The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-27

thunder OF the Citizens CIab as seven
cut OF eight of its planks were IN favor
OF measures which had long been agVO-
I called by the Citizens Club Ar. Hitch
and park and tree commissions cost the
them arid their value 10 the city lie
pointed out that the police. fire. water
anu pAlk ana Zee comm Sslons cost M
city nothing The only board costing
anything De said, is the board Of tax as
SCISSORS and receivers, costing u $a,1B a
year As a result the number OF personal
tax returns had been increased from eco
To 5.eN. and the revenue of the city in
creased between $1,000 and 5000 Is
that eNtfaNagance, ne asked. These taxes
come from the people VINO nad never
borne any share OF the burden.
II the commissioners should go out Of
Office tO-nOrrOW. he said, their work would
still stand and the increase IN tax re-
turns would continue.
Mr.. Hitch discussed the creation Of the
Office Of public works commissioner and
pointed 10 the advantage which had re-
suited in consolidating the several depar L
ments OF the city under one head Com
missioner Willinks office COSTS the CITY
about 5000 year, he said. and the in
ulcattOns are that he Will save the city
fully $1,000 this year. He Is a man, ca
paoie. efficient and responsible and he
should be kept there" said Mr.. Hitch Mr-
Hitch spoke al some length OF the i'm
prOvements accomplished and about TO he
accomplished by the present admlnistra-
ton, street paving Savannah, Florida ana
Western railway crossings, the Old Gene
terry and others
He predicted that the city would reduce
the tax rate next year without discon-
tlnuing It's improvements. His remarks
were well received throughout.
Dr. Norton called upon Mr.. W. w CHS
holm as one Of the tax assessors TO give
the meeting some information on the work
OF the board
Mr. Chisholm said that since 1890 the
personal tax returns had fallen OF s.. 800.
40 largely because of the neglect of those
who had charge Of this WORK. The board
of assessors had by a few months work
iully recovered this amount OF the 300
new returns large part, he said, had
come from the Workingmen. With the III
crease of tax returns he predicted that
the city tax rate next year would be
about $50 per Sl00 He compared the
valuations and expenditures Of Atlanta
with Savannah. Atlanta, ne said. has tax
returns amounting To So. 010,00. as against
S24JQO,VlO Tor Savannah. Atlanta eXpeuds
over SztUVVuJ9 Tor city purposes, nearly
three times what Savannah spends. and
yet the citizens of savannah grumble at
their expenses. The people of Savannah.
Mr.. Chisholm said, returned their prop
Crty at a very low valuation, and some
of them not at all.
AIR }. l. MOrrissey moved that the chair
appoint at his leisure campaign com
mittee of twenty-five TO manage the af-
fairs OF the club during the coming cam
paign. The number was increased to 100
ana the resolution was unanimously
adopted
Mr. \. n. Manucy responded to re-
peated calls and made a red-hot speech.
Never in the history OF the community, he
said, had the city had an administration
of such practical ideas A man does not
have 20 wear broadcloth now TO approach
the mayor and the city officials he said
The old fOgies are dead and all the
powers on earth cannot resurrect them. g"
DO you want any more liberality Of the
sort that you had under former admins
tratonsg he asked. Then resurrect Tam
many, under the nom de plume of the Lib
eral Club The old moss-back relics Of
a buried age no longer control the city, he
declared. The increase in the tax re-
turns had not come from the working
men, he said, but from wealthy people
who had made no returns heretofore The
cotton shippers and brokers on the Bay,
he added had been made 20 come forward
and return their capital, which they had
never done before
Mr. Manucy spoke on this line at some
length. and received frequent applause.
MIR. ID. Il. Lester was introduced as the
last speaker The gathering, he said, show
ed that the people of Savannah are well
pleased with what the city administration
has done. The opposition he summarized
as consisting of four elements. the fellows
who lost their offices, the fellows who
curse and kick no matter what admins
who still have fat jobs and want to
keep them, and who have sucked the pub
lie pap for many years and the fourth and
largest element, the old Tammany club
regalvaniZcd into life under the name of
Liberal Club. He proceeded to analyze the
four elements to the amusement of the
crowd.
A resolution by Mr. Manucy that the
chair appoint a committee OF five to re-
port list of officers at the next meeting
of the club was adopted
President Osborne requested that a def
mite date be set for the next meeting of
the club, and April was agreed upon