The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-01-16
PROGRESS
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! FkO0kESS
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said nothing about a tree. l know
nothing about the value of fire
wood or timber"
The reasoning advanced in the
above passage suggests the situa-
ton of someone, caught after
hurting brick through a store
window, claiming that no damage
had occurred because the glass,
even though it was shattered, was
still there!
VEPCO employees seemed to be
qualified as property appraisers,
additional to the functions for
which they were paid. One who
described himself as distribution
supervisor, testified under oath as
follows:
VEPCO lawyer) "Have you an
opinion satisfactory to yourself as
to the value of the 16 acre tract
of the Banfill's before the trees
were cut?
,VEPCO Employee) 1 do.
VEPCO Lawyer) And what is
that opinion?
VEPCO Employee) My opinion
would be that 5000 an acre would
be a premium price.
= VEPCO lawyer So that the 16
acres would be valued at?
VEPCO Employee) 100000.
VEPCO Lawyer) 100000?
VEPCO Employee) Yes sir.
(VEPCO Lawyer) Do you have
an opinion satisfactory to yourself
as to the value of the 16 acres in
June, 1856, Immediately after the
trees were cut?
,VEPCO Employee) | do.
VEPCO Lawyer) And what is
that opinion?
VEPCO Employee) No change
in value"
The three Commissioners sat i'm
passive while someone else's OK
was being gored, and as the hear
ings ended, asked a single ques-
ton, then withdrew for few min
utes, to return with a report
awarding 100000 damages, and a
finding that the VEPCO construc-
ton would be of zero benefit to us.
The decree handed down on
June 2, 1868, made it all sound
nice and legal, as though VEPCO
had complied with the law it adj
mitted in open hearing that it had
violated.
VEPCO's servants did a job fol-
their master.
Our lawyer did his best, and this
shone out when the question of an
appeal was discussed. His advice
much against his own interest
added up to: Don't box buzz-saw
barehanded.
The Chairman of the Utilities
Commission stated in one of his
letters to US, !" nothing that we
can do and no law that the Legis.
lature could enact will prevent any
| person or corporation from COM
hitting an act that is contrary to
law :" He thus suggests that
any measures of deterrence by law
or regulation are futile. He also
leaves unanswered the question as
to why the State should abet, with
legal weapons, a corporation it has
armed with the power to ravish
the property of others.
Can anything be done to correct
a situation VEPCO has SO wilfully
created?
A single word from Raleigh
could force the removal of poles
and power line, where they deface
a long street of property in addi-
ton to ours, in brutal callousness
Our trees are gone forever, but
the dunes are still there, more fiji
to carry power lines wherever
progress dictates.
For the future, let an alert
Utilities Commission act before
the event rather than condone
afterward. Why, as happened here
should an out-of-state corporation
import out-of-state labor to wreal
havoc that can never be repaired
with no one in authl'oity to con
troll in the public interest.
A prominent State official was
recently quoted in the press as
saying that the people of Nortf
Carolina are blessed with power
to influence their government K
an unusual degree.
Let some measure Of this powel
be exerted in a determination t.
insure that this great State may
have progress without vandalism
Such action would be an exampl,
| FOR emulation by all her sister
states in our land.