The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-02
The SKIDAWAY BRIDGE.
Some Opposition to 1t Developed in
the Commissioners Meeting.

DR.. Charlton Says the Entire Island
He Will Vote Against Building the
Bridge-The Bids Opened After Some
Discussion Mr.. Martin Cooley's
the Lowest in Amount-The Harmon
Canal Brought Up.
The county commissioners held a special
meeting yesterday afternoon for the pur
pose of opening the bids for the Skidaway
Island bridge, and Of determining what to
do with regard to them.
That was the first business before the
meeting, and DR.. Charlton stated at the
outset that he was opposed to building
the bridge and would vote against it. He
said he wanted to make this statement
before the bids were opened, so there
could be no misunderstanding.
He had investigated the matter, he
said, and found that the island com
prised 1900 acres of land, 5000 of which
were under charitable and religious Or
ders and were exempt. The tax valu-
alton of the remaining portion was
S6,55O, and on this the county receives an
annual tax of only S5O4 For these rea-
sons he thought it wrong for the board
at this time to authorize an expenditure
of money for building the bridge.
DON'T PAY ENOUGH TAXES.
Commissioner Chaplin said he had ad-
vocated advertising for the bids, in order
to see if it could be built for $1,000, the
amount mentioned in the budget by the
grand jury for that purpose. DIR. Charl-
ton said the grand jury had only recon-
mended the building of the
bridge, and that the power
TO do il or not was with the
commissioners. He thought as only $50
was received in taxes from the property
the budget should be cut down by the
amount mentioned for this purpose by the
grand jury. MIR. Kehoe said If it were not
intended to build the bridge, the bids
should not have been advertised for, as
the bidders were put to a large expense
in preparing plans.
There was a long discussion with re-
gard to the propriety of opening the bids
unless it was decided that the bridge were
TO be built, and it was finally decided that
it would be all right, as the final decision
of the commissioners might depend on
the nature and amount of the bids.
SAID MR.. DE RENNE WOULD OBJECT.
Mai. Blandford said that if it were
contemplated in the bids to build the
bridge over the old right of way Mr. De
Renne would object The commissioners,
after discussing the matter, came TO the
conclusion that the bridge right-of-way
had been granted for the purpose, and no
valid objection could be made
Commissioner Carson said he could not
vote intelligently until the bids had been
opened, and the county engineer had
| looked over the details To this Mr.
| Chaplin entered an emphatic obiec-
| ton. The matter was not for
the county engineer to decide,
| he said, nor for any one else
but the commissioners. Mai. Blandford,
he said, had stated that it would cost
$4,000 to build the bridge, and seeing
that it could be built for much less he did
not see why the matter should be referred
to him. He thought it was matter for
the commissioners TO decide themselves.
1t was finally decided that the proper
course, and the course that Mr.. Carson
intended, was that the matter should be
referred to the committee on roads and
bridges, and that this committee should
consult with MAJ. Blaudford when it was
desirable or necessary.
HOW THE BIDS RUN.
The bids were then opened and were as
follows: Three plans, submitted by
/ Walter A. Dayton, costing respectively
4,760, S4,9S5 and 81 rs; Mr.. Martin
| Charleston, $4,SO0, and +. F. Cordray,
81, 500. These bids include all material
and work, and are for practically two
bridges, one of l,10O feet and another of
300 feet.
Bridges seem to be cheaper now than
they used to be- remarked Chairman
| Dale as he opened the last one. The bids,
] A.
the committee on roads and bridges for Il
report at future meeting. The amounts
! in the bids did not show which was the
cheapest, as the plans were not examined
at the meeting.
| Mr.. Carson brought up the matter of
the cleaning out of the Harmon canal,
which has not been cleaned since it was
ht,f1 N-y. s..