The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-28
WILL NOT APPEAL TO COUNCIL.
CoNMIssIoNERs'W ACCEPT THE
BUDGET As 1T STANDS.

known, They Say-Chairman Gray
son Thinks the Council should
Help the Fire Commission to Get
Down the Insurance Rate-BudGet
and Tax Ordinance 10 Be Adopted
as Reported by the Committee OF
the WhoIe-MayOr MeIdrim May
Have u Surprise in store in the
Commission Appointments.
The city council will hold its last reg
ular meeting of 1897 tomorrow night, and
as there will be but two days left of the
year it is hardly likely that there will be
any more special meetings,
The meeting will be an important one.
The tax ordinance and budget for 1898 viii
come up for adoption and the mayor will
make his nominations for the vacancies
to occur on the several commissions Jan. !.
Most interest attaches to the latter, the
two former having been practically decid-
ed upon In fact, there is a very lively
interest in these appointments.
Mayor Meldrm said to a Morning News
reporter several days ago that the APP
pointments would not be announced I'M
Ill the regular meeting on The night OF
Dec .. There is considerable doubt
whether the selections for the vacancies
viii be made from among the gentlemen
who have been prominently mentioned for
the places. Mayor Meldrim is said TO
have his eye on new material and there
may be some surprises in store for coun-
Gil.
1t is not thought that any changes will
be made in the budget as already pub
lished. The commissions, which suffer a
reduction from this years appropriations,
will make no appeal to council to restore
the appropriations to the original figures.
I'VE have said all that We dare to say
commissioners reply when spoken to about
the matter.
Il shall not make any further appeal
to council said Chairman Grayson of the
fire commission, when spoken to on the
subject. Il simply think council has made
a mistake.
when l accepted the appointment of
fire commissioner, it was with the earnest
desire to place the fire department in that
condition where we could expect the in
surance companies to give us the reduc-
ton which they have been promising ever
since can remember. 1t used to be when
you said anything TO an insurance agent
about high premiums, he would say If
the city will furnish a first-class fire de-
partment, the companies will reduce the
rate
Now, it does seem strange that council
should refuse to give the fire department
an amount sufficient 10 operate it on the
same efficient basis as last year. when it
is known that the city Is paying, and has |
been for some time an extra charge on
all insurance premiums for the inefficency |
of this department Now that the depart |
ment has begun to redeem itself and with |
a like success for few years to come, as !
has been the case the past year, we can |
reasonably expect this charge Will be re-
moved and thus save to our citizens thou |
sands of dollars. With these facts before |
council, il does appear that in refusing 10 |
grant the appropriation asked for they |
have not the interest of the city at heart. |
Heretofore the present administration has |
not had representation on the board of |
fire commission, but from January, 1898, |
on they will be represented which should |
be an assurance to them that they will be |
fully advised as to the disbursement of |
all monies expended by the commission. |
Under these conditions every effort should |
be made TO encourage the efficiency of the |
department, if for no other reason than |
10 place the merchants and property own |
ers in a position to demand of the insur- |
ance companies, that the charge for .ine'dl-
cheney Of the fire department be eliminated |
from all fire premiums"
I'VE shall operate our department on |
what is given u.s." said Chairman James |
NJ Dixon of the water commission. ut |
is the smallest appropriation that has been |
and it will lreQuire close economy to pull |
through on it. If possible to get through |
the year on it we shall do so. There will |
be no frills on the water department next |
year and if the people suffer any inconve- |
nience they need not lay the blame on us" |
Chairman Stone of the park and tree |
commission said he had made no effort to |
secure an increase of the small appropria- |
ton for next year. "Our wants were fully |
set forth in our report to the mayor, |
which we are required by law to submit !
in October" said he. THE reasons for |
making such requests were fully stated |
and it is to be presumed that council acted |
on its best judgment in not granting them. |
The amount granted is sufficient for the |
bare maintenance of the parks and squares |
and we shall take care not to exceed the |
appropriation. We shall do the best we
can with the amount granted us"
The appropriation to parks and squares
is $14.500, including $500 for Estill park and
about $1,000 of bills due by the commission
when 1t ran out of funds last summer. This
leaves about $12, 400 for the care and MAIN
tenance of the parks, squares and trees
during the year.
The police commission, Chairman Karow
has stated will make the experiment of
running under the new budget for three
months, and if it finds that it's expenses
exceed the quarterly proportion of the
budget it will either ask council for more
money or reduce expenses.
The ordinance to improve Bull street
from New Houston south to the city linn
its will come up on its second reading to-
morrow night and will doubtless be
adopted.
Alderman Hull will probably reintroduce
his ordinance for the paving of Drayton
street. The question may be raised on
this ordinance that Drayton street can
not well be paved while the house drain
age work Is in progress, because under the
drainage plan a number of sewers win
have TO be laid across this street, besides
several small sewers along the street ana
house connections will also have to be
made. To lay the pavement before the
sewers ere laid is practically out of the
question, as il would not only greatly in
jure the new pavement, but would be a
heavy burden upon the contractors.
on the other hand. unless the contrac-
tors should agree to do the sewerage work
or Drayton street in advance the paving
of the street will be considerably delayed
One of the large property owners on
Drayton street, when spoken to about the
matter, said that it would suit him Just as
well for the city 60 delay the pavemen,
awhile longer. The object of those WHO
got IN the DettiOn for an aeDhaIf navo