CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES
Cartarat County'i Nawipapar
EDITORIALS FRIDAY. DECEMBER 20, 1957
Dreams Require Money
The interest of Atlantic Beach town
official* in building a municipal build
ing is to be admired, but a word of
caution, we believe, is in order.
The town has already plunged into
one expensive proposition that did not
materialize ? the installing of lines
for a fire-fighting system. The engineer
on that job has not yet been paid. That
the building of the system did not ma
terialize may be chalked up to fate,
fate in the form of hurricane Hazel.
Nevertheless, expensive projects some
times do not materialize the way they
are envisioned.
A small town some years ago rushed
into buying a lot on which it wanted
to put a municipal building. Then the
money wasn't available to put up the
building. The lot sat and sat. Town
boards came and went. Not so long ago
the lot was finally sold ? without a
municipal building on it.
If a town has sufficient money to in
vest in municipal properties and still
meet, with ease, its other expenses,
there is nothing to prevent such invest
ment. But a town which can't meet its
present obligations is borrowing trou
ble when it talks of municipal build
ings.
Every new acquisition, whether it's
a new building, a jeep or a new street,
means that money must be found to
keep the new property in condition.
Beach officials have been speaking of
an ABC store. If they have decided
that this is a project they should un
dertake, and if they can find the money
to buy property to put it on, the store
might be built first and when money
becomes available the municipal build
ing, including a fire station, police sta
tion, and board meeting room, could be
built later.
Placing an ABC store at the beach
may strike fear into the hearts of other
towns in the county that have ABC
stores, but there is little to prevent
putting an ABC store at the beach if
the town wants to do it.
There is an entire new Atlantic
Beach board in office. The commis
sioners are to be admired for their am
bition, their vision and sincere interest
in improving the town. Sometimes,
however, it is well to make haste slowly.
Death Meets Worthy Opponent
Camp Lejeune and the Jacksonville
Jaycees may have found an effective
way to cut the holiday accident toll ?
free coffee bars.
Free coffee and doughnuts are dis
pensed to motorists in the hope that
the coffee break will reduce driver fa
tigue and wake him up sufficiently to
finish the trip home.
The Lejeune provost marshal's of
fice credits the coffee bars with reduc
ing highway accidents, injuries and
deaths by 50 per cent. According to
the Camp Lejeune Globe, the free cof
fee bars operate during peak traffic
periods at the tail end of holidays
when long trips are the rule and acci
dents are most likely to happen.
The three free coffee stops operated
first on the Fourth of July, again on
Labor Day and on the Thanksgiving
weekend. To date, they have dispensed
12,000 cups of coffee and 300 dozen
doughnuts.
The traffic analysis which led to
establishment of the coffee bars at Le
jeune showed that
1. Fifteen per cent of all Marine-in
volved accidents result from the
driver going to sleep at the wheel
2. Most of these accidents are seri
ous or fatal
3. Ninety-three per cent of accidents
involving Marines happen within
20 miles of Camp Lejeune
Safety officials realized that drivers
had to be wakened and refreshed be
fore entering the 20-mile danger zone.
In the Lejeune area, the Jacksonville
Jaycees provide the coffee and some of
the manpower. The Marine Corps fur
nishes the equipment, doughnuts and
manpower.
(Operating 30 miles from the base,
the bars serve coffee from sunset until
dawn on the nights when holiday
leaves are ending.
The Lejeune idea has spread. Ac
cording to The Globe, they have been
made a statewide project of the North
Carolina Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Pennsylvania has taken up the project
and Virginia and South Carolina state
Jaycees have requested information on
the coffee bars.
Free coffee and doughnuts is quite
an inducement. Even so, lots of drivers
do not know when they are tired and
need a break. After a long trip, a sort
of numbness settles over the driver. As
he gets nearer his destination, he gets
more anxious to get there, so he steps
on the gas.
Along with the coffee bars will have
to go some educating: "Stop at a cof
fee bar, take a break! Five minutes of
relaxation is a lot shorter time than
eternity."
We hope this project will not have
to be abandoned some day because of
free loaders, for we think it is one of
the most concrete methods ever devised
to cut the high holiday traffic toll.
The Reds of Wall Street
(Greensboro Daily News)
Are Russian Communists buying
American corporate stocks?
Senator Eastland of Mississippi, for
one, is fearful that they are. He is look
ing sharply at the large increase in pur
chase of stock by residents of Switzer
land from 1955 to 1956 ? a jump of
$111,000,000 to $118,0000,00.
Since the laws of Switzerland prohi
bit disclosure of "banking secrets" such
as the identity of the individuals for
whom a Swiss bank acts, Senator East
land is highly suspicious.
There is no way of knowing who the
purchasers are, so the United States
does not know whether the law requir
ing identification of stockholders who
own more than 10 per cent of shares of
a corporation is being violated.
Have the canny Swiss merely fallen
victim to stock market fever which in
recent years has paralleled the wide
spread dabbling of the '20's? Or is
there a more sinister explanation?
Senator Eastland thinks that the Rus
sians may be buying stocks in Ameri
can enterprises through Swiss banks
and financial institutions. He believes
that by acquiring such stocks they
could use their positions as stockhold
ers to get hold of secret scientific in
formation in the hands of United
States companies. Just how is not ex
plained.
But whoever would have thought
that Russian Communists would invest
in, say. Gen Motors, Beth Steel, Radio
Corp, U S Steel, Westinh El or Nor
Am Avia?
What an advertisement for the free
enterprise system.
Carteret County News-Times
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DANGEROU^URV^HEAD
rOEATH^
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-r-n I II n
Littlest Angels'
Bathing Hour
By UN DA KAY SALTEK
Beaufort, N. C.
Little Angels white as snow ?
Bathing in a tub, you know
Leave around the edge a ring
Of sparkling Stardust from their
wing.
All around the bathroom, scattered
Little feet have pittcr-pattered
Tiny foot prints all aglow
Tracked in gold from their halo.
All the other angels go
As the dusk begins to grow
To stand and watch a little while
Golden curls and baby smiles
Pearly drops that fly in showers
"Littlest Angels' bathing hour".
Security for You...
By RAY 1IFNKY
From T.F. of Now York City:
"When is the Social Security tax
scheduled to go up again and how
much will the increase be?"
The next scheduled raise will be
Jan. 1. 1%0. The tax for an em
ploye will be 2% per cent of the
first $4,200 a year in wages. The
employe's boss will have to match
this. The tax for a self-employed
person will be 4*6 per cent of the
first $4,200 a year in net earnings.
From D. H. D. of Alhamhra,
Calif.: "I've been a railroad work
er for more than 11 years. Before
that, I worked for a private com
pany. I worked for the private
company and paid Social Security
tax from the day it started. When
I reach retirement age will it be
possible for me to collect retire
ment payments under Railroad Re
tirement and Social Security?"
You will if you have worked
long enough under both retirement
systems to qualify for payments.
Your 11 years work for the rail
road qualifies you for railroad re
tirement. From the facts in your
letter, it also appears that you
worked under Social Security long
enough to qualify for payments. 1
suggest you talk the details over
with your Social Security office.
Handel and The Messiah
Mrs. Robert Pincr cave an ac
count of the background of Han
del's Messiah at a recent Beau
fort Woman's Club meeting. It
follows:
The glorious music of The Mes
siah that gladdens the world at
Christmastidc was created out bf
the depths of despair and afflic
tion?a testament to the power of
faith.
Handel, the 56 year old com
poser, was sick, destitute and his
work seemed doomed to failure
when the miracle occurred.
Handel and his Italian operas
had been the rage of London; King
George I had been his host and
patron. Then, many influential
writers and leaders of the smart
society arrayed against him. Grad
ually his fortunes declined ? the
I-ondon public abandoned opera in
favor of French farces and Handel
lost his influence with the king.
To ridicule Handclian music, ri
val impressarios filched his best
known melodies and staged a ruin
ous burlesque called The Beggar's
Opera. Failure followed failure in
the theater and Handel's creditors
threatened him with prison.
Bitterness Descends
One night, after wandering aim
lessly through the streets of Lon
don, Handel returned to his flat
feeling in his heart the bitterness
of utter defeat: he had lost faith
in his own ability.
Mechanically, he lighted the can
dles, and noticed a package on his
desk. On the letter beside it was
the familiar handwriting of Jen
nens, his librettist.
Jennena had been a devoted
friend through the composer's mis
fortunes, but his rhymes were
faulty and amateurish. Not even
the best music could redeem them.
So, wearily Handel opened the
new manuscript and began to
read:
Comfort ye, comfort ye my peo
ple, saith your God. Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make straight
in the desert a highway for your
God . ..
And the glory of the Lord shall
be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together; for the mouth of
the Lord hath spoken it.
No lumbering verses these, Han
del marvelled, but poetry of power
and wondrous beauty. He read on.
For behold 1 bring you good tid
ings of great joy, which shall be
to all people. For unto you is born
this day, in the city of David, a
Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord ...
Hallelujah! For the Lord omni
potent rcigncth. King of kings, and
Lord of lords: and He shall reign
for ever and ever. Hallelujah I
Music Floods Mind
Then the miracle took place.
Harmonies of mighty choruses,
music of violin and organ and
trumpet flooded the barren mind
and heart of George Frederick
Handel. He reached for his pen
and began to dab the notes onto
paper.
Night and day the music poured
forth, always faster than the
crippled fingers could capture the
melodies and write them down.
Handel worked in such a fever of
intensity that afterwards he was
to confess: "Whether I was in my
body or out of my body as 1 wrote
it, I know not."
He slept at intervals, but never
soundly?never out of hearing of
the music that tormented him His
manservant brought food from
time to time, but usually returned
to find the tray untouched and
liandel sitting motionless, staring
into space while tears dribbled
down his face and fell upon the
paper, or with his head on his
arms, his giant frame racked with
sobs.
After Creation
When the final note was written
the manuscript was a maze of
notes, blots, and fierce erasures;
but is was the imperishable music
of The Messiah. Emotionally and
physically exhausted, Handel stum
bled to his bed and slept for 17
hours.
He awoke refreshed, lie had
written all the bitterness out of
his heart and, miraculously, hi&
creative power had been so re
stored by the ordeal that within a
few days he was able to fling him
self into the composition of a new
oratorio.
Handel could not bear the
thought of submitting to a capri
cious society audience the sacred
music that had been born of his
own profound emotion. So, at first
he refused to present The Messiah
in London.
In Dublin a reverent and spell
bound audience first heard the ora
torio that today is loved through
out the world. The profits, more
than $2,000, Handel used for the
relief of men who had been im
prisoned for debt.
Handel, whose misfortunes had
brought him within the shadow of
a debtor's prison, rejoiced that his
music had been the means of free
ing less fortunate men.
Handel wailed almost a year lie
fore he had the courage to offer
The Messiah to the London pub
lic.
Immediately his enemies
launched a campaign of vilifica
tion. Street urchins were hired to
tear down his posters as fast as ha
could put them up. Society women
organized balls and private con
certs on oratorio nights and point
edly sent invitations to Handel's
faithful patrons.
Critics Cry Sacrilege
Theater goers who giggled over
lewd farces then current in Lon
don, protested that Handel pro
faned the Scripture by setting it
to dramatic music. Bigots took up
the cry. Branding The Messiah as
sacreligious, they tried to obtain
an injunction against its perform
ance on the grounds that Covcnt
Harden was a place of worldly
amusement!
Clerics denounced the blasphemy
of printing the word "Messiah" on
a playbill and for a while it was
advertised only as "A Sacred Ora
torio".
For eight years the oratorio was
heard with chilling indifference.
But Handel loved children. When
wealthy sponsors o f London's
Bee THE MES8LAH, Page 2, Sec. 2
From R.L.S. of Baltimore, Md.:
"I've been reading your columns
and have seen a couple that told
about how any income 1 earn af
ter I retire will affect my Social
Security payments. Could you tell
me where 1 can get any printed
information about this?"
Your nearest Social Security of
fice can send you a short booklet
on this subject. Just phone or go
in and ask for the booklet, "flow
Earnings Affect Benefits" (OAS1
23).
From Mrs. A. II. P. of Annapolis,
Md.: "My husband will be 65 next
September and he plans to retire
at that timc..l have never worked.
I'm already 65. My husband will
be eligible for Social Security re
tirement payments and I'll be eli
gible on his Social Security record.
How much will my payments be?
If my husband should die, how
much will my payments as a wi
dow be?"
As a wife, your payments will
be one-half the amount of your
husband's payments rounded off
to the nearest 10 cents. For exam
ple: If your husband will be eligi
ble for the highest possible Social
Security payment?$108.50 a month
?your payments will be $54.30.
As a widow, your payments will
be three-fourths of the amount
your husband was receiving when
he died.
From Mrs. U.S. of Washington,
D. C.: "I recently was divorced
from my husband. Can I receive
payments based on his Social Se
curity record?"
It depends. You can't get pay
ments under any circumstances
while he's alive. You may get sur
vivors payments after he dies?if
you arc caring for a child of his
who is under 18 or who is over 18,
but was disabled before reaching
18, and if you were receiving at
least half your support from him
by court order.
(Editor's Note: You may con
tact the social security repre
sentative at the courthouse an
nex, Beaufort, from 9:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. He will
help you with your own particu
lar problem).
Free Expression Cult
(The following is reprinted from
the Columbia, S. C\, State).
That parents cannot escape
blame for uncontrollable children
is not a thought expressed in this
country alone. The same old
fashioned Idea seems to be current
in Canada also. According to The
London (Ont.) Free Press, Dr.
Percy Lower of the Kingston Board
of Education says psychologists
have created the Impression that
it is more important to keep the
child happy than wellmannered.
"For proof of Doctor I-ower's
statement," the Canadian news
paper says, you have only to look
about you. So widespread la the
crackpot theory that Junior's psy
che must not be bruised that North
America is dominated by the tyr
anny of the young. Children must
not be spanked, corrected or frus
trated. Nothing is too good for the
kiddies."
Continuing, this comment is
made: "What has this school of
psychology brought us? Classes
filled with insolent and indifferent
brats. Teenagers roaming our
streets until midnight and later.
A juvenile crime rate of appalling
proportions. Homes where boys
and girls barely able to walk have
already learned that they, not their
parents, are in charge."
We think The London Free Press
has drawn a rather extreme pic
ture Perhaps the situation isn't
that bad. But that the cult of "free
expression" has done great dam
age is more and more accepted.
As the newspaper says, "Undis
ciplined homes breed an undiscip
lined society, and that is what we
have today."
loulf Spivey
Words of Inspiration
Christmas card* have a warm deep meaning. At thii time we receive
notea from frienda that we hear from only once a year. We write and
receive lovely little messages from new friends.
This year, as the readers of this column send out their cards, I hope
they will remember the three persons who have contributed personal
articles in connection with our Seal Sale. A card or note of apprecia
tion would mean a lot to a shut-in at Christmas time. Their addresses
follow: H. K. Simmons, Route 2 Newport; Mrs. Bertha liarkley, N. C.
State Sanatorium, Wilsun, N. C.; Mr. Roland Salter, N. C. State Sana
torium, Wilson, N. C.
Accident reminders:
December is one of the two deadliest months of the year for accidental
deaths, the National Safety Council says.
Inspect your Christmas tree lights for flaws,
To keep your home happy for Santa Claus.
A little skidding can go a long way
Select children's toys with a Safety Claus in mind.
Famous last words: I'd better get the snow cleaned off this wind
shield at the next town. 1 can't see two feet in front of me.
During winter months, for every thirty pedestrians killed in the three
hours before sunset, 100 are killed in the three hours after sunset.
If your borne isn't safe ? what is?
TIIE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
I am the Christmas Spirit!
I enter the home of poverty, causing pale-faced children to open their
eyes wide in pleased wonder.
1 cause the miser's clutched hand to relax, and thus paint a bright
spot on his soul.
I cause the aged to renew their youth and to laugh in the old glad way.
I keep romance alive in the heart of childhood, and brighten sleep with
dreams woven in magic.
I cause eager feet to climb dark stairways with filled baskets, leaving
behind hearts amazed at the goodness of the world.
1 cause the prodigal to pause a moment on his wild, wasteful way, and
send to anxious loved ones some little token that releases tears ? toars
which wash away the hard lines of sorrow.
I enter dark prison cells, reminding manhood of what might have
been, and pointing forward to good days yet to come.
I come softly into the still white home of pain, and lips that are too
weak to speak, just tremble in silent, eloquent gratitude.
In a thousand ways I cause the weary world to look up into the face
of Clod, and for a little moment forget the things that arc small and
wretched.
I am the Spirit of Christmas! ? E. C. Baird
May the golden bells of Christmas, the softly falling snow,
The strains of quiet music, the candle light aglow,
Bring to you and your loved ones such serenity and cheer
That your happiness at Christmas will last throughout the year.
? Alice Schacht
Every step toward Christ kills a doubt. Every thought, word, and
deed for Him carries you away from discouragement. ? T. L. Cuyler
Adversities do not make the man either weak or strong, but they re
veal what he is.
YOUR CHRISTMAS GUEST
Take time this Christmas Day to go a little way apart
And with the hands of prayer prepare the house that is your heart.
Brush out the dusty fears, brush out the cobwehs of your care
'Til in the house that is your heart it's Christmas everywhere.
Light every window up with love, and let your love shine through.
That they who walk outside may share the blessed light with you.
Then will the rooms with joy be bright, with peace the hearth be blessed,
And Christ Himself will enter in to be your Christmas Guest.
? James Dillct Freeman
This is the Law
By ROB CRT E. LEE
For the N. C. Bar Association
Underground Waters
N. J. Rouse owned a farm about
two miles from the city limits of
Kinston. He sunk artesian wells on
his land, which produced an abun
dant supply of pure and wholesome
water. The water was used by a
herd of dairy cattle, and the land
became adaptable for irrigation.
The City of Kinston subsequently
sank three ten-inch wells on a half
acre of land acquired from an ad
jacent landowner. The water was
piped into Kinston and there sold
to its inhabitants.
As the result of the wells being
sunk on adjacent land, the wells
on the land of Rouse practically
ceased to flow. The value of his
farm greatly dropped. Was Rouse
able to recover from the city of
Kinston a judgment for damages?
This was an actual case decided
by the Supreme Court of North
Carolina in 1924. It became a lead
ing case dealing with underground
percolating waters, establishing a
rule contrary to that previously .
existing at common law.
Percolating waters arc those that
ooze, seep, or filter through the
soil beneath the surface, without a
defined channel, or in a course that
is unknown and not discoverable
from surface indications without
excavating for that purpose. Un
derground water is presumed to
be percolating water.
Under the old common law rule,
percolating waters were a part of
the soil where found and, as a con
sequence, belonged absolutely to
the owner of the land. Under this
rule, the landowner was not ac
countable in damages to others for
the taking of any or all of such
water.
The North Carolina Supreme
Court adopted in the case of Rous#
vs. City of Kinston, as has been
done by courts of other states in
recent years, the doctrine of "rea
sonable use" of percolating waters.
This rule does not prevent the
private use by any landowner of
percolating waters under his land
for manufacturing, agriculture, ir
rigation, or otherwise; but it docs
prevent the withdrawal of under
ground waters for distribution or
sale, for uses not connected with
any beneficial ownership of the
land from which they were taken,
if it thereby follows that the owner
of adjacent lands is interfered with
in his right to the reasonable use
of water under the surface of his
own land.
Rouse recovered in damages
$9,000 from the City of Kinston. It
made an unreasonable use of the
percolating waters under its own
one-half acre of land. The taking
of great quantities of water and
selling it to the inhabitants of the
City of Kinston was an unreason
able interference with the water
rights of an adjoining landowner.
Smile a While
She stormed into the office of the
private detective agency and de
manded an interview. Immediate
ly, she launched into a tirado
against her husband. Finally, the
manager was able to get in a few
words. "Just what do you want
us to do about it, madam?"
"I want my husband and that
woman followed," she declared,
"I want them followed night and
day. and then I want you tu make
a full report of what she sees in
him."
A young widow commissioned a
stonemason to inscribe her hus
band's tombstone: "My sorrow it
more than 1 can bear."
Before the inscription was fin
ished, she married again. The ma
son asked her if she still wanted
the inscription.
"Yes." she replied, "but just add
the word