The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-09
THE CHARGES TO BE LOW.
THE COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE NEW
QUARANTINE FEES.

The Schedule VIII BE Much Lower
Than That Formerly Enforced and
Less Than nj Any NeighbOring Port.
The Aim of the Council Is 10 Secure
Revenue of $4,000 From Quar-
antine.
At the meeting Of the city council to-
morrow night the resolution OF Alderman
Carolan, chairman of the committee on
harbor and wharves. fixing the charges
to be enforced at quarantine. will proba-
bly, be passed.
Alderman Carolan said yesterday that
there is little doubt that the resolution will
be adopted.
The resolution fixes a low scale Of
charges for the discharging of ballast,
the docking of vessels at the quarantine
wharves by the city tug and fee for
boarding the vessels. The charges are
much less than those which were formerly
enforced at quarantine, but which were
removed by the city year ago.
THE proposed charges" said Alderman
Carolan, ARE less than the charges in
force at any of the neighboring ports and
will not affect the freight rates in the
least. This is very plainly shown by the
fact that there was no reduction in rates
when the old charges were removed.
There is no doubt that the removal of the
charges was a mistake. While it would
have been well to have reduced them per-
haps, to remove them entirely was bad
policy. The maintenance Of the quaran-
tine station is a heavy burden to the city.
and it is the custom everywhere to make
the fees from quarantine bear the larger
part of the burden. We estimate that with
the new schedule Of charges the. re-
ceipts at quarantine will come within
$1,000 to $1,000 of the cost of maintaining
the station. II is impossible 10 make any
exact estimate on account of the
varying number of vessels to be disn-
fected. Vessels coming here from the nor
'hern ports are not required to be dis
infected here and 1t might happen that
in season for foreign cargoes would
come by way Of the northern ports. There
may be some advantages in free quaran-
tine, but the city is not in position just
now - continue the experiment. If we
can derive a revenue of $4,000 year
from the quarantine station without plac
ing the city in any way at a disadvantage
It will be good move and so much saved
to the taxpayers"
Mayor Myers has requested Alderman
CarOlan to undertake the revision of the
wharfage charges, job which the chair
man OF harbor and wharves does not rel
ish by any means. The table of charges
now IN use. or nominally In use, was
adopted in 1920. since which time there
does not appear to have been any change
made. Conditions have entirely changed
since then, and the table is practically OBJ
solete. The Ocean Steamship Company
and the Merchants and Miners Transpor-
tation Company abolished the charges for
wharfage on goods shipped by their lines
two or three years ago. but the charges
are still in force at private wharves. AS
practically all merchandise coming into
the port is handled by the two steamship
companies the old table, which enumer-
ates the charge TO be made for wharfage
on every article from anvils to washpots,
is seldom called into use. Alderman Car
olan is puzzled just how to so about the
work of preparing a table suited to pres
emit conditions. The fixing of a dockage
charge by the city also being urged. No
dockage charges are now made at SaVan-
nah, the revenue to the wharf owner all
coming from the wharf charges on the
freight. Dockage charges are collected in
Charlesto and other cities.
Whatever change is made in the char
ges,' said Alderman Carolan, will be by
ordinance, which will be published before
coming up for final action in order that all
parties interested, particular the wharf
owners and business men, will have an
opportunity to present their views to coun-
Gil If the ordinance suggested does not
meet with their approval