The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-03
ROADS OR DRAINAGE FIRST.
The County Commissioners TO Settle
the Matter To-day.

A Lively Meeting in Prospect-The Com
nissioners Divided on the Subject,
With a Probable Majority in Favor of
Drainage = Commissioner Carson's
Resolution to Be Brought Up Again.
The county commissioners will hold an
important and interesting meeting this
afternoon at 4 o'clock. A lively discussion
is expected on the questions Of roads YER
sus drainage.
The meeting is an adjourned one from
last Tuesday. at which the question came
up on an order introduced by Commits
sioner Carson, declaring it TO be the sense
and policy of the board to consolidate all
the county forces on the drainage work,
especially the new Casey and Dundee
canals. The order was withdrawn after
some little discussion, but will be intro
duced again this afternoon. A resolution
providing for a gang of twenty-five men
to work the county roads has been passed
by the commissioners, but it was during
the absence of Commissioner Carson, and
he objects to its standing as the action of
the board, on the ground that the rules
of the board were not complied with in
passing it.
1t is probable that under the circum-
stances there will be full meeting of the
board, as every member of it is interested
in the question to be discussed. Commits
sioners Carson and Charlton are known
to be strongly in favor of consolidating
the forces on the drainage work, and Com
missioner Knhnp inplinaG naCi6edlW
that way, the indications being at last
/ Tuesdays meeting that he intended to vote
for Commissioner Carsons order. Chair
man Dale and Commissioner Chaplin,
however, are on the other side of the
! fence, and while they want to make pro-
gress on the drainage work, they believe
it is the duty of the commissioners to take
up the road question, and to detail part
of the forces to work the county roads
where they need it worst
On the one hand it is argued that it is
the duty of the road commissioners to see
that the roads are properly kept up, and
on the other hand, that the road commits
sioners are unable to do it. All the COM
missioners seem agreed on the point that
the road commissioners are unable to
have done all the necessary work on the
county roads, but they differ as to what
should be done in the premises. There is
no law which delegates power to the
county commissioners 10 NOIh lue IOduSs
yet there is no law which says they shall
not do this.
Commissioner Carson's idea is that a
bill should be passed by the legislature
giving the county commissioners the pow
err to work the roads by means provided
whereby they can have it done without in
terfering with other work. Chairman
Dale seems to think this impracticable
and wants to take portion Of the present
forces away from the county drainage
and put them on the roads. This is the
condition of affairs as it win be taken up
for discussion this afternoon.
The county road commissioners, too,
will hold a meeting to-day at 10 o'clock.
| This is their annual meeting and the rou-
! tine business will be gone through with,
but it is quite likely that they will have
up for discussion the road question and
| the actions and discussions of the county
commissioners with regard to it. Some of
| the road commissioners have expressed
themselves very decidedly on the attitude
of the county commissioners with regard
to their body and its powers, and no doubt
there will be some interesting talk among
| them at to-day's meeting