Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-04
The City Council and Street Rail-

The City Council and Street Rail-
roads.
1t seems indeed strange IN this day of
enterprise and progress that the City
Council of city of such commercial
Importance and rapid growth as Savan-
nah can be found to oppose the con
strucdon of street railways intended to
promote the comfort, convenience and
the welfare generally of the citizens.
Yet such is the case. AS will be seen by
reference to our report of Council pro-
ceedings, published yesterday. the petit
tiOns of the City and Suburban Rail
way and of the Coast Line Rail
road to construct branches of their
lines through certain streets of the city
were refused. These petitions had been
referred 10 the Committee of Streets and
Lanes, who reported adversely thereon, on
the ground that our street railroads have
abused the privileges heretofore accorded
them by neglecting to provide good and
convenient crossings over their tracks,
maintain proper grade levels and keep
the street drains open. For these al
legged reasons the Street and Lane
Committee opposed allowing any more
street railways to be con-
structed in Savannah, and there
fore many of our citizens residing
in localities in which there are no rail
way lines must be deprived for an in
definite period of such transportation ia
cilities. This report was adopted by
Council, though, to their credit be it
said, its adoption was opposed by five OF
the eleven members present.
The position of the Committee on
Streets and Lanes is not well
taken. In the first place, nothing is
more true than the statement made in
Council in opposition to this report,
that if our street railway lines do not
keep their contracts with the city, and
I
sances, the city has the remedy in her own
hands. Council possesses ample power to
enforce compliance with all the cOndi-
tions upon which the privileges were
granted the street railway lines, and If
such compliance is not enforced, then
the city authorities have simply fail
ed to perform their duty. This is
no excuse for refusing to grant
authority for enterprises of vastly more
benefit to the public than to the railway
companies, and for depriving certain
citizens of cheap, convenient and
desirable transportation facilities, to
which they are unquestiOnably entitled.
In the next place, we learn from I'M
doubted authority that since the Coast
Lie Railroad passed into the hands of
its present managers, and the Savannah,
Seaboard and Skidaway Railroad united
with the Barnard and Anderson Street
Railroad (under the name of the City
and Suburban Railway thousands of
dollars have been spent in their improve
ment, and these companies are still daily
spending money for that purpose. Of
course, in long lines of railway it is i'm
possible to guard permanently against
occasional depressiOns in the track at
some points, and the consequent tempo
rary destruction Of the grade level of
the streets at those points, and it
is to be expected also that some
times the crossings may get
somewhat out of order. Regarding this,
however, we learn that the management
of one of the above named corporations
have-in addition to their own inspec-
ton of their lines with view to keep
ing them in order-specially requested
the City Surveyor to report to them any
and every instance that come under
his observation where repairs such
as these are needed, so that they
might be promptly attended TO. So
far, we understand, with one exception,
only one complaint has been made by
that officer, and that was in relation to
the new line on Liberty street.
In that case unavoidable Circum-
stances have delayed the proper
finishing up OF the work, although it is
being pushed forward as rapidly as pos
sible.
1t is evident, then, that the reasons
given for this report of the Street and
Lane Committee-which was adopted in
Council on Wednesday night by bare
| majority of one-are unsound and un
tenable. Still, if the report was the re-
suit of a determination on the part of the
committee to henceforth keep the streets
and lanes of the city in thorough repair,
| it is encouraging. We have already had
occasion to refer at length to the fact
that although ample means have
been placed at the disposal OF
the committee, no improvement
of any consequence is yet apparent on
our streets. 1t is to be hoped, however,
that with the newborn zeal thus mani
tested the committee intend to turn over
a new leaf, and that by the close of the
year we shall see more streets paved,
and many more substantial improve
ments made.
Al