The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-12-27
CASUALTIES OF CHRISTMAS
By VICTOR MEEKINS

Christmas has slipped past us,
and for my part it was one of my
best of adult life, for it brought
the thrills that came to three
grandchildren right to my heart.
They really got a kick out of the
day, and no doubt were worn to
a FRAGILE when night came.
There was some pre-Christmas
disappointment for me, for my
Christmas cards didn't arrive on
time, and then not enough of them,
so | couldn't mail to all people l
wished to remember, and some l
didn't send at all when distance
would have made them arrive too
late. / got the cards on the 23rd,
and of course l have found that
delivery of letters at Christmas
time is usually "a to AZ hours be-
hind schedule.
/ found keen disappointment in
our inability to talk to our son
Roger and Joan in Texas by phone
on Christmas eve, but lines were
so busy that by the time the
operator got the Texas number
there was nobody home to answer
it, and it was time to go to bed.
AS usual on Christmas day l
visit a great many neighbors, but
this time the only visit was made
en- route to the home of our grand
children, and / spent most of the
day at home. / made an exception
and came to the office at night
to look over the mail, and Aycock
Brown stopped in for a brief visit,
and during this time a colored
mans car got away from him, and
damaged both our cars. My dam
age was slight, but Aycocks's ran
to about $500. And the drivers
car almost as much.
have been getting lot of
comments, both written and verbal
from citizens and taxpayers of
Dare County in approval of our
papers campaign for more eco
nomical County Government, and
beginning in 1858 I will publish
some of this comment, and some
other reasons why it is imperative
that the citizens rise up and de-
mand improvement In the kind of
treatment several county officials
have been giving the people they
are elected to serve. 1t has come
to the point now where some of
them take anything and every
thing in the way of privilege and
high pay they can get their hands
on. and they have raised taxes so
high that they are driving away
investors, and slowing up building,
and consequently income that ordi-
narily goes to carpenters, plumb
ers, concrete mixers, painters, etc.
It is disappointing that so few
qualified and competent people are
willing to accept their duty and
serve in public office whereby we
might be assured of sensible and
economical government, and the
wise and reasonable expenditure of
the taxes that are taken away
from our citizens. The result is
that too many incompetent, ignor-
ant, selfish and stupid people get
into office, and by the use of the
peoples money, the distribution of
public office to their relatives and
hangers-on, they perpetuate them
selves like leeches to the everlast-
ing discredit of the county, and
the continued sacrifice of the citi-
zens, many of whom find it a
heavy burden, and in fact a great
hardship to raise the money to pay
their taxes each year. This year,
in spite of all the property built
up in the county, taxes have gone
higher than ever, public employees
get more money and give less eff
fort, and we are getting less and
less service each year. And to cap
the climax. the commissioners have
gone to New Jersey, and got q
firm to send in some college boys
to value the peoples property, in
structing them to make their re-
ports in pencil, with perhaps the
only reason for this being obvious
they can be changed later in the
courthouse at the will of the crowd
and in keeping with their desire to
bleed the people for more or less
Of their hard-earned money.