The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-16
Bonds for County improvements.

] bOuuH 4OE OOuuLE AH4pAO NELAEAAA1s
Naturally the dations of the
grand jury that county bonds 10 the
amount Of $500. 600 be issued for the i'm
/ provement of the drainage and roads ofthe
. county is the subject of good deal Of dis
/ cussion among those who pay the taxes.
As far as can be gathered of hand public
sentiment in respect 10 the matter seems
/ TO be pretty evenly divided-that is, SEN
I timent among the taxpayers. The Monk
/ ING news has always favored public i'm
/ provements, and would favor the pro
posed issue of bonds if the times were
better. IL knows, however, that many Of
the taxpayers, some of them being
owners of a great deal Of real
estate, have found it difficult during the
last year or two to get the money neces-
sarv to pay their taxes This has been
because of the depressed condition Of
business, and the consequent difficulty to
either sell real estate or to get an income
from it much beyond the amount Of taxes
and the cost Of insurance and repairs
Under the circumstances. therefore, it is
a serious question whether it would be
advisable to increase taxes.
IutFb Is 10 QCuUb l1db CTfbIyp,N. IL wisely
and economically spent, would 20 long
way toward giving the county good roads
and good drainage. and it is certain that
these two things would greatly increase
the market value of county lands, but the
question is. can the taxpayers stand an
increase in the rate of taxation! Even
without the proposed issue of bonds the
rate of taxation, in all probability, will
be considerably increased because of the
falling off in the assessmentof the county.
If times should not improve there would
be a still further decrease in the total Of
the tax receivers returns, thus necessi-
tating further increase in the rate of
taxation.
1t is hoped, of course, and very gener-
ally believed, that the country is at the
beginning of period of great prosperity.
If this hope should prove to be well
founded the situation in Chatham county
would be so much improved that bonds
could be issued without much danger of
placing heavier burden upon the tax
payers than they could stand. Before
taking steps, therefore, to carry into eff
feet the recommendation of the grand
jury would it not be advisable to wait
and see whether the country is on the
threshold of prosperity
While it is true that the county has a
very light debt, the city has heavy one
and nearly all the taxpayers of the county
are residents Of the city. Besides, there
is now greater demand Tor county and
city Improvements of kind that cannot
wait, than ever before, and there is little
probability Of reduction of the present
county and city tax rates. Indeed, if the
hard times should continue the city,
county and state rates will have to be ad-
vanced in order to meet current state,
county and municipal expenses.
But, il the meantime-that is while
the question of issuing bonds is under
consideration-let the county commission
ers see what they can do toward improv-
ing the Louisville and Ogeechee roads,
over which those who contribute largely
to Savannah's retail trade have to travel,
and toward finishing the Meridian road
With these three roads in frst-class con-
dition the farmers would be able to Judge
pretty accurately of the benefits that
would accrue to them from having good
roads and good drainage throughout the
county.
The present board of commissioners has
devoted the most of the money for i'm
provements to drainage work, and there
fore has paid comparatively little atten-
ton to road building. 1t has improved
only one road, namely, the Buckhalter
The road is of little consequence to the
county, and its condition is not now such
as to indicate that the work done upon it
was of a kind to be commended