlnniag
and effort to get the tu records
la shape and collect thousands ?t
dollars in taxes which have ac
cumulated over the years.
Even a couple commissioners
have received bills (or back taxes ?
Will Arrington wise cracks: "H i
Jim R u m 1 e y and Joe Barbour
would pay their back taxes the :
town would be out of debt."
J. O. owed a couple dollars and '
somebody signed the abstract in the
tax book (or him while he was
not living in the county several
years back. He says he doesn't
mind paying the taxes even though
he didn't know he owed them, but
he sure d?ei hate to pay the pen
alties.
Ta get the meeting under way
Mayor Hasaell told the commis
siaswrs that he waa like the
darky who waa given a draft
questionnaire to fill out. The
hay just toned It aver on the
back and wrote: "I'ae ready
when yau arc."
* j
Hoping that extension of the .
town limits will become a reality >
the board discussed the necessity
of sending somebody to Wash
ington to get the census figure
corrected before it gets into of
ficial records, then into World
Almanacs, and all sorts of refer
ence books and encyclopedias.
Brack Adair, who vfts there as
a planning board member, told J.
0. it was time (or him to make
one of his famous motions (or $S
expenses to send Dan Walker to
Washington. ?
"Yes," remarked Dave Merrill,
"give him (5 and let him spend all
of it."
Graham (I'd rathar-adjourn-than
do-anything) Duncan, made tha
motion to adjourn at t:30.
..