The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-23
DRAYTON STREET MUST WAIT.
It's Improvement Not LIKELY 10 BE
Undertaken Until Fall.

The city council will meet tomorrow
night. Nothing of Importance to come be-
fore the meeting has developed so far. II
is rare meeting. however, which does not
develop something of interest in city af-
fairs.
Alderman Guckenheimers road ordi-
nance will come up on It's passage and
VIII probably be adopted with amend
ments. The street and lane committee
which has under consideration the petition
of the property owners on Drayton street
for asphalt pavement will hardly make a
report The Indications are not favorable
to the Improvement of that street imme-
diately Mayor Meldrim, in discussing the
subject, said that 1t was very desirable
that Drayton street should be improved,
but he did not think IL possible to
do it now. The city will be called upon to
pay for the asphalt pavement on South
Broad street, which has just been COM
pleted shortly, while the paving of Bryan
and Farm streets, which is now In pro-
gress, is costing considerable money. The
result is that there viii be very little left
of the paving appropriation in this years
budget when these improvements have
been paid for, and to pave another street,
like Drayton, the council would have to
make an extra appropriation to paving.
Unless the revenues of the city exceed the
budget estimate the city could hardly af-
ford to do this.
done until fall, when the question of i'm
proving Drayton street will be taken up
again, and If the condition of the treasury
warrants it, 1t is very likely that the inn
provement OF the street will then be de-
cided upon.
1T is all very well to talk of improve
ments," said Mayor Meldrim. but these
improvements cost money, and unless we
know where the money is coming from
1t IS well not to undertake too much at
once. The opening up of the streets In
the southern section is a very important
work. and one which hope to see pushed
to completion The streets there could all
have been opened up years ago for a small
percentage of what 1t will cost now, but
that does not help us now. The property
in that section is increasing in value every
year. and 1t is not likely that land for
streets there win ever be any cheaper
The residents in the southern section are
entitled to consideration. They pay the
same rate Of taxes as property owners in
other sections of the city and enjoy very
few OF the advantages. Their streets are
only partially opened up, they have no
paving and they are practically without
water and sewerage. 1t is only justice to
them that they should be given these i'm
provements as rapidly as possible. The
way of making these improvements is
the disposition upon the part of property
owners there to hold their lands at the
very highest price, when the city wishes
to open a street. They do not seem 10 con-
slider that the opening or the streets is
to their advantage and increases the val
ue of their property Some of them seem
to have two prices for their land one for
the city and one for private purchasers.
This tendency on the part of property
owners is largely responsible for the delay
of the city in opening up the streets in
the southern section. We have a good
accomplish a great deal during the year."
The committee on opening streets may
have something to report with regard to
the opening of River street. as 1t is under
stood that considerable progress has been
made in that direction. One of the diff
culties which the committee has to con-
front i'm this work is that it is unable to
assure the property owners along the
route of the street that the railroad will
be extended from its present terminus on
River street through the newly opened
portion to a connection with the tracks of
the Savannah, Florida and Western rail-
way east of the city If assured of this,
1t is said that there would be no difficulty
in obtaining the right-of-way for the
street. The stockholders of the Lower
Rice Mill Company, which owns the large
lot at Bay and East Broad streets, are
said to have decided at a recent meeting
to offer the city the right-of-way through
their property for $1,000. There is also
talk of closing the East Broad street
ferry dock in order to exchange frontage
there for other property to be used in
opening the street