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=5= CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES ??
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48th YEAR, NO. 8. TWO SECTIONS TWELVE PAGES MOBEHfcAD CTTY AND BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY. JANUARY 9, 1969 PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS
County Menhaden Factories
Report Average Fishing Year
Manager Gives
Finance Report
On Chamber
? Morehead Chamber
Board Studies Survey
? Membership Meeting
Will Be in February
J or DuBois, manager of the
Morehead City Chamber of Com
merce, at a meeting of the board
of directors Monday night, report
ed that the chamber ended 1958
with a balance of $341.
Most of this amount was from
persons who paid their 1959 dues
early.
Mr. DuBois also reported on the
results of a survey conducted by
the chamber. Of the persons re
turning questionnaires, 80 per cent
think the town needs a convention
hall; 70 per cent would buy stock
in a corporation organized to build
such a hall; SO per cent would con
tribute toward equipping the rec
reation building for convention use.
Seventy-two per cent want an
outdoor sign at Bridgeton directing
tourists to take US 70 to Morehead
City; 75 per cent want a sign an
US 17 directing traffic to the coast;
98 per cetn want more advertising
to attract retired couples.
Ninety-two per cent want to con
tinue publication of a complete cen
tral coastal brochure; 86 per cent
want a quarterly chamber news
bulletin; 50 per cent want semi
annual chamber meetings.
Twenty-five per cent want month
ly chamber meetings; and 75 per
tent want a host school (to teach
waiters, clerks, etc. how to deal
with tourists) to be held in More
bead City in April.
Mr. DnBaia was instructed to
make arrangements for having the
host school.
President J. M. Davis appointed
a committee of Shelby Freeman,
Mr. DuBois and himself to plan a
membership meeting for February
for an open discussion of securing
adequate convention facilities and
bringing in more industries.
George McNeill asked if there
was a way in which the chamber
could aid in reducing the More
head City Centennial debt. The
board members agreed that this
is a worthy cause and expressed
the hope that the chamber might
be able to contribute later.
Directors attending were Mr.
Freeman, Mr. McNeill, S. A. Chalk
Jr., W. B. Chalk, Walter Morris,
Bud Dixon, Dr. Russell Outlaw,
Dick Parker, and Edgar Swann.
Pastors Proceed
With Revival Plan
Ceanty ministers voted Monday
to invite Bobby Jackson, South
Carolina evangelist, to come to the
county to discuss a proposed coun
ty-wide revival. The Rev. W. R.
Hales, pastor of the Free Will Bap
tist Church, Beaufort, was appoint
ed to make plans for the confer
ence with Mr. Jackson.
The Rev. Virgil Moore, pastor
of Camp Glenn Methodist Church,
was asked to investigate the pos
sibility of obtaining the motion
picture. The Life of Albert Schweit
zer, for showing in the county.
Ike Rev. A1 Daniel, pastor of
the Wildwood Presbyterian Church,
was appointed to represent the
ministers' association at the meet
ing of the North Carolina Council
of Churches at Duke University
Jan. 27 and 28.
The program was presented by
the president, the Rev. John Cline,
pastor of Ann Street Mctbodist
Church, who spoke on church
members who fail to attend.
The opening prayer was given by
Dr. L. J. Carrick, interim pastor
at the First Baptist Church, More
bead City, and the cloaing prayer
waa given by the Rev. Ralph Flem
ing, pastor of St. James Methodist
Church, Newport.
Ministers attending for the first
time were the Rev. M. 0. Sears,
pastor of the Missionary Baptist
Church, Newport, aad Mr. Moore.
Beaufort Motorist* May
Got Tags at Town Halt
Chief of police Gay Spriagla re
minds owners of cars in Beaufort
that town auto tags are now avail
able at Am town ban.
Tags must be on the can by Feb.
U. Price is *1.
Operators of the five menhaden4
factories in the county generally
agreed that the 1958 fishing season
wai (air but far from spectacular.
Their opinion of the weather for
fishing varied from "about nor
mal" to "worse than usual."
The most optimistic report was
made by Wesley Willis, manager
of Standard Product* Co., Lennox
ville Road. Mr. Willis said that
the past season was as good as
any of the three seasons they have
been in operation. He laid they
caught a third more fish this year
than last.
The three seasons Included 1856,
generally regarded as the best in
many years. Mr Willis pointed out
that 1956 was the first year Stand
ard Products Co. had fished here
and the company had more boats
here this year.
Mr. Willis announced that the
company was studying plans to
enlarge the present plant during
the summer months.
W. H. Potter, owner of Beaufort
Fisheries, says there was only one
week of weather bad enough to
keep his boats tied up. While he
said the season just ended was
better than 1957, neither of these
years came close to 1956 in his
opinion.
Beaufort Fisheries is the only
plant that is in operation on a
"year-round" basis. Mr. Potter
says his boats will fish all of this
week then tie up until the first of
May.
The summer fishing season ex
tends from May through October.
Last summer was not particularly
good fishing, Mr. Potter declared.
He estimated catches to be about
25 per cent of normal inside and
about 50 per cent of normal out
side.
"I hare never seen one fishing
season yet that I was satisfied
with!" Mr. Potter concluded.
The Fish Meal Co., West Beau
fort, is the largest operation in the
county. Plant manager A1 Bier
mann estimates that catches this
winter were about 15 per cent
above those of 1957 and five per
cent under the catches brought in
during 1956.
Mr. Biermann says the weather
was "fair" and that there seemed
to be good numberi of fish in the
? , s?-',
George Wallace, owner of Wal
lace Fisheries, Morehcad City,
agreed that there were plenty of
fish. "Our airplane spotters, as
well as the boat captains, said
that there were plenty of good-size
fish. The weather didn't permit us
to get as many of them as we
could have under more favorable
circumstances," he said.
Mr. Wallace estimated this win
ter's catch at 60 per cent of the
catch for 1956. He said it was about
five per cent above 1957.
R. W. Taylor of R. W. Taylor.
Co. said his factory processed
about the same number of fish
this winter that it did last season.
He said that his boats brought in
slightly above half of what they
landed in 1956.
Mr. Taylor agreed that there
were plenty of fish this season.
"We just couldn't get to the fish.
The weather was worse than aver
age, in my opinion," he said.
Full-time maintenance crews are
already on the job at all the fac
tories. Already it is time to begin
getting the equipment ready for
next winter's rush.
Phone Fighters
Receive Refund
? Treasurer Gives
Report on Costs
? $6.55 Returned From
Amount Sent by Paper
John D. Wilson, treasurer of the
East Carolina Phone Fight com
mittee, yesterday returned $6.55 to
THE NEWS-TIMES as its portion
of the refund to those who helped
finance the 1958 fight against Caro
lina Telephone's proposed higher
rates.
Since this money does not belong
to the newspaper, but to those who
contributed to the fight, THE
NEWS-TIMES proposes to donate
it to the March of Dimes. The total
contributed by newspaper readers
to the campaign against higher
rates was $05.45.
Mr. Wilson's letter accompany
ing the refund check, follows:
Carteret County News-Times
Morehead City, N. C.
Gentlemen:
Enclosed please find a check for
your pro-rata share of the unused
portion of funds donated by cities,
counties and individuals to fight
telephone rate increases. Cash re
ceipts of $8,437.30 were shown in
an audit of the Treasurer's rec
ords. After expenditures for attor
neys and rate expert's fees and
, other necessities there remains a
'balance of $648.30. This amounts
! to a refund of one and one-half
cents for each twenty cents con
tributed.
This fight was well worthwhile,
though hoped-for results were not
achieved, for the wide response
indicated throughout the Carolina
Telephone and Telegraph Company
service area was an excellent
cross-section of public opinion.
Such a demonstration cannot be
ignored indefinitely.
I feel that I can- apeak for every
member of the East Carolina
Phone Fight Committee and say
that your support was most grati
fying. Let me thank you for the
privilege of working with the Com
mittee in this public service pro
gram. With very best wishes, I am
Sincerely,
; Joha D. Wilson, Treasurer
Temperature Drops
To Low for Winter
The mercury dipped to It early
Tuesday morning, low mark (or
the winter. Weather observer Sta
nley Davis points out that in De
cember of last winter the tempera
ture dropped to 16.
The mercury began to get back
to normal Wednesday, when it re
corded a high of 55. Warm, cloudy
weather was reported for yester
day. Maximum and minimum
temperatures and wind direction
since Monday follow:
Max. Mln. Wind
Monday SI 24 NW
Tuesday 37 1? NW
Wednesday ... 55 30 SW
Officer Examines Car
Capt Carl Buck, HoRkeii CKy pdinkai, cxamlaea tke M la
a liafci <X Ac 1M7 Deflate that callhM wKh a Mtyde rIMa by
Michael BeaM Maariay afttraiaa The HtiM ?uuN la the UN
Mack tl E<au Hmt Michael, I, waa Inpmhi at Ac Morehea4
CKy nulll yaateriay. Ba had a hcata caacatalaa a Ml ital frac
tal*. The car waa *tm fcy Charlca Jaiiaa, Marc he a4 CKy, the
? . - ? -7V ' ? ^ ? -
Morehead City Goes Back to $1
Town Auto Tag Rate; $2 Illegal
Dollar Donation Will Be
Accepted for Firemen Suits
Morehead City town com
missioners raised the tag rate
when firemen requested four
"hot papa" suits so they
could fight fires more effec
tively. There was no money
in the budget to meet cost of
the suits.
The four outfits, two for the
downtown fire station and two for
the West End station, protect fire
men from heat, enabling them to
go up to a wall of Dame or through
it. Cost of the suits will be 1580.
They had already been ordered
before it was discovered Tuesday
that the $2 auto tag rate, which
would have brought the town $1,600
additional revenue, was illegal.
Firemen, of course, would be dis
appointed if they didn't get the
suits ? and there's no place from
which the money can come. THE
NEWS-TIMES suggests, therefore,
that persons who would like to do
nate a dollar for the firemen's suits
do so when they go to buy their
town tags.
If the tZ rate were legal, the ex
tra dollar would be paid anyway.
But aince it'a not, some folks who
appreciate what the firemen do
may be willing to give the dollar.
Tbia proposal has met with
Mayor George Dill'a approval.
If penons who have already
bought their tags would like to have
their dollar back, the town will re
fund it at the clerk's office. If they
would just as soon donate it to the
firemen, the motorist must inform
the town clerk's office of his desire
to do that.
The dollar overcharge on the
town tags would probably have
been discovered sooner or later.
By catching it early, though, the
town has been saved a lot of un
necessary clerical work connected
with refunding and is now within
the law
Grasa Fire
Newport firemen put out a grass
fire at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday near the
home of Mrs. Herbert Gray Jr.,
Masonlown Road. Firemen said
the fire started from burning
trash.
School Bond Vote
Will be Feb. 28
County resident! will go to the
polls Saturday, Feb. 28, to vote on
a $2V4 million bond issue (or new
schools.
II persons are already registered
to vote in a general election, they
need not register again. If, how
ever, persons have never voted in
this county and have lived here
long enough to be permitted to
vote, they may register between
Saturday, Jan. 31 and Saturday,
Feb. 14.
On three Saturdays, Jan. 31, Feb.
7 and Feb. 14, the registration
books will be open at the polling
places in each community. On Sat
urday, Feb. 21, the right to vote
of anyone registered may be chal
lenged.
On weekdays other than the
above-mentioned Saturdays, regis
trars can register persons at their
homes. Names of citizens who
want to vote cannot be taken over
the phone, nor may the registrar
take the name of the person if
they happen to meet on the street.
Registration books arc open from
9 a.m. to sunset.
What They're Saying About
The Proposed Bond Issue
Between now and Feb. 28, date
of the school bond referendum,
many opinions will be expressed on
the proposed school program. Be
low are listed the opinions seeming
to prevail at present, both for and
against, the bond issue.
There are other opinions, of
course, but at the moment it seems
that what one wants in tne way
of school* will determine largely
whether he's for or against the
bond issue.
If consolidated schools are want
ed, the only way to get two ol
them soon enough to alleviate over
crowded conditions is to borrow
the money.
If people are satisfied with pres
ent small community high schools,
a pay-as-you-go plan is feasible. If,
however, a law la enacted by the
forthcoming legislature enabling
the county to accumulatc funds
from year to year, a raise in the
tax rate may mean that in about
three or four years work could be
gin on a consolidated school some
where in the county.
If a bond issue is approved, work
can start on a new school imme
diately, education officials My,
with the school opening its door*
in 1M1.
? For ike bond line:
1. The only way to get two consolidated schools,
the more desirable plan, is to borrow the
money so that there will be enough funds to
get the new schools up as soon as possible and
thus do away with crowdcd conditions.
2. The Local Government Commission suggests
that $2V4 million In bonds NOT be marketed
at once. Therefore, if at least $1 million is
obtained, work can be started on the badly
needed school in the western part of the
county.
3. If a bill is passed in the legislature to enable
counties to accumulate money over the years
to build schools, at least several years
would have to pass and the tax rate more
than doubled to accumulate enough money to
put up a million dollar school building. If a
bond issue passes, building of the west Car
teret high school, at least, could begin.
4. Without consolidated schools, our children will
continue to get sub-standard education, be
limited in the courses they can take and find
themselves way behind other boys and girls
in college.
1 5. New conolidatcd schools will be built in such
a manner that they can easily be added to
when population growth demands adding
classroom apace.
6. The proposed plan calls for ear-marking a
million dollars for the "west" high school and
a million for the "east" high school, the re
maining $500,000 to be used to renovate the
preaent buildings which would be used for
primary and grammar grades.
T. The County Board of Education plans to op
erate thi proposed new buildings, and the
others, at the present 20 cents per hundred tax
rate which people are already paying, plus
the approximate $100,000 schools get annually
in fines and forfeitures from the courts.
9. Our Negro schools can be improved. They
have been improved steadily in recent years
and will continue to be. That is no issue.
10. No matter which way we go, repair schools
piecemeal or conaolidate, taxea will be raised.
Two Mg consolidated schools, easily expand
able, are the best buy for the money.
11. When public officials take office, they are
charged with the duty of acting ic the best in
terests of the people. It is not fair U> demand
a f the board of education ? although specific
plans may be forthcoming ? that they aet
down eaoh tiny detail of the proposed pro
gram. No one knows what the tax rate will
be. The figure, now mentioned as the rite,
whether bond issue or not, is tl.60 per hun
dred. But no one will really know until the
bonds are sold and rate of interest aet.
12. If wa have better school facilities, we can at
tract the good teachers. Taacbers will not ac
cept lobs, at equal pay, in a crowded, run
down school if they can tetch in a modern
?chant where they are not crowded.
the bond Issue:
1. We don't need consolidated schools, and it
would be better to raise taxes and use a cou
ple hundred thousand dollars each year to im
prove our present school buildings.
2. To borrow $2H million means that we would
be paying out hundreds of thousands of dollar*
in interest ? money that we could use here.
3. Everybody's living on borrowed money. The
nation is in debt, everyone is in debt. Roger
Babson, financial advisor, says, "The three
hopes of America are our churches, our
schools, and a desire to "pay as you go".
4. Our education is fine as it is. Boys and girls
get "lost" in consolidated schools and taking
a high school from a community impairs com
munity growth. Besides, we have yet to see
what "better courses" will be offered at a
consolidated school.
5. If Morehead City School, where overcrowding
is worst, consolidates with Newport and that
school is built first, most of the 12 'A million
will probably go into that building.
6. It has been said that just IS cents is neces
sary, over a number of years to pay off a
school bond debt, but the cost of keeping up
two new buildings and running buses to them
will amount to something. Nobody has said
yet how much more in taxes that will take.
7. If Newport docs not want to consolidate with
Morehead City, and the bond issue passes
anyway, then the consolidated plan might not
work, even though the majority vote is for a
bond issue which would permit putting up
consolidated schools.
S. We object to the theory that a bond issue is
the only way to get the money for improving
schools. If the bond issue doesn't pass, schools
still need improving, and the county board has
assured us that some means will be taken to
effect that improvement.
9. We have yet to see what advantages will ac
crue to Negro schools if this bond issue passes.
All we've heard is how the white schools will
benefit.
10. On all point* ? sites, amount of mooey to be
spent and where, courses o< study to be of
fered, transportation, we get nothing but
vague answers. We have to have something
specific to vote on.
11. As for "improving" schools there is a lot more
that could be done right now, in the present
schools, such as teaching the kids how to
read, spell and figure correctly. You don't
need palaces to teach a child that.
12. Regardless of the type of schools, a teacher
will usually go wtaers the pay is higher.
News-Times Discovers
Error; Refund to be Made
Morehead City at 9 o'clock '
Wednesday morning went
back to the $1 rate for town
auto tags. A check of the
state laws by a NEWS
TIMES reporter Tuesday
afternoon revealed that a
rate of more than a dollar is
illegal.
Less thin 200 tagi had been sold
by Tuesday at 5 p.m., the fourth
day of sale of tke IMS tags.
THE NEWS-TIMES on Tuesday
phoned George McNeil), town at
torney, who later verified the fact
that the $2 rate the town had been
charging for tag! was illegal.
Persons who have already bought
their tags may go to the clerk's
office in the municipal building and
receive a refund of ft.
The statute governing the rate
for town auto tags is chapter 20-97:
". . . no county or municipality
shall levy any license or privilege
tax upon the use of any motor ve
hicle licensed by the state of North
Carolina, except that cities and
towns may levy not more than one
dollar ($1) per year upon any such
vehicle resident therein . .
The tow* board voted t! its De
cember meeting to raise the rate
to $2. Mayor George Dill said
Tuesday that he was under the im
pression that the legislature had
passed a law permitting the rate
to go up.
He says that he now recalls that
the bill was killed in committee.
Towns which charge a higher
rate ? as some of them do? have to
get a special law passed enabling
them to do so.
Water Company
Improves System
In Two Towns
C. W. Williams, manager of
Carolina Water Co., reports that
water company erewa have been
busy making Improvements to the
Morehead City and Beaufort water
systems.
In Morehead City, they have run
a sU-lnch line between Arendell
and Evans on 28th Street and have
tied together six-inch lines on 12th
and 13th Streets by running a line
down Bay Street.
Another line on 17th Street will
connect six-Inch lines on Bridges
and Arendell Streets. The com
pany Is waiting tor a permit to go
under the railroad tracks to com
plete the work.
Two new fire hydrants were In
stalled In the Homes Drive section
during November.
In Beaufort workmen have moved
outside switches inside the pump
house to prevent their freezing.
An eight-inch pipe that maintains
the same water level as the out
side aerator tank has been in
stalled Inside to accommodate the
switches.
Mr. Williams says that he has
ordered material with which to
connect the old well to the aerator.
The water from the old well, when
aerated, is free of odor and taste.
By having hot* wells connected
to the water system, Mr. Williams
predicts even better water service
for Beaufort, especially in case of
emergencies such aa fire or
storms.
Tax Collections Last
Month Total $32,91 1.74
County tax collections for De
cember totaled $32,(11.74, E. 0.
Moore, county tax collector, toM
county commissioners Monday.
Collected In December on the
1958 levy was $29.7(4.57, on 1957
and prior levies $2,539.92, and on
buainess privilege licenses $5(7.25.
Percentage of the 1951 levy col
lected to date la (0.4$.
E. L. Brinson, deputy collector
o f delinquent personal property
taxes, collected $1(3.(1.
Tides at Ik* (sithrt Bar
Tick TabU
High
low
Friday, J an. ?
(:13 a.m.
?:40 p.m.
2:09 a.m.
2:38 p.m.
Satarday, Jan. 18
9:01 a.m.
8:30 p.m.
2:48 a.m.
3:24 p.m.
Suday, Jan. II
8:48 a.m.
10:22 p.m.
Monday, Jan. IS
S:S4 a.m.
4:07 p.m.
10:37 a.m.
4:18 a.m.
4:48 p.m.
Two Towns Get
Site Proposals
For 'West' School
School committee! of Newport
and Moreheid City and members
of the Citizena Committees lor
Better Schools of thoie towns met
Wednesday night In the county
board of education office to hear
suggestions of four possible loca
tions of the future consolidated
school between Morehead City and
Newport.
No decision was made. The rep
resentatives from each town were
asked to meet soon, then make a
report of their choice to the board
of education, which will make the
purchaae. It is believed that this
will be done within the next week
or two.
H. L. Jaslyn, county superinten
dent of schools, said that owners
of the four sites have given assur
aaee that tbey would sell the prop
erty. The sites range in size from
30 to 100 acres. Three sites are
located between highways 24 and
70 and one is on highway 70.
Finding sites was handled by a
committee from the board of edu
cation, George R. Wallace, More
head City, and W. B. Allen, New
port. The school committees and
better schools committees thanked
Mr. Wallace and Mr. Allen for
their work.
It was suggested that the towns
people concerned either decide
what they want of the four sites
or propose something else.
The purchase price for the site
is not in hand. If the bond issue
is approved, the money will come
from the bond sale.
The board of education already
owns a plot of ground northwest
of Morehead City, on which it was
proposed several years ago that
a new Morehead City School be
built.
This plot was purchased from
R. R. Barbour with the agreement
that should it not be used for
school purposes, the land would
go back to Mr. Barbour at the
same price for which the board
of education bought it. Mr. Joslyn
said the price was in the neigh
borhood of $4,000.
As for the site for the consoli
dated school east of Beaufort, Mr.
Joslyn said that something def
inite there la expected to develop
soon.
Eubanks Photo
Studio Robbed
Ten dollar! In cash and $462.95
in camera equipment waa stolen
from the Eubank* Studio, Beau
fort, sometime Tuesday night.
Chief of police Guy Springle said
that the studio was entered through
a back door on which the hook was
tripped. Then the inner door was
pried open with a file that was ly
ing in the place.
Stolen, in addition to the cash
which waa in the cash register, was
a 16 mm. movie eamcra valued at
1200, four Polaroid cameras valued
at $199, a> flash attachment valued
at $14.95, two Starflex outfits worth
$15 and Pony outfit worth $34.
Roy Eubanks, owner and opera
tor of the studio, discovered the
theft when he opened for business
Wednesday morning.
W. H. Potter Gives
Program at Rotary
Meeting Tuesday
W. H. Potter discussed some of
the opportunities for this area in
its water resoureea at the Beaufort
Rotary Club meeting Tuesday
night. The club met at the Scout
building.
Mr. Potter, the gueat of Gerald
Hill, discussed points ranging from
the dredging of Ocracoke Inlet to
the re-routing of railroad traffic
acroaa Newport River and Beau
fort Channel.
RotarUn David Jones announced
that Grayden Paul will be in
charge of next week's program.
Mr. Paul will present a movie on
the March of Dimes.
Visitors at Tuesday's meeting
were George Dill, W. B. Chalk and
Bod Dixon of Morehead City and
Mayor C. T. Lewis, Dan Walker
and William Roy HaaOtoa of