The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-18
CHAIRMAN DIX0N'S TRIP
WENT TO ATLANTA To CONFER
WITH MAYOR MELDRIN.

Both Said the Visit Had Nothing to
Do With the Talked of COmpro-
Understanding to Mayor MeIdrim
the Fight VIII Be to a Finish-If
There Have Been Any Efforts to
Reach a Compromise on the COM
mission Bills, They Appear to
Have Failed.
Talk Of compromise upon the commits
sion bills between the Liberals and the
Citizens Club faction was current again
yesterday, and it appeared there was more
foundation for it than has heretofore ex-
listed.
1t was reported that a well-known mem
Der of the Citizen Club had gone to At
ianta for the purpose of discussing the
matter with the Chatham delegation. That
gentleman was Mr.. James NJ Dixon, chair
man of the water commission. Mr.. Dixon
will return to the city this morning, but
according to advices from Atlanta, his
mission, if it contemplated any such thing
as compromise, was unsuccessful.
1t was supposed that the matter had
been kept absolutely secret, but such does
not appear to have been the case. Ac-
cording to reports here, Mr.. Dixon's trip
contemplated some discussion of the com
mission bills, but statements from Atlanta
contradict this. A dispatch from Atlanta
the result of an interview the Morning
News Atlanta correspondent had with
Mayor Meldrim and Mr. Dixon, says:
MIR. ]. NJ. Dixon, chairman of the
water commission, came up to Atlanta to-
day on a flying trip, returning home on the
night train. While here Mr.. Dixon held
quite a lengthy conference with Mayor
Meldrim, and those here familiar with the
local situation in Savannah thought the
conference probably had something to do
with the tight over the anti-commission
bills now before the Senate committee
There were some who thought there might
be something in a recent report of a COM
promise between the two factions, and
that Capt. Dixon had come up to see the
mayor as the representative Of the other
side.
Both gentlemen, however emphatical-
~ disclaimed any such purpose in thel,
talk. Mayor Meldrim said with emphasis
leagues mean just what he says, that
there was absolutely no thought of COM
promise on the commission bills in his
conference with Capt. Dixon. The lat
ter came from Savannah for the express
purpose of seeing the mayor, 1t is true,
but not as the representative Of a faction
to arrange a compromise. He came, Mayor
Meldrim stated, TO discuss municipal Of
fees, but there was nothing said about
any compromise on the commission.
I'VE will either face our bills and abof-
ish the commissions said Mayor Mel
drim, "or we will lose the whole fight"
THE commission bills will be considered
by the Senate committee next Tuesday,
when delegations from both factions in
local affairs Will be heard. Solicitor w.
w. Osborne is still here waging war on
the bills, and he is confident of their
defeat in the Senate"
According to this dispatch, the compro-
mise theory appears to be knocked in the
head though there are many who believe
that efforts at a compromise have been
made This is the second or third time
there has been talk about the matter, but
if there have been such efforts they ap-
pear to have failed and to have left the
fight just where it stood in the first place
The Liberalites do not appear to have
been averse to compromise, except on
the commissioner of public works, the
fire commission and the police commits
sion. These three they are extremely anx-
ious to get rid of, and it has practically
been intimated that they would consent
to a retention of all the other commits
sions provided there was a certainty of
the adjustment of the others The mem
bers of the Citizens Club as a rule how
ever, seem to have held to their position
that they would insist on the retention
of all the commissions, and in his inter
view from Atlanta, Mayor Meldrim is
equally as emphatic that the present ad-
ministration will insist on the adjustment
of all of them.
Next Monday night WILL no doubt see
opposing delegations leaving the city to
appear before the Senate committee and
make their respective showings Whether
there will be any compromise between
now and then remains to be seen,