The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-04
DON'T LIKE The CHARGES.
4 Spicy Report introduced al The Road
Commissioners Meeting.


The Report Considered Too Spicy to
Pass, and Committee Was Appointed
to Appear Before the Latter Body.
Election Of Officers for the Ensuing
Year and Other Routine Business.
The annual meeting Of the road COM
missioners held in the city court grand
jury room yesterday morning was an in
teresting one in many respects.
The most interesting feature was the re-
port Of Chairman G. Bourquin with regard
to the charges made against the road com
missioners by the county commissioners.
Chairman Bourquin was requested by sew
eral members of the board TO make such
a report for its consideration.
Among other things the report made by
/ Chairman Bourquin says:
I'm the Morning News Of Nov. /, we find
an attack on our board by the county COM
missioners, charging incoHpeteacy anG
that we should resign and let them take
charge Of the roads. In reply we will say
that although some Of our board have been
! neglected. Of their duties the remedy is in
the grand jury and not with the county
/
/ charges they should look into their own
affairs and find out if they have been prop
! erly administered and as they might be for
/ getful of their negligence and incompe-
tency, we viii place a few things before
/ them.
They have allowed some of the most
important roads which come under their
I 10,
at times nearly impossible. Repeated
/ applications have been made by our chair
! man to abate this nuisance without any
\ effect whatever and it looks as If they
/ would like to see the roads in as bad con-
! dttion as possible, that a large sum has
! been appropriated by grand juries for inn
/ proving roads; that our chairman has re-
/ peatedly asked that this sum be properly
! expended on one occasion he was in
/ formed that the sum was used in buying
/ seventeen old mules. What benefit are
/ they to the county2 Were they ever used
/ on rOads2 Another amount was looked
| after by two of the jury appointed for that
! purpose, but no money for the roads yet.
/ What has become of it? Probably gone to
/ the Meridian road and that celebrated
! county map, which are frauds on the tax
! payers.
From all the information that we can
/ get there has been more labor squandered
| on the Dundee canal and in identifying the
/ Brampton banks than would have placed
all the roads in Chatham county in thor
/ ough condition. How about the dredge
! machine? What has it cost the county in
! repairs alone? From the records we find
! that before the purchasing was placed in
| the hands of Capt. Dillon the county paid
! $3.50 for axes, when the market price was
! $3.50. Rope was paid for at lie, market
| price loo, etc.
! Several grand juries have said that
/ certain number of convicts should be used
at all times on the roads. Has it ever been
| noticed2 VIII all the grand juries ever be
| respected? The present plan of working
roads is very annoying and dangerous. At
| tacks have been made on the commits
| sioners. There are no tools on hand to
! work with, no money TO buy them; it is
| an impossbility to make good roads with
sand alone; and with all the tools and la
| Dor in the county we could not make last
| ing roads without a building material
| If the appropriation plan of the grand
| juries was carried out in a few years we
would have everything in a good condi
| ton"
He concludes by saying with this we
! leave the county commissioners in the
| hands of the taxpayers"
| The road commissioners did not seem
| impressed with the report and a number
| of them spoke against ii. Mr.. d. c. New
| ton seconded the report moving its adop
| n,
seemed to be about the only ones in favor
of passing it.
The other members, however considered
that the report was entirely too strong and
considered that some other steps should
be taken. Mr.. c. +. c. Fell spoke against
the report, as did also Mr.. H. p. Smart,
Mr.. A. E. Moynelo, and DR.. A. Oemler.
Those opposed to the report carried a ma
jority of the commissioners with them
and it was not adopted.
On motion then a committee consisting
of Messrs. H. p. Smart, c. e. G. Fell, A.
E. Moynelo, and A. Oemler was appointed
to appear before the county commission
ers. To this committee Mr.. d. c. New
ton was afterwards added. The committee
is to appear before the county commits
sioners to inquire into the statements made
and the status of affairs with regard to
the roads, as well for the specific pur-
pose of asking for funds for doing GER
tain necessary work, and to report back
to a meeting of the executive committee.
There were twenty-five road commits
sioners present at the meeting. The old
officers were reelected, being as follows
Chairman, G. Bourquin; vice chairman, A.
f. Moynelo; secretary, R. Coakley. The
designations of Col. c. H. Olmstead.
Michael Schrenk and T. b. Wolfe were ac-
cepted and the following elected to fill five
vacancies, Messrs. J. B. West, William
Allen, William A Richardson, D, w
Mayer and Emanuel Douglas
Messrs. G. B. Oliver, William Allen and
DR.. Bleakney were appointed a commit
tee to go before the county commissioners
and ask for funds for abatng the nuisance
caused by backing water on the Pine
Barren road.
Mr. d. c. Newton wanted to see what
could be done about opening the road
from Pooler to Meinhard, a distance of
ten miles. This road is contemplated to
run into the Pine Barren road. The first
committee appointed was instructed to
present this matter to the county COM
missioners and it was at this time that
Mr. Newton was added to it.
A memorial on the death of Mr. John
Williamson was unanimously adopted and
was ordered spread on the minutes of the
commissioners. The executive committee
of the board viii continue the same as at
| present consisting of Chairman Bourquin
Messrs. d. G. Purse d. c. Newton, j. r
Sweat and one other to be appointed by
| the chairman.
Death of Little Bessie Harris.
Little Bessie, the 6-year-old child of Mrs
! IA 1l Il,