Newspapers / Carteret County News-Times (Morehead … / Dec. 7, 1954, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES CartarM Coaaty** EDITORIALS TUESDAY, DEC 7, 1954 Where Justice Goes Astray We have heard quite a few com ments since the November session of Superior Court relative to the state's drunk driving law. Not one defendant, who was charged with drunken driving and who stood trial in that court was convicted. Why? The answer seems to be that no jury will convict a man, because the jurors don't want to see his license re voked for a year, as the law now re quires. Thus, rather than waste time by sending such cases to the jury, the state accepts a plea of guilty of reckless driving. The defendant pays a fine of $100 and costs, and he still retains his license. More than 30 drunk driving cases were disposed of in the latter manner in the court term of Nov. 22. When the one-year revocation for drunk driving was put into effect, it was thought that such a stiff penalty would cut down on the number of drunks behind the wheel. We have not. seen any statistics which prove whether the law has done what wag intended. * It does appear in this county, how ever, that no stone is left unturned to get a person charged with drunken driving off with a light penalty. And when that is done, the purpose of the year'B revocation law is defeated. Several Superior Court officials have suggested that the matter of license revocation be left up to the judge. If ? jury returns a verdict of guilty, it would be within the judge's province in pass ing sentence to take into consideration whether the defendant must earn his living by driving a car, whether the of fense demands a year's revocation or merely a suspension of a month ? or no suspension at all. Judges may complain that the bur den, then, is merely shifted to them. Being a judge carries with it, however, the responsibility of weighing circum stances and making decisions. We be lieve the judges would be able to cope, in a fair manner, with the situation, Should a defendant be brought into court on a second drunken driving of fense, that perhaps. Could carry a man datory sentence of a year's revocation should he be convicted by the jury. And if the jury, on the basis of sufficient evidence, fails to convict, then the jurors should be condemned for failing to carry out their duty. We believe this problem deserves considerable thought. It is evident that there is a miscarriage of justice in juries' continually turning loose drivers who obviously were drunk while they were driving. If this situation contin ues, all motorists, pedestrians and property owners will continue to be abused by the drunk driver. Beach Town Takes Action The town of Carolina Beach has taken further steps to prevent destruc tion of its oceanfront property. At a town council meeting last week, ocean front building requirements were re vamped. Damaged property being repaired must have "adequate pilings not more than 8 feet apart and sidewalls secure ly tied and braced to the pilings. Roofs must also be tied and hraced to side walls, and masonry walls for the second zone must be no less than 4 inches thick." Only a contractor or persons more familiar with building than we may li^iwqi nn what all that is about. But ou/' point is this: some beaches ARE DOING SOMETHING to prevent storm destruction in the future. Atlantic Beach, unfortunately, is not zoned. Town fathers could draw up suggestions for strong buildings and re strictions on taking down sand dunes or building close to the water, but with out a law to enforce such regulations, it is doubtful that they would be fol lowed. Unincorporated beaches have even a greater problem. They don't have the legal set-up to take the first step to ward protecting the beach. We feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, but we feel, too, that we can't repeat too often: take action now to protect your property, don't wait for "George to do something" lest you Wake up 10 years from now and again find only a few shingles left of that $10,000 beach cottage. Saving Lives is YOUR Job The growing number of fatal acci dents on the streets and highways has engaged the attention of the White Htuse, and a serious effort is being made to do something about it In 1953 a total of 38,300 persons young and old lost their lives in traffic accidents, and the economic loss was placed at 4 billion dollars in hospital and medical costs, property damage and other ex penses. The President's Action Committee for Traffic Safety has designated Dec. 16 as Safe-Driving Day. It will be ob served on a' nation-wide basis, under the committee's sponsorship with the cooperation of various other city, state and national organizations. Most of the fatalities charged to traf fic accidents and much of the property damage and other economic losses could have been prevented if drivers and pedestrians alike would realize their personal responsibility . for their own safety as pedestrians, and the safe ty of themselves and others if they are drivers. Traffic actually is a personal responsibility. Strict observance of Safe-Driving Day by all drivers and pedestrians will with out doubt cut the traffic toll for that day. If the toll can be reduced on one day of the year by strict observance and enforcement plus courtesies it can be held to a minimum on all other days of the year by the same methods. Pedestrians cannot overlook their re sponsibility in reducing the traffic toll, i Following the laws and applying the courtesies of the road to themselves and others will bring this about Personal responsibility ? it's as sim ple as that. Safe-Driviqg Day could well be extended into a safe-driving year. The Unloved Reformer (From the Greensboro Daily News) Why don't other people like Ameri cans more than they do? Why do so many to whom we have been both kind and generous actively dislike us? Ia it something our best friends won't tell us? No, our friends are telling us, , and what they say makes sense: We are too set on urging other people what to do and be ; we want to reform people, and people don't want to be reformed from the outside. Or the inside either. Indro Montanelli, Italian author, puts it this way, after acknowledging Amer icans' goodness and charity: "Unfor tunately all these claims on our grati tude are obscured by one defect of which there isn't the slightest hope that the Americans can be cured, because it's in their blood, it's constitutional. It is the craze for improving us, for mak ing us try to be in every way kinder to each other, juster, richer, happier." Southerners ought to be able to be able to understand that Those other Americans are still trying to reform us. Carteret County Nswt-Timss WINNER OF NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION AND NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARDS A M trior of The Buaiart N?w? (bt IMS) ??d li* Twin Cttjr Ttaaa (*at IMS) Published Tueadan a?d Friday* by Dm Carter* Publlahlns < AmM It, Morahaad CHy. N. C. Maillatea: la Carteret County and adjolatag covntiaa, |SJO one yaar, (MS rtx *>* ?te Math; alwwhara flM mm year, X-SO da month., si JO gat urn of Aaaodated Praai ? Greater WaakUaa ? N. C. Praaa Alairldtia rttrtril Editorial Association ? - Audit Butmu si CtRnlotioos Praaa h aatlUad aacludvely to naa lor raiabttadlai ?f laaal mm la IMa aoMpapar, aa wall aa all AT mm dgilifcl. i m at Manhood Otjr, N. C, (Mar Ad at Hank s, !#? " HI ? SPKEPf I^UAA^ ?mrtppt* The Readers Write . Dec. ?, 1954 The Santa Claus parade was fine Wednesday afternoon until the fire truck stopped and the children, who expected to give their letters to Santa Clans, discovered what a laugh their expectations were. Instead of using the Boy Scouts ? to distribute the candy and take the letters to Santa Claus, as has been done in the past, several adults, among them Ronald Earl Mason, Chiel of Police Guy and Police Officer Mack Wade, had the time of their lives standing on the fire truck and throwing the candy stockings into the crowd. That was fine for the adults and big kids who were able to grab the candy, but the children who got hit on the heads by the hard candy didn't think much of the way the afternoon was turning' out, and neither did the parents who were holding children with letters for Santa Claus. Most of the parents ended up at the dime store, buying consolation presents for the youngatcra who still held their letters .and asked what should they do now, how would Santa know what they had written? Not only were the candy stock ings thrown out with many a gay whoop and yell by those on the truck. They also threw out the boxes which had held the candy. If any of those on the truck are asked how the parade ended. I bet they will say it was wonderful. But hereafter, if the kids of the town are to be bombarded, lets have marshmallows thrown, and lets plan it as a free-for-all, and not at Christmas time when Santa Claus is meant to be coming to see the little ones. If the town authorities are plan ning another Christmas parade, I'll have to be assured that it will' be just a parade with no letters or presents, before I'll permit my chil dren to attend. And why not leave it at just a parade? The parade part was fine, with Santa arriving on the Coast Guard cutter and climbing onto the fire truck. The two school bands play ed so well, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scout! and Girl Scouts marched so nicely, It's too bad to have had to leave the shopping section with the bad feeling that the majority of parents and children had. ? A Beaufort Mother December's Birthstones Symbolize Good Fortune The turquoise and the zircon, blue gems tinted lightly with green, symbolize prosperity as De cember's birthstone. As though to bear out the significance of De cember's good luck stows, the birthday list for this month abounds with famous names: among contemporaries are humorist James Thurber, painter Henri Matisse, and the popular leading lady, Mary Martin. In the historical spotlight are Sir Isaac Newton, English philosopher and mathematician, inventor Eli Whitney, Woodrow Wilson, and Louis Pasteur, famed French chemist. Because an ancient Persian King discovered a turquoise mine on the eve of a victorious battle the stone came to symbolize victory or a for tunate event. The word "turquoise" is derived from "Turks," meaning Turkey atone, for this gem was one of the first to reach Europe through Turkish gem marts, ac cording to the Jewelry Industry Council. Although the turquoise has been significant in many cultures and countries, it was the most treas ured of all genu in Tibet. Found in Persia, Egypt, Tur kestan, Australia and the United States, the turquoiae lends itself to dramatic jewelry designs, using large individual stones in rings, bracelets and earrings. Smaller pieces of fine turquoise are fre quently combined with other color ad stones in clips and other jewel ry. The zircon, alternate stone for December, has been known since before the days of Christ and was once believed U contain magic power against evil spirits and poison. Ceylon and Siam are chief sources of zircons. Like diamonds, zircons need skillful cutting with many facets to show their fire and brilliance. In the Good Old Days THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO Fire in New Bent lait week de stroyed 1,000 homes. Besufort resi dents were being asked to send money and clothing to help the New Bern residents. Beaufort cititens opposed pur chase of a new fire engine, claim ing the old one was adequate and that Beaufort had only two fires a year. The Baptist Assembly waa con sidering Morehead City for Ita seaside resort TWENTY FIVE YIAM AGO ' No*. 30 was the coldest day on record with the mercury dropping iron 48 to 24 during the night . Mathia Cafe and Eudy'a Barber ?hep were moving into the newly reaodoled Hugh Hill building In Beaufort M. A. Hill, sheriff of Carteret County for the past 10 years, died at hla home in Beaufort. TEN YEAS* AGO Mare than (30,000 damage was done to Loftln Motor Co., Beau fort, when the plant waa swept by fire Beaufort and Morehead CUy were to work with the county health department to eradicate typhua by rat control in the town. Miss Evelyn Salter of Stacy would be the county's first girl druggist when she graduated from UNC School of Pharmacy next week. FIVE YIAR8 AGO The Dixie B, fish boat owned by E. C. Ballou of Morehead <City, caught fir* off Cape Hatterae. Four highway wrecks in the county over the weekend caused $2,135 damage. The U. H. Coxart, menhaden boat owned by the Phillipi Fish factory, Morehead City, sank near Ocracoke. Consider This Those people who claim that the country Je ruined are trying mighty hard to get control o< the wreck. "Men," (ays sad Sally, "seem to (all into two group* ? they art either old and beat, or young and broke."? Tk* A"hg"~ Today's Birthday Lawrencc Henry Gipson, born Dec. 7, 1880 in Greeley, Colo., son of a newspaper editor. The his torian ana eau cator is research professor emeri tus at Lehigh. The compilation and writing of eight volumes of a proposed 11 -volume work entitled "T h e British Empire Rpf nro f hp American Revolution" has occu pied a great deal of his time since 1927. His researches have been supported by grants from Lehigh and the Rockefeller Foundation. This is the Law ?r mim w. DAiran. F?f tk* N. C B< LAW AND TUt CaUBCH The Law and the Church are ?eidom joined in the aame thought. Yet, the two have much in common. Each ii bent upon the same mis sion: The welfare of mankind. Each owe* much to the other. Much of what we know today as "common law" had its begin ning in the English ecclesiastical courts. And it was In these "church courts" that English and American systems of justice had their begin ning. Preachers were among the earliest "advocates," or lawyers. Jesus Christ himself, was an advo cate. In the Episcopalian "Book of Common Prayers," as a part of a prayer (or "the Clery and the Peo ple," is this language: . . grant this, 0 Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Medi ator, Jesus Christ." The church courts, of course, have long since been abandoned, but they figured prominently in shaping the course followed by the law. Reasons why certain conduct is wrong and "against the law" are drawn frequently from church "norms." The law, on the other hand, has long been protector of the church in free lands. Both federal and state constitutions literally and jealously guarantee freedom of re ligion. The law of our land strin gently separates church and state so as to safeguard the right to wor ship, free of compromise by the political state. The law of North Carolina (and many other states)' protects the economic rights of the church. Here is an example: If a church begins a drive for money with which to expand or build, and vari ous people pledge contributions, such pledges are enforceable in court by the church against the individual pledgors. On this sub ject the law says that the promise of one contributor furnishes con sideration to the others, and that, therefore, they, too, can be re quired to fulfill their pledges. The tax law favors church econ omy. The new (1994) celling on deductions for gifts to churches is 30 per cent (for federal income tax purposes). Previously, the allow able deduction waa 20 per cent of adjusted gross income. Certain tax dispensations are made to minis I Ruth P? ling This is Beaufort's First Train; It Arrived in ? This is a picture of the first train to come into Beaufort The problem confronting me right now is when did it come? It was some time between the fall of 1903 and the fall of 1907, but the folks In town who remember seeing it aren't quite sure. Maybe some of you have some old newspapers tucked away somewhere which would give the story. I've found out a little bit about it. Dr. Maxwell tells me that Charles Abemethy, who practiced law in Beaufort, met the train and delivered the welcome addreas. The train ran across the railroad bridge at Gallanta Channel, Just as it does now, and then stopped a couple of blocks after It got In town. Judge Duncan aays that Claud Wheatly, when he told about it would add, "And 23 people jumped overboard. They'd never seen a train before." By the old Maaonic Hall a big long table was aet up and every body had a picnic after the speech making. Mr. Lawrence HasaeU said that as the train puffed along the tracks, Dick Willis, the police of ficer had a time getting one of the town characters, Craiy Charlie, off the tracks. Charlie didn't want to move and until the fracas waa over, Dick's uniform waa In shreds ?c. K. Howe, Beaufort, at the age of 20. was the engineer which sur veyed the line from Morehead City to Beaufort. He aays that waa in 1909. And he atlll posaesaes the railroad paas given him In that year. The railroad waa first known aa the Beaufort and Weatern Rail road. The first line, he aald waa built almost entirely on pilings The line waa built by Norfolk and Southern but after varioua transactions. It landed finally In the hand* of local folka and the name waa changed to the Beaufort and Morehead Railroad, "The Men haden Line." . . And the foregoing la about all I've been able to dig up. The lata M. Leslie Davis gave me the picture of the train entering Beaufort (some traina had preced ed K with material far laying the tracks, bat this vaa the Orst paa scnger train). Mr. Davis thought It came in during the (ill ol 1905. But Mrs. Lawrence Hauell baa some pretty conclusive evidence that it came In about July 4, 1907. She said the first paasenger train arrived about the same time her son, Charles, was born. So anyone who can verify that one or supply the right date will get my nomination for membership to the County Historical Society! The folks at Occan Ridge have finally gotten enough of having their cottages broken into. They've hired a private detective. Some may interpret this as a slur on county law enforcement, but such interpretation is not al together fair. The year-round resi dents in the county, 1 believe, are entitled to full protection by the law officera they employ. And while the property owners at the beach pay their taxes (aa they will immediately Inform you) it haa long been a recognized fact that some of the cottages are veritable mansions and are oa the tat books for much leu than their assessed value should be. So, while the tax-paying dori en title them to a certain amount of protection, the county cant afford to haVe deputy sheriffs constantly patrolling the beach. Moat of the cottage break-ins are the type which Involve the Intruders, having a party. And in a place like that where one doesn't know whether the cottage owner is having a party ? or whether a complete stranger is in there whooping it up ? the only answer is a private detective service. Do you recall that Iwck In July the automobile belonging to S. A. Horton of Uorehead atjr wai ?tolen? It wu thought it the tine It may have been taken by an neaped convict from New Hanover County. Evidently that w ain't as. The car waa found in October behind > building at Cherry Point. It had boon (tripped down but otborwiae waa In good condition. Polka up at Cherry Point anid the car had boon parked there mr rinee J?ty. ten. Church properties art rarely taxed. Tntttm ef Kell(tM The United States Supreme Court on occasion has been called upon to distinguish between legiti mate church activities and racketa conducted under guise of "religi ous freedom." Without exception the court has leaned over back ward to protect the questioned ac tivity if there was any basis at all for doing so on grounds of freedom to worship. Such freedom, however, is not absolute, or boundless. North Carolina, by statute which has since been held to be consti tutional, prohibits the public hand ling of poisonous snakes even though It be done, ostensibly, as part of a religious ceremony. The North Carolina Constitution, Article I, section 26, aays: "All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Al mighty God according to the dic tates of their own consciences, and no human authority should, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience." The "rights of conscience" do not include the handling of live poisonous snakes in public. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution says: "Congress shall make no law re specting an establishment of re ligion, or prohibiting the free ex ercise thereof; ..." This, of course, is the basis for separation of church and state. It is the reason why public funds ran not be given to a church. It is a reason why religion can not be taught as such in the free public schools. It is a reason why the government can not subsidize the transportation of children to de nominational schools. It is only in a democratic state that the law and the church can join hands in mutual helpfulness, and yet. remain separate, distinct and free. This is the last in the current series of columns. "This Is the Law," offered by the North Caro lina Bar Association and printed by THE NEWS TIMES as a public service. Another series of similar columns will begin next spring. Jan* Eads Washington Washington ? Most of the faces were familiar, the routine much the same, but socialites got a new bang on the capital party-go-round when they were piped aboard two plushy sea going craft anchored off Washington's Main Avenue In the Potomac recently. The most lavish affair was that given by retiring Dominican am bassador, popular Manuel de Moya, aboard the snaz?y frigate, Presi dente Trujillo The sparkling white 301-foot vessel is owned by former Dominican President Rafael Tru jillo, currently Dominican repre sentative to the United Nations who la a frequent visitor to the city. Panelled throughout with ma hogany, its decks carpeted with a soft grey biege, it was the scene of an early hour buffet luncheon Moya gave for Trujillo. TTiere were cocktails first on the aft deck, and a beautiful buf fet on the upper deck consisted of such delicacies as breast of partridge, sliced turkey, tiny lamb and pork chops, baby sausage*, rice, salads, and a variety of lusci ous sweets. The other sip-board party was in the nature of a reward given for hard-working committee mem bers of the upcoming Navy Re lief Ball, by the ball committee's general chairman. Mrs. Robert B. Carney, wife of the chief of Naval Operations. It waa held aboard the U.S.S. Sequoia, the yacht of Secretary of the Navy Thomas. As the ladies lunched, the yacht, usually an chored at the Anacostia Naval Air Station, cruised down the Potomac to Mount Vernon. Funds from the ball which last year netted $24,000 go to help Navy families in diffi culties. Assisting Mrs. Carney were Mrs. Ralph J. Ofstie, the former Capt. Joy Bright Hancock of the WAVES. Mrs. Harold Talbott, wife of the secretary of the Air Force, intro duced her husband a* chief speaker before 000 members of the Air Force Officers' Wive* Club re cently by telling what she des cribed as a "family aecret." It waa the custom, she said, for the sec retary's mother to write a char acter analysis of each of her child ren on their birthday. On the secretary's seventeenth birthday his mother wrote, ac cording to Mrs. Talbott, "The fu ture of our eldest son seems hope leas. At present all be seems to think of Is girls." SmiU a While The colonel Inspecting a new (roup of draftees was somewhat astonished to find a gray-bearded old gaffer, standing conspicuously among the smooth-faced young sters. Tell me 'Dad." he asked, "how did you happen to be here?** "Well, Sir." he nmHed. 1 hap pen to have a twig starter who, like all women, la artaltive about her } age. Everyone in town knew we were twine. Now I don't rightly j know what age she was (Wing out -tat k?w 1 ami"
Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 7, 1954, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75