Newspapers / The Coastland Times (Manteo, … / May 30, 1958, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Coastland Times (Manteo, 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
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 SPOUT, HEALTH- FUL LIVING AND HISTORICAL INTEREST ON THE ATLANTIC SE.IBOARD Entered as Second Class Matter at the Postoffice in Manteo, N. C. Subscription Rates: Yearly $3.00; Six Months, $1.75; 3 Months, SI.OO PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY BY TIMES PRINTING CO.. INC. AT jjZ- . 505 LODGE STREET, MANTEO. NORTH CAROI.INA VICTOR MEEKINS Editor CATHERINE D. MEEKINS Secretary-Treasurer FRANCIS W. MEEKINS Advertising Manager VOL. XXIII ' MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 30. 1958 NO. 48 THE TIME TO MAKE CHANGES IS SATURDAY Election day is just a wink or two from us. On Satur day, May 31 will be held the Democratic primary, the only place in most counties of the state where the will and wishes of the citizens can be manifested- Our form of Government has made use of the orderly process of the ballot for the improvement of our public af fairs. In this manner people may peacefully and peaceably protest against errors of government. They may express their desires for changes of pubilc servants, or they may endorse those who please them. It is not a place where interested parties should step over bounds and by undue activity, force or fear, intimidate voters into action that might be contrary to their innermost wishes, or against their best interests in the long run. If any evils exist, then Saturday is the day to make ef fort to correct them. Unless the step is taken Saturday, op portunity will not roll around again for another two, and in some cases, four years- If those who wish changes fail to do their duty and go to the polls and act in accordance with their vigorous ex pressions made before the primary, then they will have no right to grumble if changes are not made. If abuses of government exist sufficiently for complaint, then the cause should be sufficient to drive everyone who complains, to take the little time necessary to go out and vote on Saturday. It is not commonsense-to be guided by mere expres sions of sentiment and to be lulled into a false sense of se curity that there are enough people who will vote anyway. Voters must remember that those who ought not to be voted into office, often work harder for the job than those who are merely seeking to be of service to their fellowmen. Sometimes, the ones we don’t need, work hard, and through being well organized, and by sending for voters who are in their favor, get into office, although it is not the wish of the majority of the people. Only by considering that each vote and every person’s is absolutely necessary in order to win, can we make sure to get the relief desired. Let every person Saturday go to the polls and by his ballot indicate that he votes as he talks. Let him cast his vote for free government, for faithful public servants, and for the proper conduct of our public affairs. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF THE PEOPLE’S MONEY STOLEN IN NORTHAMPTON, AUDIT REVEALS. Sometimes people think we say too much on the subject of prompt and proper audits on the management of the peo ple’s money. Perhaps we grow tiresome, but we hold to the theory that no honest man can reasonably oppose an aud it, unless he fears he will be found incompetent. On Wednesday of this week, it was revealed that a be lated audit in Northampton County, in this state had dis covered that many thousands of dollars had been stolen from the school funds, and some 40 or more bills of indict ment are to be brought against several people. This many thousands of dollars belonged to the school children of their county. It was handled by a man who had been in office for 20 years, and who had long been consid ered honest. It is alleged he gave some of this money to peo ple not connected with the schools. Perhaps he showed fa vors to some who could help him keep his job. Dear friends, a prompt audit is good for the honest man. The best of men make mistakes, and if they are not soon corrected can lead to trouble and loss to trie people. An aud it protects him, as well as the people whose money he han dle's There seems to us no sensible excuse for not having audits, particularly when the law demands them. See what Northampton County has lost. See what could happen in any other county. Why can’t we force the officials of our own county to obey the law? Why not demand of them the reason they don’t have our audits up to date ? On Saturday of this week, we can vote into office of ficials who have promised faithfully they will have regulai audits. Now is the time to get some men who will respect their duty to us the people who give them their authority! THERE IS A TIME FOR ALL THINGS. When Saturday’s elections are over, there will continue to be great tasks for the good of the country, and which will need the cooperation of all good citizens. There are people of course, who by their acts will seem to think everything will be all right from this date on. Such however is not the case- When such changes as are deemed necessary have been made, the interest and ac tive cooperation of every person will continue to be essen tial. No person can do his best without the good will and sup port of the people he must serve. They must continue to ad vise him, to aid him, and to make known to him the needs of the people. When election is over, all good citizens will put behind them the animosities sometimes engendered before election, and cooperate with all worthy winners as freely as they would have expected similar cooperation were the situation reversed. CHRISTIAN PEOPLE URGED TO VOTE (From the Christian Advocate) ~... Protestants in general are “neglecting their responsi bility in and for political action, an Emory University pro fessor charged at a meeting in Washington, D. C., March 11. Too many of us assume that politics is a dirty business and wash our hands of it,’’ Dr. E. Clinton Gardner declared at a National Seminar on Alcohol Problems, the Church and ™®P* ca ? Order, sponsored by the Board of Temperance. Protestant influence is not to be gained by “a self-righteous withdrawal from politics,” he said. “What is needed is more concern and participation in political life by Christians.” ♦ _ If America is to be run by the people, it is the people who must think. And we do not need to put on sackcloth and ashes to think. Nor should our minds work like a sundial which records only the sunshine. Our thinking must square against some lessons of history, some of the principles of government and morals, if we would preserve the rights and dignity of men to which this nation is dedicated.—Herbert Hoover. kgUillliH GARBAGE DISPOSAL IDEAS FOR CAPE HATTERAS To The Editor: The people on this island have a problem concerning garbage dis posal. The present method of dis posal involves dumping all gar bage on a privately owned tract of land in Buxton near the sound. This garbage dump is on low flat land and is a scant foot or so above sea level. Naturally, this prevents the possibility of digging any trench or pit on this land to be covered over. With the influx of people over the past few years to this island and the establish ment of the U. S. Naval Facility at Buxton, the problem is fast be coming an insurmountable one. At the same time, we have another perplexing problem. There is no decent play ground or ball field on the island. I personally believe that the provision of an adequate garbage disposal site at this time is of extreme importance. In a very short time it would become an im possible situation. By apnlying a little foresight now, I believe we can prevent the occurence of an unhealthy situation later. It is my intention at the next meeting of the Dare County Board of Commissioners to propose that they contact National Park Serv ice and investigate the acquisition of a tract of land to be used as a permanent garbage disposal site. The tentative plan I wish to pro pose involves the systematic dig ging of trenches on high ground, the fill removed by the process of digging could be transported to the area behind our school and thus provide our children with a playground and ball field we could be proud of. The procedure would not be a very expensive one. I do not maintain that this procedure is the best. I do maintain that definite action is immediately necessary and any proposal is bet ter than none. We have circulated petitions this morning and have them posted at the various post offices on this island. I would sincerely appreci ate it if you would be kind enough UNCLE SAM FROM SYCAMORE WRITES: DEAR MISTER EDITOR: Well, /he Deep Thinkers in Washington is ranging all over the field. Looks like the legisla tive is monkeying with the exe cutive and the executive with the legislative and the judicial is monkeying with both. Them fel lers need to read the Constitution and set the boundary lines again. I got a hunch that this session of Congress is going to be a real hoe-down, a clambake with all the dressings. Whenever you got a Republi can fer President and a Demo cratic majority in both houses— or viser verser—you got a situa tion about like a feller living in the same house with his two ex wives. On top of 'that situation, this Congress has got New Dealism, M oder n Republicanism, and Capitalism. And when they git to arguing up there in Washington, it’s hard fer us folks back home to tell which is which. I ain’t shore 1 know which is why any more. I reckon a new dealer and a modern Republican is a feller that has give up all hope of be coming a capitalist. They used to say that under the New Deal, when a feller has got two cows the Government takes ’em both THE WORLD OF MMMWi- Bro 11^- TOSS LIGHTED J UuuJi Burn brush on a dcy 0R windy day/ jW nearly 2,000,000 acres of southern woodlands were burned IN 1957/ DO YOUR PART TO PROTECT THESE ‘ (nousH mom a* WHr smvks) THE COASTLAND TIMES, MANTEO, N. C. HATTERAS MAN COMPLETES C. G. BASIC TRAINING Cape May, New Jersey—Roy L. Gray, seaman apprentice, USCGR, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Li. Gray of Hatteras, North Carolina, has completed 13 weeks of basic train ing at the U. S. Coast Guard Re ceiving Center, Cape May, New Jersey. Gray entered the Coast Guard in February. Seaman apprentice Gray will now begin advanced small arms training and will later report to the U. S. Coast Guard Training Station, Groton, Conn., and the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Unimak for advanced seamanship training. Upon completion of his six months active duty, he will return to his home reserve unit. Before entering the Coast Guard. Gray attended Cape Hatteras High School. to explain, in your paper, the rea son for the petitions as I have tried to explain above. BILL DILLON Buxton, N. C. BUXTON PERSONALS Miss Barbara Williams, daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Urias B. Wil liams, of New Bern is a 1958 grad uate of Wake Forest College at Winston-Salem. The Williams’ are former residents of Buxton. and then sells him the milk. Un i det Capitalism, when a feller has ■ got just one cow he steals an j otlfer one from his neighbors. I j reckon under modern Republican ism the Guvernment takes both ; cows and then lends you the j money to buy milk with. It’s all too deep fer me, Mis ] ter Editor. I’m still casting my I vote to give the country back to 1 the Indians. I see by some of the papers ' where there’s a rumor that Con | gress is going to ask fer a sal i ary hike after the fall elections, i That figures. They always waits till you’ve scratched the ballot. Back in the first days of our nation a Congressman got $6 a | day fer his services, provided he was setting in session and do ing his job. In 1816 they raised it to $1,500 a year, but the folks ► hollered so loud they put it back to $8 a day. In 1885 they got it I up to $3,000 a year, and in 1865 they hiked it to $5,000, then in ' 1873 to $7,500. and in 1924 they raised it to SIO,OOO. A few vears ago they got it up to $15,000. And here we go again! I think them Indian's would run the country fer us a heap cheaper. Yours truly Uncle Sam MANY LETTERS POURING IN CONCERNING DARE AFFAIRS CITIZENS AND PROPERTY OWNERS are aroused concerning the management of Dare County’s affairs, the recent outrageous attempt to raise large sums of money by the taxation route. We reprint this week a few samples of hundreds of letters written. PRAISES COURAGEOUS VIEW TAKEN BY THIS NEWSPAPER Many letters have come to us from old residents, and others un known to us, but who love Dare County, heartily endorsing our stand for better government and fair treatment in Dare County. This is a sample of the letters to us: \ Dear Editor: Your Coastland Times has just reached me and I have read your “Masterpiece” editorial. It is one of the finest written expressions I have ever read, and I consider it a great privilege to read some thing of such great stature, as this surely is. If it does not draw national attention I shall miss my ability to judge quality writing. I believe what'enhances it so much is the sincerity appparent. You are very convincing about your sincerity and all good sincere citi zens will recognize that, I am con fident. When one’s convictions are of such strength that they are will ing to boldly proclaim a dedication of their remaining days to their community their GOD and to pos terity there is nothng more one could do to be sure, and I am sure that in the writing you have ren dered a service ’ already that w-ill out-live either of us. I would urge that you reprint; it in your next weeks issue on the front page in bolder type, so that it might be a reminder to the good citizens as the time for voting comes near, for even though many good people would like to do the right thing at the polls, they need guidance to the last mile, and I am sure you agree with that. It is my sincere wish and prayers that you will be spared many, many years, because one ’ can not write like you have, ex cept he be inspired by more than the ordinary ever-day writing. I I sincerely believe God is with you, and you can be sure that He will continue to be, so long as you go after things that are wrong, with ’ courage and fortitude born of a ! sincere conviction that you must ' fight for the right. With sincere best wishes and 1 prayers that you shall enjoy many, 1 many years of useful and grati- ! fying service to your peoples, * LOCKWOOD PERRY Miami, Fla» SUFFOLK ATTORNEY WRITES STRONG CONDEMNATION To the Dare County Commissioners I have received the notice show ing valuation of two lots formerly valued at $750 each, increased 180% to $2,100.00 each, for a total of $4,200.00. If it is the purpose of your Board to raise the assessment of every parcel of property in Dare County to its near market value and set the tax rate accordingly, then I could have no quarrel with your Board’s action. However, I am re liably informed that while your “experts” were doubling and trip ling the value of the resort prop erty in Dare County, little change was made in the remaining town ships. Os course, the effect of a re sulting tax decrease, if any, will be to lower the taxes of the re mainder of the county for whose residents your schools are used, (a primary cost of government), and njace the burden of educating Dare children and other governmental costs, primarily upon your summer vacationists. Having spent many summers among your people, it is hard for me to conceive of this action being the wish of the citizens of Dare! County, for it is so manifestly un- 1 fair that I believe it to be fraud-j ulent. I realize, of course, that II have no vote and at this stage my only appeal is to your sense of honor. I earnestly hope that you will not retain any of these false values, but that you will see the fairness in discarding this work, and tabling the reassessment mat ter, until a committee composed of your local citizens has a chance to reassess your county as a whole. Please understand, I have no ob jetion to paying a just share of the cost of government based upon the taxing method, when it is applied fairly to all, but I do resent and condemn the proposed action by your Board of Commissioners in using the taxing method to legally rob a portion of those who have en joyed your physical properties as recreation. That it is legally law ful for your Board to adopt such valuations, I sincerely question,— that it is morally lawful for your Board to adopt such valuations— there can be no question in the mind of anyone who desires to base judgment on justice. I further believe that every cit izen of Dare County will agree— that fair dealing towards those who have no voice in an election must be ever paramount in the minds of the elected officials of government, if Dare County is to continue and grow, as one of our t Country’s favorite vacation areas. In conclusion, I therefore peti tion your Board of Commissioners —that this work of reassessment be discarded; that its cost be charged to experience; that your Board not be a party to perpetrat ing this fraud on your non-resident property owners; and that a com mittee composed of experienced residents from each of your town ships be appointed to conduct such reassessment as may be deemed proper, and necessary, to properly apportion the cost of government among property owners of Dare County—both residents and non residents. EDWIN T. COULBOURN Attorney at Law Suffolk, Va. STRONG LETTER WRITTEN BY HERTFORD PROPERTY OWNER To Dare County Commissioners: What are you gentlemen trying to do to your county? I am refer ring to the excessive increase in appraisal on beach property for taxation purposes. I have been going to Nags Head for the past fifty years and my late husband, T. S. White of Hert ford, North Carolina built our cot tage in 1912. I have always been a i booster of Nags Head and have 'been responsible for several fam ilies building summer cottages in Dare County. No doubt you gentlemen realize that beach property is very expen sive to keep up and since you do not furnish any fire protection the insurance rates are extremely high. You have almost doubled the rates on my property based on data fur nished by a man from New Jersey who shipped out before clearing up his bills. Do you realize that the only sendee we receive is the very poor garbage collection during the sum mer months. Have you stopped to think of the thousands of dollars that come to your county through the people spending their vacations in Dare County ? If you permit this high rate to remain you are going to kill the goose that laid the gol den egg because families will dis pose of their property and seek summer residence where their pres ence is appreciated rather than prosecuted. MRS. MATTIE TOMS WHITE Hertford, N. C. ONE ELIZABETH CITY MAN GIVES HIS VIEWS ON TAXES Tax Supervisor, Dare County. I was amazed to receive your postal card of May 10th, on which was shown a $4,900.00 valuation for two lots in Hollywood Beach Subdivision, Nags Head, N. C. Being a Realtor in Elizabeth City and having quite a bit of ex perience in the valuation of proper ty, I would like to state that this is the most ridiculous I have ever seen. The very idea of having any property on the tax books at more than the selling price a couple of years ago. These lots are on the tax books for a third more than a five room bungalow and lot in the best sec tion of Elizabeth City. This value was established by revaluation by so-called experts, a couple of years ago, however, they did not indicate we had oil on the propertv. Frankly, I intend to dispose of my property at Nags Head since it is evident that Dare County has in mind catering only to wealthy Yankees. Evidently the very influential and better citizens of Dare County, who have given so much to make Dare County one of the best, have been put “on the %helf.” when in comes to making the decisions of today. A TAXPAYER ANOTHER ELIZ. CITY MAN SHOWS UP RIDICULOUS JOB A letter to the Dare County board from one of the ablest and best friends of the Dare Beaches, contains the following statements: “I lodge formal protest against the valuation on barren beach and marshland in the north end of Dare County, which is used as a bomb ing target and gives me no income. The amount of $23,310 for 166 acres, I consider an appraisal far fetched and all out of reason. It is practically devoid of vegetation, is not subdivided, has no lot value, and no roads. I am at a complete Joss to understand, how ,any fair minded individual could arrive at any such price for this barren beach land . . . the acreage is bom barded nearly every day as a tar get for government planes, and I can see no reason why it would be so valuable. I earnestly ask that you appraise this acreage in the light of facts set forth here, and value it accordingly . . . the sale of the property under egisting,Condi tions is practically nil.” A TAXPAYING FRIEND Eliz. City, N. C. FRIDAY, MAY 30. 1958 i. FROM FAR-OFF ILLINOIS STRONG OBJECTIONS COME s t To Tax Supervisor - Dare County 1 Your post card mailed from t Manteo on May 10th arrived at my . home in Glencoe, Illinois, on Mon -1 day, May 12th. This card stated ■ that a hearing was to be held at [ the County Court House at 10 a.m. . on May 15th and 16th, which, of course, allowed very little time for ‘ preparing any complaints. This let ter is being written merely to tell you that it seems to me that the Commissioners have gone some wha overboard in raising valua tions on properties as compared with previous years. It is recogniz ed, of course, that all costs have gone up and probably will continue to go up, but an increase such as the'one put through this year ap pears to be excessive. On my next visit to Nags Head, I intend to jiheck around among my friends and relatives to see if the valuations are consistent. This let ter is merely to register my objec tions to such a high increase and to suggest that the Commissioners review again the valuations placed on the Nags Head property to see if, in their opinion, this is a fail valuation. J. A. BRANDENBURG LETTER FROM A PROPERTY OWNER LIVING IN VIRGINA To the Board: Here’s how a property owner living in Virginia feels about the property assessment recently made in Dare County: “I received your notice too late to attend the meeting, so I am expressing my concern over this increase now. I can’t understand how this could be justified as we recently had an increase. This as sessment is all out of reason. As you know, the season is only ten weeks, if we are lucky and don’t have any hurricanes or foul weath er. Last year was a good season. I had a profit of $260 on an in vestment of $10,600 by your own assessment. How do you expect for anyone to survive, or does the county want to take over? As for me, I am willing to sell at the as sessed price, plus finishing the un finished cottage. “I can’t understand such assess ments anyway. The cottages be side mine, both finished much bet ter than mine; one of mine still unfinished, yet mine was assessed more than SI,OOO above the other; and I believe your assessors must have been either drunk or blind, or both. “I was in hopes of building up a few cottages so I could retire and make my home there, but if this is a sample of the tax system, I would appreciate a certified check for the amount of assess ment on my property. “ROY C. CHAPPELL” Martinsville, Va. A NEW JERSEY MAN DROPS IDEA OF INVESTING HERE To The Editor: I have been reading with great interest the way in which the Dare County Commissioners have put over this underhanded re-assess ment of properties in your county. I wish to say that I think you are doing a good job in telling the peo ple how they have been taken over by a bunch of men from New Jer sey who know nothing about Dare County. I might add taken over also by a bunch of men in Dare County. I thought it may interest you to know that the same thing is going on in my borough or town. Only our city fathers are going to Ohio for their re-assessers. They didn’t even bother to tell us what the cost will be. So you see a county in North Carolina goes to Jersey for re-assessers and a borough in Jersey goes to Ohio. I think it would have been much wiser to keep the money at home and get men who know what real estate values are. What does a bunch of men in Jersey know about real estate values in your county and what does a bunch from Ohio know about our town? I have been interested in buying a cottage or small farm in Dare County for several years, but the revaluation of all properties dis courages me. Middlesex, N. J. CHARLIE UPCHURCH The Commissioners are receiv ing hundreds of letters such as the foregoing, attesting to the Hl- . will they have brought upon Dare County, and the possible driving away of business from the area. 4
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 30, 1958, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75