The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-12
IN FAVOR OF No FENCES.
A MOVEMENT TOWARD ABOLISH
ING THE FENCE Law.

| ~ AAODdOA4lIy LQdL Lue SlueSLiOn w AZ
Go Before the People at One OF the
Fall Elections-The Benefits from
Doing Away with the Present Law
The Advantages of No Fence Law
The no fence question is again being
agitated, and an effort is being made tc
have an election in Chatham county to de
termine whether or not the fencing system
shall be abolished A MORNING NEWS re-
porter was informed yesterday by County
| Commissioner Dorsett that had there been
a quorum of the County Commissioners at
Wednesdays meeting the matter would
have been brought before the board and it
would have been urged that some action be
taken TO got the matter properly before the
people at one of the approaching general
elections, either in October or November.
Mr.. Dorset said that if an election is
| called, and there is a proper presentation of
the question to the people, he has no doubt
that it will be carried by large preponder-
| ance Of the vote of the county. His views
are that the fence system is causing large
| tracts of arabic land to lie uncultivated. It
costs too much to fence, and the forests
are being rapidly denuded so that the ex-
pense Of fencing will increase instead of
lessen.
WOULD INCREASE VALUES.
Mr.. Dorset cited the fact that there are
large tracts Of land which hardly pay taxes,
because of insufficient fencing The first
| question asked was: rs the land under
fencep and if the reply was in the negative,
no one wanted TO rent lease or buy. Com
mission merchants are often willing to ad-
vance for fertilizers, but when it comes to
advancing funds for fencing they invaria-
| bly, decline. It would be no trouble to rent,
lease and sell land if fencing was not re-
| quired to protect crops, and with this en-
couragement thousands of acres in small
| and larger tracts, from al acre up, would be
cultivated. The increase in agricultural
| products, Mr.. Dorsett said, means an in
crease in the business of the city, and an
added value to the lands. There is ample
demand for all that can be grown in this
section. and it can hardly be computed how
much no fence law would benefit the COM
munity.
Mr.. Dorsett was asked what the senti-
ment of the board is on submitting the
| question to vote of the people. In reply,
| he said that he was not prepared to state.
| The commissioners had the matter brought
| TO their attention year ago by petition
asking the board 10 order an election, but
! there was a legal question raised as to
| whether, under the law providing for such
election, it was the province of the County
| Commissioners Or the Court of Ordinary to
act in the matter. 1t was his impression
that the legal adviser of the board had in
clined to the opinion that the power to
order an election upon petition was vested
| in Che Court of Ordinary.
IN FAVOR OF NO FENCE.
Speaking for himself, Mr.. Dorsett said
that he is heartily in favor of action, and
h1A haliaU0z baE "a aFal
mercial interests of Chatham county will be
subserved by an abolition of the fencing
| system which now obtains.
Others interested in the matter were seen,
and expressed hearty approval of a
measure which they believe would do SO
much to increase the agricultural acreage,
and reclaim arabic land now given over to
weeds and briars.
"a great writer once wrote that that man
| is public benefactor who makes two
| blades of grass grow where but one grew
before. Something moro valuable than
| grass couldbe grown and crops be multiplied
where land is now lying idle said prac-
tical man Of business, ''by the abolition of
fencing. Thousands of acres of good land
are allowed to grow up in brambles which
| would be under cultivation were it not for
the cost of fencing. 1t is said .that
the cost of fencing in Georgia is
| greater than the value of the land. This is
| doubtless the fact as to the State OF large,
| but in this county the state of affairs is
even worse. There are thousands of acres
| of land actually valueless, because to Guilt
waite it requires expensive fencing. 1t is
about time our people were taking steps to
have the no fence law made applicable to
| this county"
PROTECTION TO SMALL FARMERS.
would the poorer classes oppose itP' he
| was asked.
Not if the fact was brought to their at
| tention that it would benefit them above
others The humblest colored man is inter.
ested in having such a law passed for the
/ protection Of his own little truck patch,
while almost any of that class can secure a
| piece of land and cultivate it. Now, while
he can get the land. it is either Intellectually
fenced, or not fenced at all, and as result
he cannot cultivate the land, because he
cannot afford to fence It,"
| "How about the stock raisers n
ut will be no Inconvenience to those who
own large droves of cattle, as the most of
them fence their cattle now, while those
who only own one or two will have better
stock, for by planting open they can plant
| food for them and by keeping them up they
will have better stock. The arguments in
favor of the mo fence" are 50 strong that
there appears to be- no doubt if the people
| properly understand the question they
| will vote almost UNANIMOUSLY for it, aud
think it would be well to get an election
ordered, and have it held at the same time
as that on which ono of the forthcomin
general elections is held. 1t is an important
question to Savannah; planting open means
more farmers in the county, aud more
farmers means more business for the city,