The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-04-03

Gaylord, one of the county's most
able and active political figures
came pressure upon Representa-
tive O'Neal.
Several people in opposition to
Mr.. Gaylord's faction believe eff
fort is being made to get Mr..
O'Neal to appoint candidates de-
feated in the Board of Education
race in the primary. Other persons
named who might be favorably
considered by the Gaylord group
to go on this Board are Charlie
McWilliams of Ocracoke and R. T..
Blanchard of Engelhard. One man
approached to consider going on
this Board in behalf of the Gaylord
faction is said to have stated he
wouldn't have any part of it for
$4,000. Some people say they do
not believe four citizens of Hyde
County can be found to accept this
sort Of assignment unless some of
the defeated candidates are in
cluded in the group.
Talk ragged back and forth that
Rep. O'Neal, in hope of finding
solution to the case, was hold
ing off, pending the outcome of
the suit to determine the price of
the land. Against this, others said
he was afraid of the pressure that
was being brought to get him to
add four others to this Board who
would be favorable to the Gaylord
Group, whereby Gaylord would
continue to have complete control
of school affairs in Hyde County,
which one of the present Board
members claims he has had for a
long time. Mr.. Gaylord, spending
much time in Raleigh with the
politicians and through denials in
the press claims he has never tax
en- any action except in the welfare
of the children Of Hyde County.
This statement as of this week
seems to be the most holly contest
ed issue in the county, with large
group saying he is mainly inter-
ested in keeping his job as county
superintendent, and the refrain be-
ing chanted is Gaylord, Must Co."
before there can be hope for peace
in any kind of school affairs.
Many letters and other express
sions come to this newspaper with
requests they be printed, censor
ing the school authorities, some
of them extremely bitter against
Mr.. Gaylord. We only wish to
print the facts in these cases, and
must discard most of these letters,
| since they add no new information.
We recently printed comment by
several reliable people regarding
their true beliefs in this situation,
and the following typifies the tone
of expressions received in a letter
to the editor this week:
"There are arguments both for
and against consolidation. Let
ME say here l am not gulhble to
the slippery contention that we
are putting the welfare of the
children above everything else in
promoting consolidation. l don't
believe consolidation is a cure-all
any more than l believe that Gov
eminent handouts can replace
work for creating wealth or that
behind-closed-door meetings are
good for Democracy. l have
been against the methods used
to put this consolidation into eff
feet. l have been against secret
meetings; undue pressure by Ra-
leigh officials which ignored local
sentiment; and the removal of
schools from community centers to
open spaces.
"The greatest errors of judge
ment by the powers that be how
ever, has been failure to present the
issue to the people. The issue, as
see it, is for the voters of the
five precincts involved. On the
basis of general experience it
Seems too much to expect arbitra-
ry decisions to bring amicable So
lutions, any more than anyone can
expect a summit meeting to cure