The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-24
AFTER THE WHITE BLUFF ROAD
THE COMMISSIONERS NOW HAVE
AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE 1T.

The Committee on Roads and Bridges
VIII Soon Consider the Question in
the Light OF the New Law, a Certi-
fed Copy of which Has Been Re-
ceived-PrOperty Owners and Cfti-
zens Want IL Made "A Public Road
as soon as Possible.
There is an opportunity now for the
county commissioners 10 acquire the Yer
non shell road as a public road for the
benefit of the people Of the county within
as short a time as it will take for them
to carry out the necessary legal steps re-
quired in the transaction.
A certified copy of a law on this sub
ject was received from the executive de-
partment in Atlanta yesterday by Mr.. W.
W. Gordon, Jr., who represents the sign
ers of the petition requesting the commits
sioners to take action in the matter. This
act provides that the county commission
ers may purchase private tolls roads at
a fair market value, or they are author
lied to condemn them under the general
law Of 1894 providing for the condemna-
ton of private property for public use or
use by corporations.
The act of 1894 provides for the condem-
nation of private property through the
appointment of three assessors, one by
each of the parties at interest, and the
third by the two others. 1t would not be
necessary to work under this act, how
ever, provided the commissioners could
agree upon a fair market value for the
road with its owners. Heretofore they
have had no power to institute any con-
demnation proceedings, and no authority
to acquire any title to it except at such
a figure as the owner of the property
might name and be willing to accept. Now
if they cannot agree on a figure they have
the right to acquire it through other
means.
The petition to the commissioners ask
ing them to condemn and acquire the Yer
non shell road for public use was filed
some time ago. but the commissioners
then had no right to take any such steps.
The SignerS of the petition were largely
property owners along the road, but in
cluded many people who use it frequently
as pleasure drive, and thought ii should
be public drive for the benefit of the
people who used it as such. great many
or the signers of the petition live out on
the road, or at such places that they have
TO use 1t in coming into the city. Their
contracts for toll expire at the end of the
year, and they were DESTROYS of getting
the road into the hands of the county by
of before that time if possible, so that
they would not be compelled to enter into
new contracts with the company for an
other year.
Now, that their attorney, Mr. Gordon,
has a certified copy of the law, he is go
ing to push the matter for all 1t is worth
and as rapidly as possible. 1t will be re-
membered that the petition was referred to
the roads and bridges committee of the
county commissioners at their last regu-
lar meeting to be taken up for considera-
tlon as soon as they received a copy of
the act. There is no reason now why the
committee cannot take up the matter as
soon as its members find the time to get
together, and it appears to be their incli-
nation to act upon it as soon as possible.
The clerk of the board will probably sub
NIT TO the committee within the next day
or two a statement of the cost per mile for
the paving, bridging and drainage of the
1900 feet of the Ogeechee road that have
just been fixed up, and this will likely
necessitate meeting, at which time the
Vernon shell road matter can also come
up.
1t win be remembered that Mr.. d. B.
Lester, who practically owns all the stock
of the road, offered to sell 1t to the county
some time ago, but the purchase was not
made. There appears to be a general de-
sire on the part of the community that
this, as we'll as the other shell road, be
made public road, and the commission
ers could probably find no better way to
public favor than by arranging plan by
which this desire can be satisfied.