The morning news., 1894-11-01
WANT THEM ABOLISHED.
The County Commissioners After the
Road Commissioners SCalpS.


Their Duties Transferred to the County
Commissioners - A Committee APP
pointed to Confer With the Grand
Jury With This End in view-A R So
luton Looking to the Consolidation
Of the City and County Drainage.
The county commissioners held a special
/ meeting yesterday afternoon for the pur-
pose Of discussing the road question.
The result Of the meeting so far as this
/ question was concerned, was the passage
/ OF resolution providing for a committee
to confer with the grand jury of the sd
pcrior court at its next session in Deem
| Der, with view to eliminating the road
! commissioners under one of the general
statutes Of the state and to place their
duties upon the county commissioners.
When the meeting opened the following
preamble ard resolutions were introduced
by Commissioner Charlton:
In view of the deplorable condition of
the public roads in Chatham county and
the pressing necessity of a radical change
both in their construction and mainten-
anee In view of the inability of the board
! OF road commissioners to successfully per-
form their work owing to the unwieldly
size Of that board, it's lack of funds, and
the unskilled labor at its command as il
lustrated by their repeated application to
the county commissioners for assistance
in working said roads.
In view Of the inability of the county
commissioners with the present funds and
forces at their command to successfully
perform the imperative duty Of draining
the lands OF Chatham county, when duty
is Of such vital Importance both to the
health and welfare of the county and to
discharge the duty of the road commits
sioners in maintaining the public roads;
be it
Resolved, That our representatives, in
the general assembly be requested 10 pre-
sent to that body for their action such
legislation as viii abolish the present
board of road commissioners, and vest in
the county commissioners all of the rights
powers, and duties of the said board Of
road commissioners, and in addition, the
duty of condemning land for the drainage
and road construction, as is now provided
for by law.
BE it further resolved, That in view of
the utter failure of the present system of
personal service in working the roads,
that this be abolished and in lieu thereof
per capita tax be substituted.
BE it further resolved, That in order to
fully meet all the requirements of drain
age and road construction, the county
commissioners be authorized to issue
bonds to the amount of $500, co., said bonds
TO bear interest a - per cent. per an
num- and to run for - years. Provis-
ion to be made annually in the county
budget to pay the interest of these bonds,
and to provide sinking fund for their re-
demptiOn; the question of issue Of said
bonds to be submitted to the voters of
! Chatham county for their action as pro-
vided for in Sec. sos ii to M of the code of
! 1882.
BE it further resolved, That COM
mittee of this board is Epponted to confer
| with a like committee of the grand jury
| of the superior court at its December
! term, to draw up in detail such plans as
will fully meet the intent of these re2o-
luuons, and provide for their speedy ac-
complishment
Dr. Charlton said the object of the reso-
luton was to bring the question to a TO-
Gus, and provide a basis for it's discus
sion by the commissioners.
Commissioner Carson was in favor of is
suing the bonds under certain restric-
tions, but he thought there was an easier
| way to get rid of the road commissioners
| as there was a law passed in 1891 by which
| it was provided that the duties of the road
| commissioners through recommendation
! of the grand jury could be transferred to
| the county commissioners and the county
| commissioners could be given all the pow
/ ers formerly vested in the road commits
! sioners. Under this IL seemed that it was
| not necessary to call on the legislature
| for the passage of a law abolishing the
1 road commissioners, and such was the
| opinion of Mr.. J. +, Saussy, Jr., who was
! present to represent the county attorney
! who is out of the city.
Commissioner Carson then thought the
| best course to pursue would be the ap-
! pointment of a committee to confer with
! the grand jury of the superior court, and
after the duties of the road commissioners
under the present law had been placed in
the hands of the county commissioners
/ the time Tor their action, he said, would
come.
With regard to the bend question, it was
the opinion also, that the commissioners
| might pass an order and after duly ad-
vertising it, submit the question of issuing
county bonds for road improvements to
/ the people. This it was thought could be
done under a law already passed, allow
| ing Chatham county to issue bonds.
| Chairman Dale was opposed to an issue
/ of bonds, emphaticslly. opposed 10 it. and
he stated his position clearly. He was op-
/ posed to saddling a half million dollar debt
| on the county at a time of such monetary
depression. 1t is well enough, he said, to
| talk about floating long time bonds at
per cent anu TO say IL Will not cost the
/ people any more in taxes, but that he said
is ali nonsense. The people, he said, have
all the taxes they can bear now, they are
! not ready to macadamize the roads and
| the changing, in his opinion, can be d.
| Vided so as not TO hinder the drainage
work That is provided for, he stated, by
| a resolution passed at the last meeting He
| read two letters from Judge Eve of Au-
| gusta and Mr.. Parsons, both interested in
| good roads, stating that good and ser
/ Viceable roads can be made by a mixture
| of sand and clay. The county. he said. can
| by judicious use Of a portion of the
chang-gang make all the Immediately nee
essary improvements without putting 80
extensive debt upon the country.
After the matter had been discussed at
some length on this line all of Commis-
sioner Charlton's resolution. except the
preamble, was stricken out, and after the
preamble the following resolution was in
serted
BE IT resolved that a committee from
this board be appointed TO confer with the
grand jury Of the superior court at its
December term to draw up in detail such
I rsTa ne mil FsrIT -,