NEWS-TIMES OFFICE
504 Arandell St.
Morahud City
Phona 6-4175
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
40th YEAR, NO. 101. TWO SECTIONS TWELVE PAGES MOREUEAD CITY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1951 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
Witness Appears,
. Withdraws Charge
Judge George H. McNeill
Hears Cases on Viola
tion of Traffic Laws
E. M. Dewey, Morehead City, ap
peared in Morehead City recorder's
Court yesterday and withdrew the
assault warrant he swore out
against Vernon Arthur Tuesday,
* pec. 11.
Arthur had been free on $200
bond since his arrest last Tuesday
flight by Officer Hubert Fulcher at
bis home, 1801 Fisher at.
The warrant charged Arthur
With unlawful and willful assault
With a knife on James and Fred
Tillery and other unidentified per
sons.
Thurman Gray Morton pleaded
pot guilty to careless and reckless
driving and was adjudged not guil
iy by Judge George H. McNeill,
ityorton was involved in an auto ac
cident on Bridges near 21st street
Saturday about 12:12 a.m.
He told the court that lights
from an oncoming car blinded him
pausing his automobile to collide
With a parked truck owned by Wal
ter Baron.
Granvell E. Fiske, charged with
speeding was found guilty and paid
pourt costs.
* Mrs. Bertha Willis pleaded guil
ty to speeding and paid court costs.
Robert Lee Dennis, charged with
speeding paid court costs.
Juston Jackson pleaded guilty to
parking on wrong side of street and
paid one-half the court costs.
Vernon Fulcher pleaded guilty to
speeding and paid court costs.
Robert T. Kiminsk: was found
not guilty of driving on the wrong
side of the road.
The court decided not to prose
cute the case against Oling R. Jack
son.
Cases continued until Jan. 7 are
those against Harkless Wooten,
John Logue, Charles Holland, Wil
liam Robert Bowles, George Ray
Witter, Sherwood V. Smith, Frank
William Foster, Charles Lason I
Snyder, and John Ashley Teel.
'Auto, Truck *
Collide onBridge
Two hundred dollars damage was
caused to a car owned by Randolph
Garner, route 1 Newport, at 3 p.m.
Wednesday when a truck attempt
ed to pass the car on the Nine-foot
road one-quarter of a mile from
highway 24.
t Driving the car at the time was
Mrs. Garner, the owner's wife. Ac
cording to Highway Patrolman H.
G. Woolard who investigated, Mrs.
Garner was traveling toward high
way 24 when a dump truck, driven
l>y Eldridge Minton. Hickory RFD,
attempted to pass her on a narrow
bridge.
The left rear fender of the Gar
,nci car was smashed in and ap
proximately $10 damage was caused
to the bridge railing. No charges
have been preferred pending
further investigation.
They Played in the Band in 1916
Enthusiasm for good bands which
has been ^evident in recent months
recalls the days of St. Paul's Epis
copal school, Beaufort, and its
bands. Above is a picture taken of
the band at the school in 1916. A,t
one time the musical organization
h?d 67 members.
Because of the grouping, it is im
possible to identify members by
rows, and six youngsters remain un
identified. For those who are iden
tified, credit goes to James D. Pot
ter, Gehrmann Holland. T. T.
(Tom) Potter, and Mrs. Cecil
Brooks, all of whom attended the
school.
I Pictured pre Elizabeth Hodges,
Elizabeth Tilman, L. W. Moore.
C harles Skrrren, lames Smith. |
Oliver SprinKlr. Clyde Owens. Eu
gene Kirq. Miss KUen V. Apper
son. teacher. Eugene Robinson,
band director. Mrs. Robinson.
Mriy Campbell. Molly Noe, Cur
I s Biggins, Ernest Davis, Stephen
Kobinson, Joe Delamar, Charles
j Clawson. Louise Smith, Bessie
Campbell. Wilbur Willis, James
; Davis Potter. Dick Rice, Jack Pot
| ter. Joseph Poland.
Margaret Skarren, Gehrmann
: Holland. Willie Harrell, Blythe
Noe. Earl Moore, Vernon Harrell,
Charles Norfieot. Oscar Duncan,
and William Herring.
Seated just right of the bass
drum is a little boy whose lirst
name cannot be learned, but he
was the son of Capt. Finley Finer
who at that time was in charge of
the Bogue Life Saving station. Sit
ting diugnolly to the right of him
is another youngster whose last
name was Piner also.
Because St. Paul's was a board
ing school many of the children
came from distant points and most
of those who are unidentified are
youngsters who were not native of
this section.
PMA Delegates Elect County
Committee in Friday Session
Newport Men .
Come from Korea
San Diego. Calif.? Aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme
Richard when she arrived here
after nearly a year in Korean
waters, were two Newport men.
Robert E. Moon, seaman. USN, son
of Mrs. L. S. Roberts of route 1,
and William B. Oswalt, aviation
boatswain's mate, third class, USN,
son of Master Sgt. and Mrs. F. L.
Oswalt of route 1.
Recommissioned from the Pacific
Reserve Fleet the Bon Homme
Richard has operated on the firing
line off Korea's east coast contin
ually for more than six months.
Her air group, composed of
fighter squadrons 781, 783. and
874, composite squadrons 3, 11. 35.
and 61, and attack squadron 923.
have flown daily strikes against key
enemy rail lines, highways and sup
ply facilities. The squadrons, all
Naval reserve groups ordered to
duty at the outbreak of hostilities
in Korea, have provided the major
portion of UN air action against the
Communists in North Korea since
the start of peace talks last sum
mer.
Ojfwers Break Up Fracas
At Straits Friday JSight v
Morehead Motorist Faces
Charge of Mo License
t Joanne Wickizer, 1304 Shcpard
it., Morehead City, has been
Charged with driving a car with
out an operator's license as the re
mit of an aecident at 9:10 p.m.
Friday at Moore and Ann St., Beau
fort.
I Patrolman J. W. Sykes. who in
vestigated, stated that Miss Wick
izer was proceeding north on
Moore, intending to make a left
turn on Ann street. As she cnter
?d the intersection she told the pa
trolman that she did not see a 1948
model car, driven by Caswell
Bunch, Beaufort- Morehead City
causeway, who was proceeding west
on Ann.
. A collision occurred, damaging
'the Wickizer car, a 1941 model, to
the extent of $50 and Bunch'i $150.
No one was hurt.
iHorrhnnti Iff Sponsor Shew
in Beaniort Saturday
t The merchants committee of the
iBeaufort chamber of commerce
twill sponsor a "Santa's Baby-Sitting
I Show" at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing at the Beaufort theatre.
The show begins at 10 a.m. and
admission will be one toy which
'will be turned over to Beaufort
iiremen to distribute at Chriatmas
time. If toys are in need of repair,
the firemen will repair them.
The ahow will feature cartoons.
A nurse and a special attendant
will be on duty at the theatre while
the children are there. The mer
chants point out that thia will leave
patients free to ahop.
? A fracas between the "boys" of
Harkers Island and the "boys" of
Otway was broken up late Friday
night at Straits after Sheriff Gehr
mann Holland! Deputy Sheriff Mar
shall Ayscue. and highway patrol
men arrived on the sceen. No ar
rests were made.
The to-do started near the Leon
Chadwick store when a boy from
Harkers Island claimed a fellow
from Otway insulted his wife.
The Harkers Islander pummeled
the alleged hurler of insults and
then took oo two others. But by
that time recruits accumulated on
each side, some arriving by auto
mobile.
The fight ranged from sprawls
in mud puddles to biting and
squalling, and finally one of the
men pulled a knife. Not to be out
done. a guy on the other side drew
a pistol. A wielder of an ax handle
also joined the fray.
Meantime Leon Chadwick, op
erator of the service station, tele
phoned the sheriff. In about 15
minutes the law arrived and told
the "boys" to break it up and go
on hom? and behave themselves.
Which they. did.
Forfeits Bond
Daniel Gaskins. arrested by Of
ficer Maxwell Wade early Sunday
morning in Beaufort on a charge of
public drunkenness, forfeited $17
bond for failure to report at
mayor's court yesterday afternoon.
Office Hires Secretary
Miss Sherry Willis of Morehead
City has accepted the position of
secretary at the chamber of com
merce office, Morehead City. She
replaces Mrs. Sybil Nicholas who
resigned.
Roland Salter. I). W. Trwckner>
and Lawrence Garner were elected
to the county Production Market
ing administration committee at the
county convention at the PMA of
fice. Beaufort. Friday night. First
alternate committee member is
Hugh T. Carraway and second al
ternate is Thomas C. Oglesby.
Salter was re-elected committee
chairman and Truckner was re
elected vice-chairman. Garnet,
who has served on the qommittec
in the past, was returned to the
committee this term, replacing Her
man K. Norris of Pe Hetty- who last
year was first alternate. Norris
became a member of the commit
tee upon the death of Sam Ed
wards.
Carraway, whg was second alter
nate became first alternate and
was re-elected to that position
Thursday, the vacancy of second
alternate being filled by Oglesby.
At the meeting of the PMA com
mittee yesterday morning B. J.
May. administrator, was elected
secretary, and Mrs. Ruth Butler
treasurer. Plans for the coming
year were discussed. There will be
a meeting of the county committee
and community committeemen the
first of the year, but no date was
set.
Community committeemen and
delegates to the county convention
were elected in balloting through
out the county Thursday. Com
mitteemen for each community are
named below in the following or
der, chairman, vice-chairman, regu
lar member, first alternate, and sec
ond alternate, followed by the com
munity delegates, regular and al
ternate :
Whiteoak: John I). Young. Mar
vin Taylor, Lee Sawrey, Robert
Rhuc, Woodrow Bright; delegates,
Harvey Norris, Bright.
Newport: Y. Z. Simmons. Cecil
H. Springle, Artis B. Garner, Carl
W. Garner, Prentis M. Garner;
delegates, L. W. Howard, Leon H.
Quinn.
Morehead City: John T. Ogles
by, Robert Laughton, Addison Mc
Cabe, R. P. Oglesby. Cecil Oglesby;
delegates. McCabe, Laughton.
Bcaufort-Harlowe: William J.
Hardesty, Kearney Merrill, jr.,
Manly Eubanks, Archie Hardesty,
Raymond Dickinson; delegates,
Hardesty, Eubanks.
East-Merrimon: Brondell Gilli
kin. Bill Pigott, Guy Carraway, S.
W. Lawrence, Roy Keller; dele
gates, Oscar Salter, Earl Arthur.
Elected chairman of the county
convention was Lonnie Howard and
B. J. May, PMA administrator, was
appointed secretary.
Lions Club to Contribute
$30 to Roody Family .
The Lions club of Morehead City,
meeting at Captain Bill's res
taurant. voted Thursday night to
give $30 to a needy family for
Christmas.
Fred Lewis, Lloyd Stocks, and
Victor Wickizer were named a com
mittee to direct the payment of
the money.
A guesi at the meeting was the
Rev. A. L. Reynolds, pastor of the
Franklin Memorial Methodist
church.
Library to Clow
The Carteret County Public li
brary will be closed from Friday,
Dec. 21, through Friday. Dec. 28.
It will reopen Monday, Dec. 31.
Holidays Can Be
Dangerous Days
Only a few more days 'til Christ
mas, warned Mrs. Lucia Hutchin
son, New Bern, safety field repre
sentative of the department of mo
tor vehicles today.
"December is always a month of
haste. Mrs. Hutchinson said. Haste
to get Christmas shopping done and
out of the way, haste to get home
for the holidays, to get to social
affairs. And at no time of the year
is haste so deadly.
"Traffic accidents reach their
peak at the end of the year because
long hours of darkness, poor visi
bility and slippery roads make
driving and walking extra hazard
ous," she continued.
"These extra hazards call for ex
tra caution on the part of every
body.
"In North Carolina traffic fatal
ities are edging closer and closer
to 1,000, so between now and
Christmas we must use extra cau
tion every day and night to avoid
that tragic mark." Mrs. Hutchinson
concluded.
The department's highway safety
division lists five hints to save
Jives:
1. Avoid last-minute Christmas
shopping. This makes for haste in
walking and driving. If you must
do some last minute shopping, car
ry packages so they do not obstruct
your vision. Remember, motorists
cannot always sec clearly during
early evening darkness.
2. Allow plenty of time to get
to your destination. Start early,
take it easy.
3. Canccl motor trips when
weather is particularly rainy.
See HOLIDAYS, Page 2
Officers Charge Three Men
With Whiskey Law Violations
cnun >
Heads Morehead
Calendar Club
G. T. Windell, principal of More- '
head City school, has been clectcd
president of the Morehead City
calendar of events club and the
Rev. C. K. Berry, pastor of the First
Christian church, is vice-president.
Election of a secretary has been
postponed until March and J. A.
DuBois, manager of the chamber
1 of commerce, sponsor of the ealcn
Mar el'ib. will serve as secretary
| until .hat ,ime.
To Meet Quarterly
At the meeting of the c'luB
| Thursday night at the civic center
the group agreed to meet the sec
ond Thursday of December, March,
! tunc, and September.
Organizations represented at the
| meeting submitted a list of their
| regular events and special events
1 scheduled in the near future. Or
ganizations unable to send a repre
sentative submitted their calendars
prior to the meeting.
It was decided that each organ
ization keep the secretary informed
of events as they are planned md
that the organization be furnished
with a revised schedule as often as
necessary, for use in scheduling
iheir own events.
To be Published
It was suggested that a copy of
the calendar be submitted to THE
NEWS-TIMES for publication.
Mimeographed copies will be
mailed to new residents of the
toun and will be available at the
chamber of commerce office to
visitors.
The importance of each organiza
tion's appointment of someone to
keep the calendar up to date was
stressed Thursday night.
"The calendar is off to a good
start," commented President Win
dell, "and with full cooperation it
jthoyld prove to h? much more Vum
ju i another lit:. **
The organization of the elub is a
project sponsored by the civic af
fairs committee of the chamber of
commerce, George Dill, chairman.
Chief Returns, ,
Reports Accident
Police Chief Carlton Garner,
Beaufort, has returned to duty fol
lowing hospitalization and recu
peration from injuries received in
an accident Wednesday. Dec. 5, at
Broad and Pollock st., Beaufort.
Chief Garner reported yesterday
that no charges have been pre
ferred in the accident which hap
pened Tuesday, the day before he
was injured, on Ann st.
The car driven by Mrs. Ruth
Smith Murphy, Beaufort, was dam
aged to the extent of $61 and the
other car involved, driven by Paul
Alvin Jarman, jr.. route 2, New
port, was extensively damaged.
According to Chief Garner, Mrs.
Murphy was proceeding west on
Ann when she started to make a
left turn. She said she had herj
turn signal blinking but Jarman, I
who was behind her. said he did
not see it and attempted to pass
as she was making the turn.
The accident occurred at 9:30
a.m.
w
* Three men were apprehended over the weekend on"
charges of transporting non-tax paid whiskey. Lewis Allen,
Beaufort, was apprehended after a chase over highway
70 Sunday morning, and Walter Lawrence and Luther Gil
likin, both of Otway, were arrested at 12:.'50 Sunday
morning.
Authorities are still searching for another man who was
with Allen. It he is apprehended in*
time he will be tried in recorder's
court today with Lewis, -jccording
to Deputy Sheriff M. M. Ayscue.
county ABC officer. If he is not
taken into custody, the two prob
ably will not be tried until after
Christmas.
Patrolmen Gives ( hasp
Allen and his accomplice were
spotted Sunday morning by High
way Patrolman J. W. Sykes on high
way 70 east of Beaufort. The pa
trolman gave chas.* and Allen led
him about three miles at a speed
of 80 to 85 miles an hour.
Allen's car finally came to a stop
in a ditch near Claud Martin's
store, highway 70. Lewis was ap
I prehended but the man with him
ran. The car has been impounded
and the six gallons of whiskey in
the car were confiscated.
Two Assist
Assisting in the arrest were Of
ficer Ayscue and Highway Patrol
man W. E. Pickard.
Sheriff Gehrmann Holland and
Officer Ayscue arrested Lawrence
and Gillikin on the North River
road. The small quantity of whis
key they were carrying in the au
tomobile was taken by the officers.
Lawrence was driving the car. Both
are scheduled for trial in recorder's
court this morning.
The ABC officer commented that
prior to the holidays there is an
upswing in the liquor traffic and
consequently an increase in the
i number of arrests on charges of
I violation of the liquor laws.
Large Crowd
Attends Program
A large r owf^attenci'^ the an
nual Christmas 'program Sunday
night at Morchead City sehool.
Congregations of all churehes were
invited to the service.
The Rev. Leon Couch, minister
at First Methodist church, gave ihe
C hristmas meditation, the Rev. C.
It. Berry, pastor of the First
Christian church, read the scrip
ture. and prayer was offered by Dr.
John H. Bunn, pastor of the First
Baptist church.
An organ-piano number, Cujus
Animam (from Stabat Mater) was
played by Mrs. Harris Lewis and
Mrs. George Mizesko. who also
played the accompaniment to
choral numbers. Other accompan
ists were Corinne Webb. Ann Gar
ner, Ann Webb, and Mary Lou
Norwood.
Numbers by the boys' glee club
were O Worship the King and I)
Come All Ye Faithful; the girls'
glee club sang There's a Song in
the Air (Speaks) and Come Unto
Him (Handel-Bick).
The chorus sang We Wish You
a Merry Christmas (English Folk
Song), Now Bright and Still (Wil
liams), The Infant Jesus (Yon)
with a solo part by Billy Laughton,
freshman, and The Hallelujah
Chorus (Handel).
Three Christmas carols, Hark the
Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town
of Bethlehem, and Silent Night
were sung by the congregation and
chorus.
Director of the glee clubs and
chorus is Ralph T. Wade.
Reviving the Past
Burning of Lights at Christmas
Perpetuates Ancient Tribal Ritual
With the stringinK up of Christ
mas lights in Beaufort and More
head City the residents "of the twin
cities, as everywhere else in Ameri
ca. are continuing a practice which
far outdatcs either Christianity or
Judaism. In fact, the burning of
lights or fires during the dead of
winter is a practice believers of
almost every religion have in com
mon.
Anthropologists, through studies
of modern primitive tribes and
writings of ancient peoples, have
discovered that basically this year
ly practice is a memctic ritual.
It is a gift which generation after
generation has handed down from
time immemorial. It stems from a
rudimentary belief common to all
religions, that man can show his
god what he wants and that th* re
quest, by act or prayer- will get
the desired results.
In winter, therefore, prehistoric
man burned fires to tell his god
(quite often identified with the
sun) to reverse the sun's southerly
course in the sky and start it north
ward again in order to bring back
spring, warmth, and growth.
To insure that this very import
ant ceremony was carried out at
the proper time, every tribe had
a sun watcher who observed the
sun's movements. Modern primi
tive tribes still have them.
When the sun had traversed the
sky to its most southerly spot ?
late December ? the sun watcher
would announce to his tribesmen
that the time {or igniting the fires
and holding the special ceremony
had arrived.
Every religion, of course, has a
somewhat different ritual and dif
ferent spot to#burn its fires. The
ancient druids'of Britain and Gaul
burned them on hill tops. The
Ilopi Indians of today bum them
inside special underground tem
ples, they call kivas. Various mod
ern tribes of Siberia burn them in
their huts.
Anthropologists who have asked
these modern primitive peoples
why they bum these fires, get the
aame explanation: to tell the sun
it li time to turn north and bring
warm dayi again.
The average Christian, however,
knows not why the lights arc lit
or how the practice found its way
into Christianity.
There is some evidence to show
that the early Christians adopted
the practice from the believers of
Mithras god of light. In Rome
Mithraism was the religion of the
patricians (nobles) and the only
religion that give Christianity any
real competition for universal ac
ceptance. It came to Rome from
Persia where it had flourished for
centuries. One of its great light
burning festivals was held about
Dec. 24.
Members c* h?? wish faith at
this time are otoei ng the Festi
val of Lights, an ancient and tra
ditional ritual. Candles are light
ed and gifts are exchanged just as
in the Christian observance of
Christmas.
Thus at the Christmas season
residents of the western world
celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,
and continue practices which their
ancestors originated somewhere in
the dim eons of prehistory.
Jaycees to Sponsor Song
Fest ai Post Of lice
More head City itycees are
sponsor ing a Christmas s<;ng fest
at 8:30 Friday night in front of
the post office.
J . ('. Ilarveil, chairman of the
Jayeee religious activities com
irittec, stated that the public
should gather at the post office
a* that time, especially all mem
bers of the church choirs of the
city.
Carols and all types of Christ
mas songs will be sung.
?
Merchants May
Ask Price Change
Based on Cost
Raleigh. ? "The Capehart amend
ment makes mandatory OPS
price adjustments based on cost
changes," said OPS District Direc
tor Alton G. Murchison here recent
ly, "and OPS district offices have
been given broad authority to act
on applications."
The Capehart amendment, pass
ed in the last session of Congress
over vigorous OPS opposition, says
that producers, manufacturers, pro
cessors, and service businesses may
apply to OPS for new ceiling prices
based on their pre-Korean prices
plus or minus all reasonable cost
changes since then and up to July
26, 1951, the OPS explained.
"The Kaleigh OPS will not grant
any price increases," said Murchi
son, "until a thorough study has
been '"vie of each application for
adjustment, and these will be
strictly limited to those required
of us by the Capehart amendment."
General overriding regulation 21
is the regulation under which most
producers, manufacturers and pro
cessors have the option to apply
for ceiling price adjustments. It is
called an "overriding" regulation
because it cuts across many other
regulations, and in practical effect,
it amends those regulations al
though it does not supplant them.
Murchison explained.
Murchison was emphatic in stat
ing that the Raleigh office would
authorize only those upward ad
justments in prices that are made
mandatory by the Capehart amend
ment.
Truck Upsets,
Seed Meal Spills
A load of cottonseed meal was
dumped at the side of highway 24
? 10 miles west of Morehead City at
2:15 p.m. Thursday when a 1948
model truck upset. The driver,
William Andrew Hubert, High
Point, was uninjured but damage
to the truck was estimated at $850.
Highway Patrolman H. G. Wool
ard, who investigated, said Hubert
told him that the truck started to
sway and he lost control of it,
running off the road to the right
and traveling 261 feet before
the truck turned over on its top, the
cab and front end smashed.
The truck, owned by Cummins
Diesel Sales and Service, High
Point, was headed toward Swans
boro. No charges were preferred.
Mayor George Dill Speaks
Al Rotary Club Meeting
At Thursday night's Morehead
City Rotary club meeting in the
First Baptist Sunday school rooms
Mayor George W. Dill gave a short
talk about the little church around
the corner in New York City.
Visiting Rotarian was Jack Sty
ron, formerly of Morehead City,
now of Lake Charles, La.
Tide Table
Tidea at Beaufort Bar
HIGH LOW
Tuesday, Dec. 18
11:12 a.m. * 4:53 a.m.
11:41 p.m. 5:39 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 19
11:33 a.m. 5:37 a.m.
6:18 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 20
12:27 a.m. 6:27 a.m.
12:37 p.m. 6:49 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21
1:17 a.m. 7:22 a.m.
1:26 p.m. 7:45 p.m. |
March of Dimes
Chairman Names
County Leaders
Mrs. Roma Nor. Beaufort, chair
man of the March of Dimes cam
paign, which opens Jan. 2 and con
tinues through the month, today
announce I community chairmen
'.Ivroughout the county.
They are as follows: Atlantic,
Sterling Robinson; Markers Island,
Mrs. J. B. Hwker; Marshallbcrg,
Mrs. George Moore: Smyrna. Mrs.
Thomas Wilson; YVilliston. Mrs. El
mer Willis.
Merrimon. Mrs. Mary Tosto;
South River. Mrs. Gaston Hill;
Camp Glenn. Mrs. Leslie Brinson;
Stella. John Young; Pelletier, Mil
ton Truck ncr; Cedar Point. Mrs.
May F. Jones; Ilarlowe, Lionel Con
ner.
Salter Path. Steve Guthrie; At
lantic Beach and Fort Macon, R. A.
Barefoot: Davis, Blakely Pond;
Stacy, Mrs. Connie Daniels; Glou
cester. Mrs. Florence Pigott; Sea
Level. Mrs. Hallet Styron.
Cedar Island, Karl Day; Newport,
Miss Nellie Cannon; Broad Creek,
Kathleen Lewis; Otway. Beulah
Dowty; and Bettie. Oscar Salter.
The March of Dimes campaign
is being sponsored by the Carteret
Business and Professional Women's
club.
Auto Insurance
Rate Increase
Goes into Effect
Hate increases for automobile
bodily injury and property damage
insurance for both private passen
ger and commercial (truck) type
automobiles in the following
amounts went into effect Monday.
Increases are as follows:
Private passenger automobiles,
bodily injury. 7.7 per cent; proper
ty damage. 25.2 per cent; commer
cial automobiles, bodily injury. 3.0
per cent; property damage, 24.2
per cent.
A petition requesting the above
increases was filed * by the North
Carolina Automobile Rate adminis
trative office and was the subject
of a public healing before Waldo
Cheek, insurance commissioner,
Nov. 29. 1951.
At this hearing It was stated that
present rates are inadequate to pay
present losses; that the inflationary
spiral that has affected so much of
the economic structure during the
past few years is now being reflect
ed in the automobile liability ex
perience; that the automobile lia
bility experience has been adverse
ly affected through a substantial
increase in accident frequency and
severity; that court verdicts and re
pair costs have tremendously in
crease J in amount and that com
panies writing this class of business
sustained a nation wide underwrit
ing loss in excess of $10,000,000
during the calendar year 1950.
The experience on which these
rate increases are based is that col
lected from all companies licensed
to write automobile bodily injury
and property damage insurance in
North Carolina and represents the
entire premiums earned and losses
incurred in this state for policy
years 1948 1949 together with as
much of the 1950-1951 experience
as is available. Cheek said.
The statewide cambined rates for
private passenger cars are: Class
1, car for non-business use and no
operator under 25: $30.00. increase
$4.00.
Class 2. car for both business
and non-business use and with an
See INSURANCE, Page 2
Temperature Drops io 25
In Coldest Snap to Dal*
Weekend temperatures dropped
below freezing with a low of 23 de
grees officially registered in the
county Sunday and a low of 25 de
grees yesterday. Last month the
mercury dipped to 29.5 degrees but
the weekend temperatures are the
lowest recorded this winter, report
ed Stamey Davis, weather observer.
The temperature record since
last Tuesday follows:
Max. Min.
Tuesday ... 54 45
Wednesday 53 35
Thursday .... 54 38
Friday 62 37
Saturday 64 45
Sunday 45 23
Monday 25
The maximum temperature for
yesterday had not been recorded
by press time.