The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-03

The legislature has male a serious mis-
take in agreeing to app 1t COMM es to
receive from the clai nalss for cpm % Isa-
ton for besterments on the state road a
statement of their claim. When tde Lease
bill WIS being discussed IN the House the
majority Of th. members were oppose 70 adj
hitting, in anv shape, the existe &c OF va q
claim for betterments, and there Is no do1bt
that the people of ths stare, very sc c-aIy,
sincerely hoped that tley would maintain
that position firmly. The pos lr5 that Jue
CT INFANTS brought 20 bear upol thsm, how
ever, was go great that some OF the c1ali
not resis5 il, and the state is now virtually
com niJted to the payment Of something for
bet erments.
It is said. OF cour e, that the legislature
has carefully provided against being bound
by anything which the commit 9 may do,
and that it may reject any report which
the committee may make That IS true,
but who is there, Of tn 50 who know any
thing at all of the matter, who does n {
know that the appointment OF 'mmlt ee
is the tering wedge which Will open the
way for the claimants to get a part at least
Of what they claim.
Tho claimants have nothing to tell the
committee which they have not already
told every member Of the legislature, and,
in fact, every person in the state. They
have published their claim in tho news
papers, and have presented all the argu-
ment in its favor that they have been able
to advance 1t is safe to say That they have
nothing new to say to the committee. What
sensa then was there in appJi ting a CON-
Mite unle.s the legislature has finally
determined to pay the claimants wha5 they
demand, provided they do not want too
much!
Facts have been presented to the legisla-
ture, in the speeches which have been ma lie
on the beterment question, which are suf-
ficient TO convince almost any fair-minded
man that the claim for betterments has no
fou datio in eithe law or equity. Ger
tainly has no foundation In law, because
the contract bet veen the state and the
lessees does not provide that there shall be
any clmpensation for bstterme is. A fair
Interpretation of it is that whatever i'm
provenents may have been male on the
road shall at the end of the lease belong to
the state.
The claim has no foundation in equity,
because the improvements we're necessary
for the profitable Iera ion Of the 70 d. 1t
was understood that they would have to he
mads when the road was leased. an /, dou It.
less, they were regarded as part of the
com oeasation due the state for the use Of
the road. But, ide from these considera-
tons, 1t Is doubtful if the road will b, in
mucl better ndicion at the end of the
lease than it was at the beginning of it.
The claimants on sht to have bsen per-
NIT ed to carry their claim into the nurts.
There they would have been required to
abide strictly by tn sir lease, and the state
would have hal cAauc' to make fair
showing Of hec side of the case. Tne
cha ces are no. that a compromise will be
the result OF the ISIS lie bet wee the ella IN ants
aud the state. The claimants will dem and
a large sum, and the state will offer Co pay
a small SUN. Both parties will make cJn-
{. sslons til an agreement is reached.
1t Is quite evident that if the legislature
Sc ties the state road matter it will not
djoz'n befo Dec l. The appointment
of a committee on bettermenGs has Writ
usllv reopened the who Q subject of better
ments. The report of the comm ttes will
bs TIE occssiol Of long de ate, a I'd if it is
finally detsr mined to give Imetling for
betternlents the question Of the amou t
viii require days for Sc Element. Yes, the
appointment Of oettsrment committee is
a mistake.