The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-26
CARE OF THE GRASS PLATs.
THE RIGHT TO PROTECT THEM
WITH ENCLOSURES.

The PIats Under Control of the Park
and Tree COmmissiOn-Their Inn
prOvement and Care by Property
Owners Encouraged by the Conn
misunderstanding Opinions As to
the Availability of Enclosing
Them With Ratings and Fences.
The little talk in the city council We'd
nesday night about grass plats and their
Enclosures. has attracted as much atten-
ton and discussion as any other feature
of the meeting.
It is not due to any antagonism to the
improving of grass plats by citizens, but
rather the contrary. 1t was the fact that
many citizens had within comparatively
recent period been prevented from inclos-
ing the grass platS in front of their houses
and had been required to remove such in
closures as they had, that drew attention
to the several structures of this kind re-
Gently erected throughout the city and
lead to the discussion. Naturally every
citizen, who had desired to inclose the
grass plat in front of his house, but had
been prevented from doing so by the be-
lief that it was contrary to ordinance
wanted to know why it was that a few
citizens had been granted this privilege
or whether these citizens were simply de-
flying the law.
Alderman Gleason was chairman of the
streets and lanes committee of the previ-
GUS council, and early in his administra-
ton he took effective measures to cause
the removal of all enclosures of grass
plats, holding that the plats were part of
the public domain and that citizens had
no right to inclose them, and further that
these Enclosures were dangerous to life
and limb, persons being liable to fall over
them in the darkness or in escaping from
runaway horses or other dangers Of the
street
The ordinance placing the grass plats
under the control of the streets and lanes
committee. was introduced by Alderman
w. P. Bailey, now clerk of council, and
was adopted Aug. g. 1891. 1t makes it the
duty of the committee to care for these
plats in the same manner as the public
squares of the city. The ordinance also
provides a penalty for trespassing upon
the grass plats.
The act establishing the park and tree
commission specifically placed the grass
plats under the commissions care ana
control The commission has never
adopted any rules with regard to the care
! of grass plats by citizens, either prohibit
ing or permitting Enclosures. When sev-
eral citizens began to incloSe the platS for
the purpose of Improvement this spring
the commission made no objection. Chair
man Stone said yesterday, when spoken
to on the subject that the letter of The
| secretary in reply to the letter of inquiry
from Mayor Meldrim, read in council
Wednesday night, stated the position of
| the commission. 1t has no objection 20
the erection of temporary structures with
the object of improving the grass plats
| The commission has so much other work
on hand that it is glad to have citizens
| take charge of this work In many in
| stances, such as at the corner of Bull and
| South Broad streets, where Col. Gordon
| has erected a rather substantial enclos-
ure, the Improvements would be impossi-
| BILE without some structure for the pro-
/ lection of the grass plats.
| Some of the aldermen, it is understood,
are not favorable to the idea of inclos-
! ing the grass plats, and an ordinance 10
the contrary may be introduced. Many
! citizens have caught on to the fact, how
J ever. that such Enclosures are not forbid
| den, and there are indications that Col
| Gordons example will be quite generally
/ followed.