The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-01

permanent in effect. L LAAA< 4 AOs
tional sum to substitute marble for brick
received no encouragement from any
source; nay, the effort was discouraged by
all in authority; but by persistence a sus-
pension of contract was secured, a per-
sonal bond given to contractors to in
demnify them against loss, and the clos
ing hours of the first session of the last
congress witnessed the most brilliant sue
cess ever scored by Col Lester in the
halls of congress by accomplishing the
passage of his bill to secure an additional
appropriation to meet increased cost of a
marble building against the arbitrary
power of Speaker Reed, who was opposed
to Col Lester from party policy regard
ing expenditures. 1t would have been a
singing humiliation not to have had the
building of Georgia marble when that ma
terial had been used in construction of
the public building at Jacksonville Fla,
and was being employed in the new caDi-
tol Of Rhode Island. Our people are I'M
der a lasting obligation to Messrs. Miles
& Bradt, who held the contract for a brick
building and co-operated in every effort
and made personal sacrifices to crafty
us by securing change in material from
unsghtly brick to richly chiselled mar
Bile"
President Purse heartily approves the
suggestion that bust of Col Lester be
placed in an appropriate niche in the new
public building, and also makes other sug-
gestions. He says: THE suggestion is
happy one and upon other pedestals, why
not the philanthropic Oglethorpe, Joseph
Habersham of Washington's cabinet and
the first Postmaster General; Berrien, the
peer of Webster, and the gifted Crawford,
who missed the presidency of the United
States by a hairs breadth. These deserve
we'll of their country"
The success of Col. Lester in obtaining
about 100000 more for completing the
deep water project and for constructing
training wall at Tybe@ roads, to afford
safe anchorage to vessels, IS mentioned.
Capt. Carter who has conducted the pro-
ject thus far, he predicts will give a
channel in excess of the promised depth
of twenty-six feet
Special commentator is given to the
action of the south and west grain and
trade congress, in session at Charleston
last year, and TO Mayor Adger Smythe Of
that city, for the passage of a resolution
by that body, at an opportune moment,
when the fate of the appropriation for the
completion of the river and harbor work
at Savannah was in the balance.
On the subject of quarantine, President
Purse had the following to say:
"Our river and harbor, now in splendid
shape, invites the commerce of the world
to our port but it must not be burdened
by unneeded restrictions at the entrance
or unrea sonable exactions at docks The
tendency of the day is to make the in
gress and egress of shipping as free as the
ocean It plows For several years our
quarantine regulations as enforced have
caused much complaint from shipowners
and as a practical question, freight room
for Savannah has been difficult to obtain,
even at increased rates. This acts as tax
upon our commerce and discrimination
laeafrF on
is a serious one highly detrimental to the
welfare of the port, and now imperiousiy
calls for remedy. Action cannot be taken
too quickly, and it is a source of relief and
qualification that these matters are 10 De
strictly Inquired into and thorough in
vestigation made of all complaints had, at
public meeting of the sanitary board. to
convene on April 20. 1t is not our province
TO throw blame upon any one for existing
conditions, but rather, recognizing that
complaints exist, to urge careful eXaml-
nation into their justifyng circumstances
to find remedies, if possible, for constant
" recurring grievances that cry incessant-
lv for amelioration or removal of exciting
causes While this investigation is under
way. all other port charges that rest upon
commerce should be as exclusively IN
auired into as quarantine matters. We
must keep our port charges on a party
with. or under that of rivals.
"A few cents per hundred In ocean
freights." said Capt. Purse, is assigned
by some as reason for diversion Of many
thousand bales OF cotton from Savannah
this present season, competition has been
growing sharper and fiercer each year. and
unless we prepare ourselves to meet IT,
we will surely be out-stripped in the race
for commercial supremacy, losing even
that which we already have.
"Our hopes and aspirations for regular
lines Of steam communication with for
eign ports for interchange of products and
manufactures are still unsatisfed.
"In September last, Mr.. Marshall Stew
ems. manager of the Manchester Canal
Company Of Manchester, England, touring
this continent IN the interest of the en-
terprise, visited Savannah by joint invita-
ton of our commercial bodies and the mu-
nicipal government for the purpose OF
bringing about the Inauguration of a line
OF steamers between this port and Man
chester, Mr.. Stevens was accorded every
courtesy and given every facility for fur
thering the object Of his visit. For some
occult reason nothing so far has resulted
from the visit, and though II gave birth TO
similar schemes for direct foreign inter-
course they also seem TO have disappointed
expectation. We must expect disappoint-
menfs In these matters, but by improving
our facilities for eheaply handling our
commerce, capital will yet be attracted 10
the advantages OF our port, and the rich
harvest TO be rcaped by the development,
in permanent form. Of our foreign trade
now an absolute necessity for our own
commercial growth.
1T was hoped and predicted that the