The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-18
IAN. THE Law CHANGED.

Lack Of Consistency on the Up
tprninz of The Soil Ordinance.
Thu resolution recently passed by the
-.,i+orv board to the effect that the ordi-
.n,e against upturning the soil in the
ATS Of the city between May l and Nov.
10 strictly enforced this year without ex-
-,ion il causing considerable discussion
.toY5 the couucIlmen. especially the street
~ ga lane committee and the street railway
s saI who have work in progress which
tbsv will not be aule to complete by Nay l.
80 rdermAn Harmon, chairman OF the
..-sst and lane committee, is especially in
Seated. The resolution. If carried into
SFsot will put a stop to the street improve
mis- which he has now under way, and
LII prevent the laying Of street curbing or
tba making of a street crossing even, until
Nov /. This he considers nonsensical
and impraeticbie. The city's street
Sands are now engaged in LAYING
raWers and cleaning up the city,
. work which is always done every spring
Lefore the opening of the no. season.
The work has begun and is now partially
oomnleted shelling Jones, Bottom and
Gginnett streets, but it will be impossible
10 complete those streets before June l.
Alderman Harmon says he has $l2 900
worth of she'll and cuYbiug and other ma
tprlGl IOF StAoCS VIZ WnlCLy IL iOb useu
immediately, win have to lie over under
the ordinance until Nov. l. He al o has a
large force Of experienced street hands,
many of whom will have to
be dropped il the work is stopped.
He links the ordinance
should be amended so as to allow street
work TO 90 on uutil June /, If not changed
entire 8 in its purpose.
Urder the prese 1T ordinance not a shovel
frI Nan ha tbFnpgn stranf n -
roadway impr ovements. nor upon street
tailway or any other work involving the
1lpturnIng of the soil. There is nothing
however, to prevent any person digging
cellar as deep as he pleases on his
own lot, and sewer connections are allowed
to be made all summer.
This is where the folly OF the thing
comes in, Alderman Harmon says. A street
caunot be graded for Smelling
where it requires the turning up Of few
Inches of sand only no deeper than is cut by
che wheels of the drays every hour in the
day vet & connection for sewer can be
run for 200 or 800 feet, upturniuR the soil
TO the depth OF several feet aud exposing it
20 the sun, or a cellar may be dug requiring
the upturning of several hundred cubic feet
Of soil Instead of being detrimental to the
oity's health, the Smelling of the streets is a
positive benefit to it.
After every heavy rain now the water
stands IN pools for several days in the
uupaved Streets becoming stagnant and
uuwholesome and giving out foul smell,
while on the shelled streets the water runs
off into the sewers as it falls.
Alderman Harmon defies any one to pro-
duce a single case of sickness last summer
which can / o traced directly to the upturn-
ing of the soll in paving the streets in work
done after May /.
By the present ordinance there are only
FIVE months from Nov. l to May l, allowed
for street. work and improvements. Prac-
ticslly he says this limits the street depart.
ment to about three and one-half months
for street paving.
November is usually wasted in delaying
upon the city budget and the
tie greater part of April is devoted to
sever works which cannot well be done in
November aud December.
The street railway people are calculating
upon an extension of time by council to al
low them to complete the improvements
now under way. The City and Suburban
railway has an immense amount OF work
going on, and though efforts are being made
to complete the track and pole work by
May l, it is hardly probable that it will be
completed by that date. The Electric Rail-
way Company is at work upon its Tybes
depot branch, but the delay on
account of tae dispute with the Belt
LAl6 db W buo bWlLCu Ou
street, the decision of which is now in
Judge Falligant's hands. will throw things
lack considerably.
The Electric Railway Company would
1lso like to complete its line TO the Savan-
jah, Florida and Western wbarves. permits
ton to build which has already been grant,
d by the council.
The sanitary board is composed of Mayor
McDonough, Aldermen Harris aud Myers,
Fapt .IOhO n w baa 7 y and
j. R. Sheldon. Their position is understood
20 he that on account OF the yellow fever
now prevailing in the South Ameri-
can ports the city can afford to
run no risk of any kind, no matter
how small, lest by some means the yellow
fever germs should be introduced and find
favorable condition under which to de-
veloD
TIE question will doubtless come before
The next meeting Of council through the
resolution passed by the sanitary board.