PAGE TWO
THE COASTLAND TIMES
Published Continuously at Manteo, N. C., Since July 4, 1935
The Weekly Journal of the Walter Raleigh Coastland of North Carolina,
Foremost Region of Recreation and Sport, Healthful Living and
Historical Interest On The Atlantic Seaboard
Entered As Second Class Matter At The Postoffice At Manteo, N. C.
Subscription Rates: 1 Year $2.50; 6 Months $1.50; 3 Months SI.OO
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY BY TIMES PRINTING CO., INC., AT
505 LODGE STREET, MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA
VICTOR MEEKINS, Editor
CATHERINE D. MEEKINS, Secretary-Treasurer
Vol XX Manteo, N. C., Friday, May 20, 1955 No. 47
THAT RED HOT $85,000 IS GOING TO BE SPENT
TO GIVE DARE COUNTY FOLKS A NEW JAIL OR TWO.
It is difficult to visualize the workings of the minds of a
group of presumably intelligent men now employed in the
Dare County courthouse, who are persisting in their scheme,
come hell or high water, to spend $85,000 of the money of
the people of Dare County in the tearing down of a brick
building now the county jail, and building a new one, which
will be unfinished. Os course some of the officials, who no
doubt expect to remain in office for life, expect to have a
glorified office or two to strut around in. They wouldn’t
need so much space if they didn’t have to have so much help
to do for them, the work which they are paid to do.
It is amazing, the gall with which your county commis
sioners are planning to spend your money to hold an elec
tion in every precinct in Dare County, and expect you to go
to the polls and vote an extra tax on yourselves whereby
they can borrow more money so they can throw it away on
this foolish project. Really, they do assume the people are
suckers. Maybe it is because the people were suckers enough
to elect them.
You are already in debt and paying interest on $260,000
and they want to bring that debt up to $295,000. Instead of
doing something to lower the debt and lower your taxes,
they want to increase your debt and increase your taxes,
and they are going to work like fury to put this deal across
at the polls at some date to be called soon.
The Board of Commissioners are going to hold a meet
ing at 10 a. m. on May 31, during court week. At that time
efforts will be made to get the Grand Jury to report that this
expenditure is necessary. But the Jury was picked by the
Board of Commissioners, who are putting this deal across.
The State Jail Inspector has said, that by spending a mere
$2,500, the present jail would serve the people better than
the outlay of $85,000 that is planning to be thrown away
on an unfinished building.
Os course they promise to build the people a jail at Bux
ton out of this pot of money. It will look like Dare County
is a tough place; the only county that we know of that can’t
get along with one jail. Quite a distinction for Dare—two
jails.
Well, the county has had two prisoners during the year.
Dare’s prisoners can boast of occupying the most expensive
jail quarters per capita in the Unittd States.
The commissioners have set May 31 for anyone to come
to object to building these jails for two prisoners a year.
It is to be hoped that someone will come out and kick about
it, but it’s not likely to make any difference and cause the
Board to desist. It is their intention to spend this money. It
is burning them up to spend this $85,000. What do they care,
they must spend $25,000 more later on to finish the job, and
then still have nothing of which anyone may be proud. They
want to spend the money. Why, why, why, and who is it go
ing to benefit ?
WHY SPEND $5,000 FOR JAIL AT BUXTON?
As if piling error on top of error, the County Board is
anxious to spend $5,000 to build a jail at Buxton. Some weeks
ago, several citizens of the area, requested <a lock-up be pro
vided to aid the Deputy Sheriff, in case of unruly drunks
needing to be kept overnight, when ferries were not running.
But clearly the jail idea did not meet with the approval of
many citizens, for numerous protests were heard later about
this move.
Now let’s examine into the commonsense of spending
$5,000 for a jail at Buxton. To begin with, the Government
has given the county an adequate brick building on the
grounds of the Cape Hatteras Health Center, which is tem
porarily used by the Masonic Lodge. But the Lodge is plan
ning to build a new home soon. This building could be rented
to the law enforcement division for a lock-up, and the rental
would help support the health center, which the county now
aids with tax funds.
It is most likely that in a matter of three or four years,
Oregon Inlet will be bridged. Then why waste money? It
just seems the officials have gone hog-wild on wasting
money. Maybe the $5,000 for the jail at Buxton is a sop to
buy the vote of Commissioners in that area for the prepos
terous and foolish scheme to build a SIOO,OOO jail in Manteo.
Who is going to get the gravy off this big waste of money
for which the county debt must be increased and taxes rais
ed again ?
HOW COME IT TAKES SO MUCH TIME?
(Hertford County Herald)
It is being predicted now that the overdue adjournment
of the General Assembly will be accomplished by May
twenty- fifth. By this time the legislative leaders estimate,
they will have finished the business for which they were
sent to Raleigh and will be able to come back home.
But more puzzling than when they can adjourn is what
have they been doing these five months that could not have
been done in three. With the exception of the bills to decen
tralize the control of the schools to avoid the immediate ap
plication of tht Supreme Court’s anti-segregation ruling—
a step which we approve with or without the Supreme Court.
—nothing has been done in this session of the General As
sembly that has not been done by other sessions before it
in much shorter time. The time has been spent, it appears,
not in debate or resolution of proposals for progress or re
form but in wrangling with negative proposals of what to
tax and what not to tax. Yet there has been no new depart
ure in taxation. The State has the same taxation system now
that it has followed for more than twenty-five years.
Constructive legislative proposals for reform of present
practices and for new approaches to new problems arising in
a growing state have fared badly while tht men of the Gen
eral Assembly have wrangled and piddled away the past five
months. The proposal for annual legislative sessions has
been killed. The legislators, either afraid of the people who
elect them or jealous of all prerogatives to which they may
lay claim, refuse to permit the counties and towns to solve
their own legislative problems under the proposed “home
rule” amendment to the constitution. The jjustices of peace
reform bill, a reform much needed, has been so mangled
that its most useful provisions have been eliminated.
The legislators have killed a lot of time in Raleigh. They
have killed a lot of useful and needful legislation. They have
done little that is new and constructive. The legislators,
weary with the wrangling, no doubt wish very much now to
return to their homes and everyday pursuits. We might feel
S3lllllO
MR. DOUGLAS SAYS
POLITICS NOT USED
IN HIS DEPARTMENT
This is News Indeed and The
Change Will Be Welcome To
Many Fishermen in N. C.
To The Editor:
I have read with interest and
some concern your editorial of
Friday, May 6, in which you
criticize the Board of Conservation
and Development for extending
the shad season by ten days. May
I assure you that, contrary to the
statements in your editorial, no
political requests were involved in
this extension.
We were advised by experts in ’
our Commercial Fisheries Division
that weather conditions had been i
very bad and had caused a delay I
in the shad run, and an extension '
sorry for them. On the other hand, it might be said that they
brought it on themselves by their own yielding to negative
attitudes rather than taking positive action to do what other
General Assemblies have done in about half the time this
one has consumed.
THANK GOD FOR THIS MUCH!
As if once in two years wasn’t enough for the long-suf
fering people of North Carolina, the House of Representa
tives recently had the temerity to approve a bill whereby
the Legislature would be held every year. What a calamity
it would have been to the state while the counties continue
to be represented by so many of the stumbling blocks to
progress and sane Government who make a profession of
going to the Legislature. A five-months session at the hands
of our “professional” legislators as an annual thing would
be too much for the people of North Carolina.
But fortunately for the people of North Carolina, the
evil day will at least be postponed. The Senate last week kill
ed the bill. In spite of all the assininity displayed by some
members of the same, we can overlook much of it, and thank
God that all reason has not fled, and that we owe them much
for this one act. The Senate has just about redeemed itself.
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THE COASTLAND TIMES, MANTEO, N. C.
would not be detrimental to the
shad population any more than a
normal season would, and would
also be of benefit to the fishermen.
For these and no other reasons we
extended the season by ten days.
I am wondering if you are com-
pletely familiar with the laws and
regulations as they affect shad.
We are criticized by you for ex
tending the open season from May
1 to May 10 yet the North Caro
lina Wildlife Resources Commis
sion is permitted to have an open
season on shad through June 1. I
would like to state also that in the
waters controlled by the Wildlife
Resources Commission the shad
does its spawning and therefore
the longer open season in those
waters ,it seems to me, would be
more detrimental than an open
season in the commercial waters.
The regulations of the Wildlife
Resources Commission make it
possible for that body to license
“special devices” and thus it is
possible to use fixed nets, seines,
and gill nets, as well as skim nets
and dip nets.
Consequently the Wildlife Re
sources group has the authority to
license commercial gear in inland
waters where the most damage
can be done to the shad. It just
does not make sense to me that
anyone should be permitted to use
commercial gear in inland or game
waters. While our commercial
fishermen are barred after May 1,
or after May 10 if the season is
extended, from taking shad, the
non-commercial folks have until
June 1, using commercial gear and,
I am quite sure in my own mind,
sell the shad which brings it in
direct competition with the com
mercial fishermen. So when you
criticize us editorially for making
an effort to protect the interests
of the commercial fishermen, I
feel that sou should take into con
sideration other factors which I
have mentioned.
This Department is trying to do
a good job of promoting the com
mercial fishing industry and at
the same time conserve the fish
resources. Our actions in opening
and closing seasons are dictated
by scientific information furnish
ed us by experts employed by the
State for that purpose, and at no
time do we act because of political
reasons.
With every good wish, I am
Sincerely yours,
BEN E. DOUGLAS
A GRATEFUL GROUP OF LADS
APPRECIATE NEW UNIFORMS
Mr. Victor Meekins .Editor
THE COASTLAND TIMES
MANTEO, N. C.
Dear Mr. Meekins:
Our baseball team, the Manteo
Cardinals, wish to thank you and
your newspaper and members of
the Rotary Clug who helped us get
our new baseball uniforms. Mr.
Brown of the Rotary Club received
the uniforms on Monday and turn
ed them over to our teacher and
coach Mr .Fry who distributed the
uniforms to our team members.
We wore the uniforms in our
first game on Tuesday when we
played Kity Hawk on their dia
mond. We won the game 9 to 1.
Thanks from all of us to the
Rotary Club, and to your news
paper for the uniforms.
Your truly, Manteo Cardinals
HATTERAS PERSONALS
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Burrus of
Norfolk visited Mr. and Mrs.
Luther Burrus.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Glen Gas
kill and Mrs. Betty Gaskill, visited
Mr. and Mrs. Horton Austin.
Mrs. Boyd Peele of Norfolk
visited her mother.
William Preston and H. J. Wil
lis were home for the week end.
Mrs. Brittle Gaskill visited in
panied home by Jack Hames, who
Norfolk last week. She was acom
visited Mr. and Mrs. Ulysses
Peele.
Dock Austin of New York visit
ed his parents, who accompanied
him back to visit with Mr. and Mrs.
Don L. Austin, Mr. and Mrs.
Worth Austin and Mr. and Mrs.
Earl Gray.
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Peele and
children, Gail and Dale have been
visiting Mr. and Mrs. Frazier
Peele.
Charlie Ballance visited his
mother, Mrs. Lina Ballance, at the
Albemarle Hospital.
Steve Burrus spent the week
end with his family.
Mrs.' Kate Burrus left Thursday
for Norfolk.
Rev. Dan Meadows is at East
Lake this week conducting a re
vival.
The Bible Class met at the home
of Mrs. Carl Hollis Friday night
with 15 present. Part of the book
of Proverbs was read and dis
cussed.
Mrs. Minnie Burras led the wor
ship program, and with Mrs.
Kathryn Midgett gave a reading
on a Mother’s Love. The Scripture
was given by Mrs. Maude Austin,
reading the 13th chapter of 7st
Corinthians. Closing prayer by
Mrs. Hazel Foster.
The hostess served delicious pie
Baseball Team: Billy Brown,
Clyde Hassell, Bill Dough, Gary
Meekins, Johnny Cox Larry
Holmes, Ralph Jones, Tommy
Dowdy, Tony Tillett.
Thanks Boys. It’s a pleasure to
do anything to help a fine-looking
bunch of boys like this. EDITOR.
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1955
and coffee. The next meeting will
be at the home of Mrs. Inez Bat
ten.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dale Gray
and children of Manteo spent the
week end with Mr. and Mrs.
Damon Gray.
Gary Austin Was home for
week end.
Mr. and Mrs. Luther Dudley
Burrus, Jr. announced the birth of
a son at the Cape Hatteras Health
Center, May 16th. Weight 8% lbs.
The Hatteras M.Y.F. meeting
met Sunday night, opening with
the song ‘Do Lord” with Mrs. Vir
ginia Austin, pianist, followed
woth Scrinture reading by Sonja
Oden and prayer by Elida Austin,
A poem was read by Cora Joan
Austin. The group sang “No One
ever cared For Me Like Jesus”
followed by a discussion on giving
a 4-H Club program the following
Sunday. The group sang “Give Me '
Jesus” and was dismissed with the
M.Y.F. Benediction.
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