Carteret County News -Times
"Carteret County*! Newspaper"
EDITORIAL PAGE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1951
Profit in Nature
On i recent trip north wc noted arrangements of sea oats
and other dry grasses on a mantle. Commenting on the
abundance ot sea oats on this coast, we were informed that
fach spray of oats in the arrangements cost 7 cents a piece!
Although that was the retail price, the price paid to the
person who first sold the sea oats to the jobber was at least
aeveral cents. This comes closer to money "just growing"
(ban anything we have come across in a long time.
I Perhaps enterprising individuals or chambers of commerce
Miave already investigated the possibility of marketing sea oats
PVnd found obstacles that would make it impractical. If sea
oats, sufficient to supply New York and other northern mar
kets grow in quantities close to'New York, it is only logical
that the closer source would be utilized. Cost of shipment
would be less. However, upon investigation it may be found
that there are factors which would make our sea oats more
desirable . . .
Wind-molded cedar and driftwood are used extensively in
Window decorations. Such can be had here for the gathering
U proper channels were found to market it.
With the coming of Christmas our mistletoe, longleaf pine,
holly, and pine cones take on commercial value. But who has
petn enterprising enough to take advantage of that? Certainly
ro local residents. The more money-mined of our northern
countrymen may make sorties into this area prior to Christ
mas, but we're so close to what they're after, we can't sec
the trees for the forest.
Several years ago THE NEWS-TIMES received a letter
from Canada wherein the writer requested that large pine
tones from this section be collected and shipped to him for
use in making Christmas decorations. He stated that the cones
(rom the longleaf pine were greatly in demand and that he
would, of course, pay the cone collectors.
We published the letter in the paper in hopes that someone
laterested in making a bit of extra money would contact the
Canadian. We never learned whether our attempt to encour
age a "new business" bore fruit. Somehow we doubt it.
Establishing something new always requires initiative and
an inexhaustible amount of energy. That's why trail-blazers
are much-to-be-admired individuals.
Everybody in the county talks about "bringing in industry."
Bome enterprising industry shown by those of us already here
U likely to pay off, too!
long Live the Symphony
North Carolina, with its state-supported symphony orches
tra, is a pioneer in the nation's music realm. Organized in
IB39 by Dr. Benjamin Swalin, its conductor. it has gained
(?me in bringing to the people of this state fine music.
Once a year the people of this county arc given an oppor
tunity to hear the symphony and it would indeed be a thrill
this year to have the full symphony of 65 musicians. In the
?t, pre-concert memberships sales have made it possible to
e only the Little Symphony.
Frequently, on the night of the concert, however, more
'people decide to go, and if they had only bought their tickcts
early, they and all the others would have been able to hear a
program by the entire orchestra.
The Junior Woman's clubs of Beaufort and Morehead City,
?which annually conduct the membership campaign, have set
their sights on a 1,000 membership. The total population of
Seaufort and Morehead City exceeds 8,000. In that number
Mom there should be one thousand persons interested in bet
tering our cultural advantages and from the purely selfish
|ftandpoint, wanting fine entertainment.
The county population of 23,059 presents an even larger
Source of potential symphony members. Surely among all our
Meats there should be 1,000 persons wanting to hear the
?full state orchestra.
On March 8, 1943 Senate bill No. 248 passed, officially
(putting the North Carolina symphony orchestra under patron
Of the state. Its annual appropriation now is $15,000, "yet
|the budget of any major symphony exceeds $100,000. The
[orth Carolina symphony is better than 60 per cent self-sup
(porting but like all business groups, requires financial re
rves ? and those financial reserves are built up largely
(through symphony membership.
Money is needed for maintenance of the symphony office
(supplies, equipment, telephone, postage, printing, advertising,
(secretarial service), promotional service, and the music li
iry. Then, of course, funds arc needed for the symphony
mrs, expensive propositions in themselves.
Two dollars per person is little enough to pay for main
lining a major aspect of musical life' in North Carolina.
[the Pilgrims and Their Ship
I Most of us mentally connect the Pilgrims with November
id Thanksgiving, but as most school children know, it was in
^December that the Pilgrims made their famous landing on the
' tlafttic coast, supposedly at Plymouth rock (several New
land towns vigorously argue as to the alleged landing
>int).
Aad according' to history, the Pilgrims made their voyage
!o the new world in the "Mayflower," a vessel which would
ive surely sunk two yards from t^e dock in England if all
claims, "My ancestors came over on the Mayflower,"
valid.
As the result of extensive research by many patriotic or
nixations in this country, it has been established that the
|tull of the "Mayflower" is now being used as a barn on a
'arm in Ireland. Government agencies have investigated this
Keport, also, and verify the fact that the hull of the historic
yid ship is turned upside down, and doors are cut in its side,
ius converting it into an Erin barn.
Begorra, they must have been stout timbers to have lasted
Pthese 331 years!
The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do,*
iomething to love, and something to hope for.
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
Carteret County's Newspaper
A Merger of THE BEAUFORT NEWS (Est. 1912)
and THE TWIN CITY TIMES (Est. 1936)
Published Tuesdays and Fridays By
THE CARTERET PUBLISHING COMPANY. INC.
Lockwood Phillips ? Publishers ? Eleanore Dear Phillips
Buth Leckey Peeling, Editor
Publishing Office At
504 Arendell St., Morehead City, N. C.
Mall Rates: In Carteret County, $6.00 one year. S3. 50 six month*.
$1.25 one month; elsewhere $7.00 one year. $4.00 six months.
$1.50 one month.
Member Of
Associated Press ? Greater Weeklies ? N. C. Press Association
Audit Bureau ot Circulation*
The Associated Press Is entitled exclusively to use fqr repub
lication of local news printed In thla newspaper, aa well as all
AP news dispatches.
Entered as Second Clans Matter at Morehead City, N. C.
Under Act of March 3. 1879. k
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICKET LINE
I ? THEY MAKE NEWS
I STAMPS
By Syd Kronish
To commcmoratc its entry into
the United Nations, Indonesia has
issued a six value set of stamps.
Each stamp bears the same design
?a dove joining a group of doves
in flight. It is supposed to symbo
lize Indonesia joining with other
nations in pursuit of peace. The
letters UNO appear at the top
rijjht. The 7Mt c is green, 10 e pur
ple, 20 c red, 35 c blue, 30 c pink
and 1 rupiah brown.
The annual welfare set of the
Saar has arrived on the philatelic
scene. This year's set of semi-pos
tals contains five stamps and de
picts famous paintings. The values
are 12 franc plus 3 green. 15 fr.
plus 5 violet, 18 fr. plus 7 red
brown, 30 fr. plus 10 blue, 50 fr.
plus 20 brown.
To commemorate the 50th anni
versary of the flight of Alberto
Santos- - Dumont
from St. Cloud
around the Eiffel
Tower, Brazil has
issued two new
stamps. Santos-)]
Dumont (1873-j,
1932) was a Bra-';
zilian who lived
in France. He
built and flew a|
cylindrical bal
loon that made
the historical flight. The 60 c
orange and brown regular shows
young boys with model airplanes.
A likeness of the flier is in the
background. The 3.80 cr purple
grey airmail illustrates the Eiffel
Tower with the Santos-Dumont air
craft making the flight.
Liechtenstein has isued two new
stamps, reports Stamps magazine.
The 2 franc blue shows a profile
portrait of the Prince of Liechten
stein and the 3 fr red brown illus
trates a profile portrait of the Prin
cess of Liechtenstein. The stamps
were printed by the State Printing
Office of Austria in Vienna.
Italy has issued two new stamps
1 to mark the 9th national census as
wen as us oni_
commercial ccn ;
sus, reports the
New York Stamp
Co. The 10 lire
green illustrate
the head of Mer-I
cury against
industrial whe
The 25 lire
shows a trie:
wnicn portrays census-taxing in
ancient Rome. Both stamps were
also overprinted AMG-FTT for use
in the Free Territory of Trieste.
This overprinting situation of Ital
ian stamp* for Trieite is becoming
practically an habitual occurrence.
French Equatorial Africa will is
sue two stamps to commemorate
the birth of Pierre Savorgan de
Brazza (1852-1905) who secured
from France large tracts of land
in the Congo in 1878. He also es
tablished many outposts there and
was later appoirfled governor of
the dependency ia 1886.
ON THE HOUSE
BY DAVID G. BAREUTHER
Changes in everyday living ? along with new inventions and economic
forces- are reflected directly in houses.
If changes in house styles could be forecast accurately, you could
build a house that would be 20 to 30 years ahead of its time. You'd
have the problem of obsolescence licked. The house would be such a
good investment a mortgage might pay you to build it. But so far no
one has been able to achieve this, because style change in architecture
is a most complicated process.
It comes about very gradually and subtly. Few people want to risk
their life savings on a fad, folly or freak, to which they'll be tied for
the rest of their days. This makes the average home owner conservative
? the mortgage lender even more conservative.
The habit runs deep. To the person who grew up in New England
environment, where the most beautiful homes were colonial landmarks,
the classical house stands for success, security and gracious living.
Yet powerful forces are at work. Glass that was a luxury when
classical architecture evolved, is now economical in large sheets, ami
when sealed in doubled form, it makes walls of windows entirely prac
ticable. Great sheets of plywood, pre cast plaster, lightweight corierete
and other new materials make new building methods possible. Radiant
heat can eliminate the basement and more efficient heating and insula
tion make all rooms on one floor a comfortable arrangement.
The kitchen has been lifted from scullery to living room status by
dishwashers, garbage disposers, food freezers and the long line of sleek
electrical equipment.
High building costs compel houses to be planned more compactly.
Even the emancipation of women and the spreading popularity of ath
letics and outdoor activities mark the house.
The result is that designs radically different from what many people
think a house should look like, are now glorified in magazines. With
flat roofs, shed roofs, butterfly roofs that sag in the middle, glamorous
walls of glass and colorful spacious living rooms, these houses capture
the imagination. Young people especially are enthusiastic about them.
Such houses are being built in every state. They are becoming most
familiar along the Pacific coast. Blending of indoor-outdoor living is a
major feature. Locations with spectacular vistas lend themselves to ex
ploitation with window walls. Smaller plots lacking natural views find
living rooms placed on the rear where a view can be created by land
scaping.
"One thing is certain," observes Mary Davis Gillies in McCall's Book
of Modern Houses (Simon & Schuster, $5), "a great style is in the pro
cess of formation."
Just off the press, this book presents 29 modern houses and their
plans. Striking design ideas are shown in 130 photographs, 100 of which
are in color. Radical departures from tradition and courageous experi
ments in functional planning distinguish these homes.
However, they are examples, rather than related components of a
crystalized style. Mrs. Gillies points out that modern "does not refer
to a style with as specific characteristics as a Cape Cod or Georgian
house." She uses the word to describe "a house built in the 20th century
and one that reflects the life and spirit of the present time."
Some of the plans are inconsistent, not compact, not efficient. Bed
rooms may be strung railroad style down a long hall. Some perimeters
obviously involve expensive foundation work. But personal preferences
arc apparent. For example, one family built a 14 x 20-foot dining-play
room with fireplace ad joining ? the kitchcn, while keeping the living (
room, without fireplace, 12% x 13 feet, like a small old-fashioned parlor.'
Expense of building and virtual impossibility of financing are ad
mitted by the author. In a comprehensive "Primer for Modern Houses,"
appended to this symposium, Mrs. Gillies weighs the factors involved.
She sees progressive builders in all sections of the country watching
and considering the modern house.
"In its name," she predicts, "good houses of classical permanence
will be built, as well as poor houses which will embarrass builders and
owners."
In The Good Old Days
THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO
New county commissioners were
Charles S. Wallace, Warden Lewis,
John Gillikin, W. F. Taylor and
Joseph E. Pigott. Charles S. Wal
lace was elected chairman of the
board and James R. Morris was
sworn in as register of deeds and
clerk to the board.
Hugh Hill, who had been serving
at Camp Gordon, had been dis
charged from service and returned
home.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Duncan and Willis were adver
tising men's shoes at $3 a pair,
shirts from 98 cents to *1.98 and
suita with two pairs of pants for
*19.75.
Miss Clyde Neal of Beaufort and
Thomas Edwin Kelly of Charlotte
were married on Saturday, the 27th
of November, at the home of the
bride's parents.
TEN YEARS AGO
George Starr of Goldsboro bad
arrived to take over the duties of
sanitary officer for the county
health department.
Prompt action an the part of the
Beaufort and Morehead City fire
departments saved the Morehead
Villa from complete destruction
after the east wing of the building
caught lire.
FIVE YEARS AGO
Murray Thomas, who had tender
ed his resignation as town clerk,
effective Jan. 31, was asked to stay
in office until June 30.
Dr. K. P. B. .Bonner was re-elect
ed chairman of the board of county
commissioners and C. Z. Chappell
vice-chairman. Other commission
ers were Tilden Davis, W. G. Sty
ron and L. W. Pellatier.
Crime in America
By ESTES KEFAUVER
United States Senator
Fifteen of a Series
California: Where Lobbyists
Grow Big and Mobsters Thrive
Crime and corruption in Cali
fornia had a special flavor? exotic
overripe and a little sickening.
The rackets, like the state itself
were big and colorful.
For years, parts of California
literally have been infested with
every conceivable kind of gambling
racket. The "take" runs into the
millions.
One big gambling racket broken
up in Los Angeles after the Cali
fornia Crime commission went into
business was the so-called Guaran
tee Finance co., which posed as a
legitimate loan agency while front
ing for a $6,000,000 bookmaking
combine. Its records disclosed
payments totaling $108,000 for
"juice," the California gamblers
euphemism (in Florida, it's "ice")
for "protection" money.
The Los Angeles city police de
partment was headed by a deter
mined officer. Chief William H.
Parker. Our committee, however,
was not impressed by the Los An
geles county sheriff's office.
Guarantee Finance co. shrewdly
had set up its headquarters in a
particular political "island" known
as "Sunset Strip" inside Los An
Rcles proper. This was county ter
ritory and. accordingly, not sub
ject to the tougher Los Angeles
police.
One of Chief Parker's aggressive
officers, Lt. James Fiskc, finally
became so incensed by the sheriff's
inactivity that he entered Sunset
Strip and camc down through a
skylight into the huge telephone
room of the bookmaking operation.
Out of his jurisdiction, he was
unable to make any arrests, but he
did tear up all the bookies' mar
kers so they were at a loss as to
how to settle their bets for that
day. As a result, Lieutenant Fiskc
said, a stern letter was received
from A1 Guasti, then a captain in
the sheriff's office, demanding that
city police stay out of county ter
ritory.
A county grand jury was prob
ing payoffs to law enforcement of
ficers by Guarantee Finance. The
grand jury foreman and four coun
ty officials met in secret to plan
the inquiry. The only other per
sons let in on the plans were two
process servers who were to serve
subpoenas. The very next day
someone "leaked" the plans to
Sammy Rummel, lawyer for gang
ster#, and reputedly the brains be
hind the mobster, Mickey Cohen.
A series of incredible events fol
lowed. First, Rummel arranged a
rendezvous with Captain Guasti.
Guasti, in turn, arranged for the
"mouthpiecc" to meet that night
with Captain Carl Pearson and Sgt
Lawrence Shaffer, of the sheriff's
vice squad. At this meeting, Guas
ti said. Sergeant Shaffer actually
exhibited to Rummel the sheriff's
confidential files dealing with the
Guarantee case. Next morning
Rummel was found dead? killed in
his yard by a close-range shot
gun blast.
Police Chief Parker, who has
made life, miserable for Mickey
Cohen in recent years, told us that
he does not go along with the ru
mor that the little ex-pug is now
a second-rater.
Mickey, gambler and bookmaker,
extortionist and all-round racke
teer, is still decidedly important.
His "business interests" invade
many spheres, including prostitu
tion, Chief Parker said.
Cohen, a Simian-like figure, with
thinning hair and spreading
paunch, appeared before us in a
suitcoat of exaggerated length, ex
cessively shoulder-padded, and a
hat with a ludicrously broad brim.
Apart from police embarrassment,
Mickey's troubles? at least five at
tempts to assassinate him? have
been due to his falling out with the
Sicilian-controlled Mafia element
on the west coast.
"I have never been a strong-arm
man for nobody," Mickey howled
at us. almost hysterically. "I have
never bulldozed anybody In my
life." His testimony contradicted
this. There was the time that one
Max Shaman entered Mickey's
"Paint Shop" (Mickey always
seemed to have either a paint shop,
a jewelry store or a haberdashery
some investigators are unkind
enough to believe that he used
them as fronts for bookmaking.)
Mickey had had a fiat fight with
Shaman's brother, and Shaman
"came in with his gun." Mickey
pull*d his own out of the desk,
killed Shaman first and was ac
quitted on his plea of self defense
There was at least one other ar
rest on suspicion of murder, and
an assortment of beatings which
Cohen admitted he bad administer
ed to various characters.
Mickey painted us a lugubrious
picture of his financial condition.
All the money he had in the world
was in his pocket, he said. Check
ing his roll, Mickey sadly told us
it came to only ?286 However, in
your years, Cohen had "borrowed"
approximately ?300,000. he said,
from various sources. Most re
markable of all his loans was the
*33,000 he said he had borrowed
from the president (no longer
"Mr*) of a Hollywood bank, with
out giving a note er paying any
interest.
"What do you do lor them," I
inquired, "that makes them so gen
erous with you?" Cohen replied:
"I can't answer that; they must
just like me."
Our committee had uncovered
some interesting facts on Mickey's
method of reporting income to the
government. These interested the
Internal Revenue Bureau, too, and
after our final hearings, Cohen and
his blonde wife. Lavonne, were in
dicted for alleged income tax
evasion over a period of three
years. Instead of paying taxes on
approximately $318,500 income,
they reported and paid on only
$87,500, the government contends.
(Cohen was found guilty and sen
tenced to 5 years in prison).
The piece de resistance of our
west coast investigation was the
appearance of Arthur H. Samish,
the portly million-dollar beer lob
byist. Californians have had
snatches of his squalid story be
fore, but never in quite such de
tail direct from the lips of the
master string puller himself.
Samish stands over 6 feet, 2
inches and must weigh better than
300 pounds. He is bald with a
monk's tonsure of grey fringe, and
a face of bland innocencc. He ges
ticulates freely in the grand style,
stabbing the air with his horn
rimmed glasses or fiddling with his
watch chain, a heavy affair of white
gold or platinum, made up of large
links which form and repeat his
initials ? A.H.S. He speaks mag
niloquently. "I am here to co
operate." he would boom at us.
We kept hearing of connections
involving him and Mickey Cohen,
and Samish admitted he regularly
took the baths at Hot Springs. Ark.,
a gangster-favored resort. There
on his last trip, he met the east
coast gangster, Joe Adonis, and put
in a long distance call to Gambler
Dandy Phil Kastel. who looks after
Frank Costello's interests in New
Orleans.
From his 1949 tax return, we
knew Samish's gross reported in
come had been $143,697. Of this
income, $90,999.94 represented fees
from his "public relations" clients.
The principal contributor was the
California State Brewers' institute,
which provided a modest $30,000
in salary and expenses, plus control
of a $153,000 a year slush fund.
A 1938 report from Howard R.
Philbrick, investigator for a Cali
fornia legislative committee, had
charged: "The principal source of
corruption in the legislature has
been money pressure . . . The prin
cipal offender among the lobbyists
has been Arthur H. Samish . . ."
It was the Philbrick report which
credited to Samish the famous dec
laration that he was "the governor
of the legislature" ? and "to hell
with the governor of the state."
The State Brewers' institute, a
non-profit organization, has a spe
cial so-called "5-cent fund." For
cverV barrel of beer produced, the
brewers paid 5 cents into a fund
which Samish spent as he saw fit.
Into the 5-cent "Samish fund,"
over a period of six years, $353,
943.19 has flowed. All but $43,
913.29 of the $935,000 has been
spent by sole and exclusive direc
tion of Samish. Some of it, he ad
mitted, went to pay his own per
sonal hotel expenses when he was
presumably engaged in business for
the institute. He didn't mention
this in his tax returns.
The fireworks began after our
investigator had gone over the
books and records which Samish
had turned over with flourishes. It
developed that Samish's personal
records and books were in under
standable shape, but there were no
records concerning the "Samish
fund" of nearly $1,000,000.
We asked him what happened to
canceled checks and stubs written
on this fund. He said he throws
them in the wastebasket
Finally, he relinquished to us a
typewritten "analysis." It wasn't
much of an "analysis," it merely
showed that most of the big checks
?from $10,000 to $40,000? were
made out to "cash" or "contribu
tions." Samish admitted that
" 'cash' and 'contributions' are the
same thing," and that these items
in most cases meant that money
was distributed by him personally
? and in cash ? to good, honest, out
standing officials that subscribed
to "the temperate use of beer, wine
and spirits . . ." He demanded no
receipts from them.
He made contributions to the
candidates of both major parties,
but he couldn't seem to remember
to whom he gave the money.
Next: How the Laws Are En
forced in Upstate New York.
Condensed from the book, "Crime
In America," by Estes Kefauver
Cpr. 1951.- Pub. by Doubleday, inc.
Dist General Features corp. ?
WNU.
It's impossible to be snobbish
and comfortable at the mow time'.
Sou'easter
BY CAPTAIN HENRY
Between the duck derby and the
clambalcb downcast this weekend,
folks shouldn't have lacked for en
tertainment. Now that duck derby
is something I would have given a
pretty to see. Making a duck run
a race must be like trying to drive
a boat down Front street.
Everybody's bracing themselves
for Christmas. As long as pogy
boats toot and those factory .stacks
spout smoke, it's much easier to
welcome the holidays with tradi
tional gay abandon.
The approach of Christmas
brings the ripening of oranges and
other citrus fruits on Cape Hat
teras. A 20-foot orange tree in the
backyard of Mrs. Loren Barnett at
Buxton will yield several bushels
of fruit this year!
The Hi-Drive, formerly run by
3raxton and Glenn Adair has been
sold and is now in operation again,
one of the owners being a former
manager of the Toot 'n Tell It in
Morehead City.
There are mixed feelings about
Beaufort and Morehead City not
meeting on the basketball court
this year Some folks are just as
well satisfied, others can't under
stand why the games shouldn't be
played. The non scheduling was
at the request of Beaufort, and I'm
inclined to agree that perhaps a
season's rest from the Beaufort
Morehead City to-do is a good
thing. Practically everyone suf
fers from nervous prostration
throughout each game, and the bet
ting that goes on, be it football or
basketball, could not be described
as "small time."
The belief, though, that rivalry
between Beaufort and Morehead
City teams is something unique is
a lot of foolishness. Our situation
is duplicated thousands of times
all over the United States? in high
school it's small towns located sev
eral miles apart, in college, it's
colleges located close together.
The rivalry is inevitable. Because
of proximity, people in one place
personally know people in the
other and that adds a special cog
in the competition machinery that
isn't evident when teams arc so
far removed from each other that
the "other side" is merely a set of
opposing factors necessary to play
ing the game. Since that is true,
Bcaufort-Morehead City rivalry
will never cease.
well, l?t * change the sub
ject, here's a thought on a uni
versal level: Adam was the be
ginning of mankind and Atom may
be the end, too.
r
i
AUTHOR
OF THE WEEK
By W. G. ROGERS
Gordon A. Harrison kills two
birds with one stone in his story of
the Allies' invasion of Europe,
"Cross-Channel Attack." It is the
seventh volume in the Army's am
bitious publication program, and
it served the author as the thesis
for his Ph.D at Harvard. A native
of New York, and a newspaperman
before the war. Harrison was an
enlisted man and an officer in
World War II, and later taught
English at Harvard. He got his
B.A. from Columbia in 1935. his
M.A. from Oxford in 1937, and his
Ph.D. last year. He is married,
lives now in Alexandria, Va.. and
is at work on another Army history
book, this one about the Siegfried
line.
TODAY'S
BIRTHDAY
FRANCISCO .FRANCO, born Dec. (
4, 1S92 in Galicia. Spain. Chief of
State of Spain, he seized control
Hitler's storm
troopers and
M u s s o 1 i n i '?
Black Shirts, in
a bloody civil
war that pre
ceded World
War II. In 1M7
Spanish voter*
ratified a "law
of auccession"
that confirmed Franco. His early
career was in the Spanish army.