W CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES ?* th YEAR, NO. 3. , TWO SECTIONS TWELVE PAGES MOREHCAD CITY AND BEAUFORT. NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY. JANUARY 10. 1956 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND W County OK s New North River Bridge Businessmen Ask Clarification On Revaluation County Board Considers Reducing Debt Service Tax Rate to 60 Cents Three Beaufort businessmen, Jack Neal, C. Z. Chappell and Leslie Moore, appeared before the county board yesterday to inquire about the property revaluation program. The board also heard the opinion of Judge Luther Hamilton relative to reducing the amount of the tax levy which is earmarked for debt service. Mr. Neal, Mr. Chappell and Mr. Moore inquired what the revalua tion would mean. James Potter, county auditor, said that assess ments under the new valuation will be 50 per cent of actual value. But no one knows what the assessments will be until final adjustments are made by the Board of Equalization. Alvah Hamilton, county attor ney, pointed out that although the vaiuation will go up, a tax rate re duction is planned. The businessmen said lots of wild rumors have been flying around and they were interested in learn ing exactly what the situation is. Mr. Neal said he didn't want to pay any more taxes. Judge Comments Mr. Hamilton presented Judge Luther Hamilton to the board. Judge Hamilton negotiated with bondholders when the county debt was refinanced in 1937. At present $1.05 of the $1.80 tax rate is earmarked for debt ser vice. Mr. Potter explained that this more than covers the county's obli gations in meeting interest on bonds plus retiring them. The board considered reducing the debt service levy to 60 cents (a reduction of 45 cents) which would put the county tax rate down to $1.35 per hundred rather than $1.80. Commissioner Skinner Chalk ask ed, since it was agreed in 1937 that a minimum of 90 cents be set aside for debt service, whether it would be breaking a contract with the bondholders to reduce the amount to 60 cents. Judge Hamilton said that as R>ng as the bondholders were getting their interest and the county was capable of meeting its obligations by setting aside only 60 cents, there would be no comeback. He added that the best drawing card this county could have to at tract business and industry would be a complete financial brochure on how the county has been meet ing its debt and steadily reducing its tax rate. He said that at one time the county tax rate was $2.15. Of the 60 cents earmarked for debt service under the proposed system, 50 cents would retire school bonds issued in 1945, 1947 and 1951 and 10 cents would re tire the courthouse and new jail bonds issued this year. Valuation Estimated With the revaluation, the esti mated valuation of county property is hoped to be $35 million as com pared with the current valuation of slightly more than $24 million. Mr. Potter said that reduction of debt service from $1.05 to 60 cents would reduce the debt scrvice fund annually by $105,000, but available in the fund would be $210,000. (When the 90 cents agreement was made in 1937. that brought only $90,000 total for debt service). Mr. Potter pointed out that even with the 45-cent reduction the county debt could be repaid in 10 years rather than in 21 years un der the present set-up. He added that with the higher valuation and the lowered tax rate the overall increase in tax revenue to the county would be only $38,461 or an increase over the present return of 9 per cent. "That shows," Mr. Potter com mented, "that no person could be seriously hurt by this revaluation, unless he hadn't been paying his fair share of the tax in the past." Mr. Potter pointed out that the revaluation will also affect the towns and the county attorney, Mr. Hamilton, suggested that there be a Joint meeting of the county and town governing boards. The board took no final action on reducing the rate for bonded in debtedness pending further inves tigation as to the legality. Phon* Firm ImprovM Servic* at UnnoxvilU To lighten party-line loads on Lennoxville Road, Carolina Tele phone and Telegraph Co. is string ing extra cable there. The work began before Christ mas. After the project is com pleted, party lines will have few er than 10 customers on them as ia the case now. Flood Control Study Starts With Newport River Survey Social Security Office Opens Af New Bern A Social Security district office was opened yesterday at New Bern. Prior to yesterday the nearest so cial security office for residents of this county was Wilmington. The office is located at 305 Pol lock St. Social security represen tatives will continue to make their calls to Beaufort and Morehead City as usual. The New Bern office was opened to fill the increased need for the services in this area. The area ser viced by the New Bern district office consists of the counties of Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, Tyrell and Washington. Woodrow W. Thomas is man ager of the new office. Mr. Thom as, who has been a social security administration employee since 1947, was manager of the district office at Welch, W. Va. He is a native of Eastern Carolina and was reared at Greenville. Staff members of the office are Edward Gray and William B. Wi ley, field representatives; Eugene L. Montfort and Earl Tyler, claims representatives; Mrs. Grace H. Mitchell and Mrs. Kitty L. Willetts, stenographers, and Miss Louise Anderson, receptionist. The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday. The public, in addition to calling at the office for official services, is invited U visit the office this week, according to Mr. Thom??. There will be an informal open house but not a formal ceremony. State Board Issues Allocations Report After deduction of money to cover bond sale expense and ad ministration of the fund, Carteret will get $170,142.87 as its share of the second $25 million bond issue. The amount originally announced for this county has been reduced by approximately $330 which cov ers the two expenses mentioned above. H. L. Joslyn, county superin tendent of schools, said that the bonds have not been sold as yet, but Carteret is going ahead with filing the request for its share. The State Board of Education acted on specific allocations at a meeting in Raleigh Thursday. Contract Carrier, Taxi Licenses on Sale Here Contract carrier and taxi licen ses will be on sale each Friday morning through Feb. 15 at the Morehead City police station. Inspector M. E. Bullard of the Department of Motor Vehicles will be there Fridays at 9:30 a.m. to sell the tags. ? With Thursday's surveyal of the< Newport River, an extensive study on flood prevention was launched. B. F. Ingram, agriculture en gineer with the Soil Conservation Service, Kinston, traveled the river with David Jones, soil conserva tionist: Howard Garner, conserva tion aide; Moses Howard, rounty board chairman; R. M. Williams, county farm agent; and Monroe Garner, skiff captain. The party left the prison camp landing and went toward the oyster rock where the river widens. Then they returned toward the head of the river, crossed under the bridge at Highway 70 and went as far as possible before running aground. After lunch, they went by car and viewed the river at points where it branches out south of Newport in the vicinity of the Nine Foot Road. To Take Soundings Mr. Jones and his aide will now continue the survey, measuring depth of water (especially on the mud flats), noting high water marks, width of stream and other factors which will help determine what type of flood control is feasi ble. Mr. Jones said that they will have to call on the residents in the area for certain informaiton. He estimates that this work will take at least a week. To Compile Report Then this data will be sent to Mr. Ingram who will compile the "preliminary report." This will in clude a proposal for preventing flood of the river and an estimate on how much the project will cost. Mr. Jones says the preliminary report should be ready by April 1. New Employee Law in Effect To explain the employment se curity l?w which now affects em ployers of four to seven workers, a representative will be in Morehead City Thursday, Jan. 26. Employers, lawyers, accountants, or others who may be interested, are invited. The meeting will begin at 8 p.m. in the courtroom of the Morehead City Municipal Building. Until the North Carolina Gen eral .Assembly amended the state law to conform with the federal law, only employers of eight or more workers had to participate in the unemployment insurance pro gram. The North Carolina amend ment was made in 1955 and became effective the first of this year. Although there are some exemp tions, practically all persons em ploying four to seven persons come under the new amendment. In addition to meetings sched uled throughout the state to ex plain the law, the Employment Se curity Commission is getting infor mation to employers affected. Hen ry E. Kendall, chairman of the commission, said the failure of an employer to receive this informa tion does not relieve him of respon sibility in complying with the law. Any employer may choose to come under the law regardless how many he employs. News in a Nutshell INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE EAST continues to boil as new rioti flare in Jordan. Jor dan is now without a government, a condition which cauaes a shaky situation in bordering nationa as well as in the tiny state. ~ ? ~ " ALGERIAN nationalists lost no time in placing demands before the new French assembly. Algeria, now considered a part of France's African empire, wants recognition as a separate nation. THE BATTLE betwern Formosa and the China mainland, which la carefully called anything but war, continues. Communist and Na tionalist artillery batteries are slamming away at each other. NATIONAL PRESIDENT EISENHOWER has returned to Washington from Key West and yesterday sent a message to Congress outlining a farm pro gram which the Republicans hope will pull the farmer out of the dol drums. VIRGINIA was the focal point of the nation's ayes yesterday as voters went to the polls to express their opinion on diverting public funds to "private" schools. The measure is proposed to side-step the Supreme Court's integration ruling. AM> CHAIN STORE president. Ralph W. Burger, says 19M retail food prices should be about the same as in 19SS. Food prices last year were U per cent lower than in 1954 and 4.8 per cent below the peak reached in 1992. STATE ALONZO C. EDWARDS, former State Farm Bureau president, will seek nomination as lieutenant gov ernor in the spring primaries. Kidd Brewer. Raleigh insurance man and columnist for several North Carolina weeklies, is also expected to seek the nomination. FAMOUS FOOTBALL Coach Jim Tatum, former mentor for Mary land's Terrapin Terrors, has ac cepted the coaching job at Uni versity of North Carolina. This change had been rumored for weeks. Tatum replaces George Bar clay, whose contract at UNC ran out Dec. 31. A SM4.M0 FIRS destroyed a two-story building In Waahington. N. C? Sunday. The building housed a department store and dentist's office. Army Unit Will Meet at New Legion Building The Army Reserve Unit, .cap tained by T. H. McQuaid, which had formerly been meeting over the Joe House drug store, Beau fort, has leased the new American Legion building, Lennoxville Road, for a five-year period. The signing of the contract was announced at the meeting of Car teret Post No. 99 Friday night. The building may also be rented by individuals, civic and church organizations. David Hill, Beaufort, is in charge of rentals. For private parties the charge is $10 nightly. Church and civic organizations will be charged $5 nightly. A clean up deposit will also be required. If the building is left in good condition, the deposit will be refunded. Building trustees for the next five years will be William Norris Jr., commander of the post, C. L. Beam and Mr. Hill. It was announced that the O. C. Buck exposition will play on the midway of the Carteret fair Oct. 22-28 of this year. The fair is sponsored by the Legion post. The Buck shows played at the New Bern fair last year. Plans were also discussed for weekly community dances at the Legion building. Ray Cummins met with the Legionnaires and said that arrangements could be made to have them broadcast. Band leaders are being inter viewed this week. The post decided that steps should be taken to have a law of ficer on hand to see that there would be no drinking on the pre mises during the dances. Members of the dance commit tee are Jimmy Range, Mr. Hill and Ben Merrill. It was suggested that Mayor George Dill, Morehead City, and Mayor Clifford Lewis, Beaufort, be guests of honor at the first dancc. Today's the Day To Ask for Surplus Federal Goods Today is the day the govern ment's "giving equipment away." A representative of the State Civil Defense office will be at the courthouse, Beaufort, all day today to take applications from farmers and businessmen who want to buy surplus government property. The government is selling this I property for 10 per cent of cost. Buyers will pay for the cost of shipping it from the federal warehouse to this county. The Civil Defense representa tive will be in the courtroom on the second floor of the court house. He will have a catalog de scribing the type of equipment available. The property is being Offered to farmers and business men who suffered damage to equipment or property in the 1955 storms. $575 for Lung Alvah N. Willis, president of the Lions Club, announced at the week ly meeting Thursday night that $575 has been collected toward purchase of an iron lung. Mr. Willis stated that this | amount was "a drop in the bucket," j in relation to the amount that is needed. He said persons interested in | contributing to the project should make their checks payable to Car teret County Iron Lung Project, c/o Lions Club, Morehead City, N. C. More money is to be raised through the talent show to be pre sented Feb. 16 at Morehead City and Feb. 17 at Beaufort. Ads for the program are now being sold. Owens Frederick reported that seals are still being sold. Pro ceeds are for the sifht-saving pro jects sponsored bf the Lions Club. He asks those who haven't sent in their donations for the seals to do so at once. Four members of the New Bern Lions Club were guests at the meeting. Club to Meet The Gloucester Community Club will meet at 7:30 tonight with Miss Georgia Whitehurst. This is Coffee Day; Crutch Pins Net $748 Sale of Blue Crutch pins got the March of Dimes off too a flying start Saturday. Miss Alida Willis, campaign director, said proceeds amounted to $748.38. Figures from the Davis post were not available at press time. Legion posts in the county sold the pins. When Beaufort's supply gave out, pins given to the New port post were taken to Beaufort. Beaufort's toal was $412.30 and Morehead City's total was $336.08. Members of Carteret Post No. 99 who conducted the sale on Front Street, Beaufort, were Wil liam Norris Jr., commander of the post, Nick Simpson, James Jar man, Harry Edwards, Earl Jones, David Hill. Ben Merrill. C. L. Beam, T. E. Kelly and David Mod lin. Members of Morehead City Post No. 46 who conducted the sale on Arendell Street, Morehead City, were J. B. Rice, commander of the post, Mrs. J. B. Rice, Legion auxiliary president, Mrs. Colon Matthis and Willianrl Wade. Persons who wish to contribute to the March of Dimes by mail should send their checks to Mrs. Clem Johnson, campaign treasurer, Box 651, Morehead City, N. C. Port CaUndar USS Olmstead, US8 Caprlcornus. uss Monrovia and LSD* Plymouth Rock and Ft. Snelliag? Due today at state port as part of Marine movement. M/V ' Patella ? Shell tanker due Thursday at state port with a load of asphalt and fuel oil from Cur acao for Trumbull Asphalt Com pany. USS Mullphen, USS Cambria. USS Oglethorpe. LOT 1156, and LSD San Marc** ? Due Thursday at state port as part of Marine movement. Esso Worcester ? Arrived Satur day and left yesterday, morning af ter unloading a cargo Of petroleum products for Standard Oil. U8N8 Mission Los Angeles? Left yesterday morning after unload ing a cargo of Jet fuel at Aviation Fuel Terminal If you like coffee, drink lots of it today ? and if you don't like it, drink it anyway. Because to day is Coffee Day in the March of Dimes. Most coffee-selling spots in Beau fort, Morehead City and Newport have agreed to turn over all coffee proceeds to the polio drive. The dimes for cups of coffee will be deposited in little aluminum coffee pots lent by Rose's Five and Ten for the day. Pamphlets on polio will also be available at the co operating restaurants and diners. Mrs. Vera Smith, Beaufort, chair man of Coffee Day, has released the following list of places where coffee-drinker* today will help fight polio: Morehead City ? Busy Bee Res taurant. Morehead City Drug Co., Carteret Drug, Goodwin's Pharma cy, Sport Shop. Captain Bill's, San itary Restaurant, Hush Puppy Res taurant. and the Billiard Parlor. Beaufort ? Joe House Drug Store, Guthric-Jone*. Dora Dinette, Cof fee Shop, Holden's Restaurant and The Spot. Cooperating in Newport is Hibbs Soda Shop. Other places which wish to cooperate may do so and turn their coffee proceeds over to Mrs. Smith who can be contacted by phoning 6-4421, the Morehead City bus station. Toastmastari to M??t At Air Bat* NCO Club Members of the Carteret C jnty Toastmastcrs Club will meet with the Cherry Point Toastmastcrs to morrow night at 7:30 at the NCO Club, Cherry Point. J. P. Harris will be topic master and prepared speakers will include E. G Phillips and Jasper Bell of the Carteret County club. All member* are urged to attend the meeting. They will be admitted at the main gate at tha Marine Air Station, according to Theodore Phillip*, publicity chairman of the Carteret County club. The Pelletier 4-H Club will meet at 7:30 Thursday night in the com munity building. Two Hunters Ask Case to be Taken To Higher Court Motorists Convicted, Jail-Breaker Sentenced In County Court Monroe Taylor and Bill Warren appealed to Superior Court after they were fined $250 and half costs each by Judge Lambert R. Morris in County Recorder's Court Thurs day for violation of hunting laws. Bond was set at $350 each. Their gun and flashlight were confis cated. Ganes Thomas Chapman, charged with driving drunk, waived hearing and his case was bound over to Superior Court under $150 bond. A. J. Williams was sentenced to six months on the roads for break ing jail Dec. 23. Williams a'.so faces an assault charge in Super ior Court. Alvin Hodge was sentenced to three consecutive terms of 60 days each on the roads for public drunk enness and faH>ng to comply with former court orders. Fines Paid Fines of $25 and costs were as sessed against John Henry Prit chett and Willie Brown Lawrence, no operator's license and careless and reckless driving; Lloyd Fill ingamc and Oma Stokes Walters, careless and reckless driving. Fines oi $10 and costs were lev ied against Alonzo Jones Jr., speeding; Mabel Anderson Mills, passing at an intersection result ing in an accident, an<1 Ernest Barrett, public drunkenness. Mitchell Wethrington, charged with non-support, was assessed costs and must pay $10 each week for the support of his minor chil dren or serve six months on the roads. Horace Jones was assessed costs on each of three charges of pub lic drunkenness and forcible tres pass. He was given a six-month suspended roads sentence on each charge on condition that he be on good behavior for one year on each count. Bonds were forfeited by Rocky Porter, two charges of issuing bad checks; Johnny Mason Long, no operator's license, and Theron Da vis McCain, speeding. Costs Levied Costs were assessed against Cur tis Josey, speeding resulting in an accident and driving on wrong side of road; and Blanche Morton Springle, failing to yield right of way. Mary Sue Bruce Ratliffe, failing to yield right-of-way resulting in an accident, and William Claud Gillikin, careless and reckless driv ing. Two charges of no operator's license and a charge of careless and reckless driving against Er van E. Hamscey and a charge of careless and rccklcss driving re sulting in an accident against Charles Lester Pake were left open for future prosecution. Cases against the following were continued: L. E. Gillikin, Selby Anderson Fulcher, Elijah Carter Jr., Jack Gillikin. John Carlton Gaskill, Hugh Whalcy, Robert Adams, H. L. Lynch, Arthur Loth, Willie Gray, William Donald Mal loy. Ross Good, John Daniel Martin, David Henry Parker, Walter Joy ner, Freddie Gaston Smith, John J. Jordon, Alexander Sermons, Katherine Wincgar, Rufus Fair Jr., Albert Foster, Manly Rogers Wil lis and Phillip Ray Fulcher. 4 77 Families Apply for Food Since federal food has been dis tributed in the county, 477 appli cations for it have been received by the welfare department. Not all of those have been approved, however. Miss Georgic Hughes, welfare superintendent, reports. Friday was the last day for apply ing for the food to be distributed this month. In the December distribution 376 families were given surplus commodities. Miss Hughes expressed appre ciation to the Curb Market women for their cooperation In letting the market be used aa a distribution point in November and December. The recreation building. More head City, la tentatively scheduled aa the distribution point this month. Th? date has not been act. Membership Totals 111 County Farm Bureau member ahip for the current year standa at 333, according to C. N. Stroud, membership chairman. The yoal waa 400. * Present Highway 70 Bridge Will Remain A new bridge will be built across North River north of the present bridge. County commissioners approved plans for the bridge and the approaches to it at their meeting yesterday in the courthouse. The plans and map were presented by J. L. Phillips, assistant division engineer. State* Highway and Public Works Com mission. The new highway will be about four miles long. The bridge will span North River at a narrow point expected to be immune to storms. The present Highway 70 North River bridge will continue in use. The west approach to the new bridge will leave the foot of the Laurel Road. The east approach will leave Highway 70 at Bettie. Shortens Distance It is estimated that persons from down east who work at Cherry Point will save at least four mites by using th7 p.m. Brunswick Counties as likely locali ties for the packaging. Frozen green shrimp (headed, shells on) has a ready market and this too is a highly likely possibili ty for men in the seafood business, he added. Floe Quality North Carolina, Mr. Ellison aaid, produces fine quality shrimp. Lo cal shrimp has no iodoform taint as does Florida and Gulf shrimp. It is landed within 24 hours after taken and does not have "Mack spot." a conical black spot in the body found in certain shrimp. Mr Ellison said in his report, "While I see no processing in thia state to a large magnitude, I do think that possibilities exist for community activities which will in crease payrolls which in the aggre gate will improve the economic conditions of the whole industry." Mr. Ellison said his final report, which will contain his complete findings and recommendations for development of the seafood indua try, will be completed in about a month. The Joint committee will then embark on fts efforts to help estab lish processing plants wherever possible and feasible. Liquor Storo Sales Amount to $69,213.65 Sales at county liquor' stores last month amounted to 968,213.06. Volume, by stores, was aa follows: Beaufort 127,734, Morehead City *32.273, and Newport S8.216.aB. Sales tax was $6,888.41 and ut profit (8,745.32. Dividends were paid as follows: Beaufort *1,530, Morehead City Hospital (1,788.40, Newport *503.31, and the county, *3.784.71. , Total sales In November *51.808 December sales la were *63J9)40. were i 1