The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-20
STREETS THAT MAY BE OPENED
ALDERMAN CHARLTON ON THE
WORK BEFORE HIS COMMITTEE.

No Large Amount of Money nj the
Committees DispOsRI-Of the $40
600 ApprOpriated In the budget 20
street Opening $4,000 Must he
Paid on Notes and Interest For
Streets Already Opened-This Does
Not Leave Enough to Open One
Street.-The Committee Will Dis
cuss the situation and Formulate
TRANSPORTATION i'm Progress
with View to Opening River
Street.
The new administration has been very
quiet since it entered upon control Of
the citys' affairs. but as the council has
only held one meeting for the transaction
of regular business since the new mem
bers entered upon their official duties, 1t
could hardly be otherwise.
The chairman Of the committees which
were named 10y the mayor at the first
meeting have devoted considerable of their
time to posting themselves upon the du-
ties Of their committees. the major part
of the work Of each committee falling
upon it's chairman.
Only three members Of the present
board have seen service as members of
council previous TO this administration,
but they are veterans. having each served
with two or more administrations They
are Mr. S. =. Hamilton, chairman of the
finance committee, and also chairman Of
council; Air W. q. Charlton, chairman OF
the committees on opening streets and
assessments, and Mr. W. f. Reid chair
man of the committee on harbor and
wharves The other nine men are all
new to the business. but they are show
ing a very active interest and a deter
mination 10 fully inform themselves upon
all subjects affecting the city interests:
The committee on opening streets is
recognized by all as second to
none in importance on account
of the public tnat this work should De
carried forward as rapidly as possible.
Alderman Charlton was also chairman OF
this committee during the McDonough al
ministratiOn, and consequently mas the
advantage of being well posted on ms
work. He was asked yesterday If his com
mittee had decided upon its policy Tor the
ensuing year
'"rhe committee has not decided upon
any line of policy yet" said Mr. Charlton.
Il have simply been gathering prelimina-
~ evidence it were, before submitting
the case to the committee. As soon as |
have arrayed the facts TO my satisfaction
they viii be submitted to the committee,
and we will endeaVor to agree upon pol
icy to be pursued during the year, or long
rected TO some purpose and not frittered
away in useless effort in all directions
We have a big job before us. There are
q great many streets that we would ike
to open up, but we are confronted by two
difficulties. one is the lack OF means on
the part of the city. and the Otnef IS the
disposition on the part Of property owners,
who demand that the city shall open
streets through their property to hold the
property at an unreasonable valuation, on
5ae the principle ei must by upP f2om t fn4S
sooner or later they might as well get(a
good round price when it does. Although
there has been a general business depres-
sion for the last three years and i Is
well known fact that real estate IS less
valuable than it was three or four years
ago, l find the same people with whom |
endeavored to deal during the McDonough
administration, demanding even higher
prices for the rights Of way for the streets
than they demanded two or three years
ago. AS the property owners are the ones
who are chiefly benefited by the opening
of the streets this action on their part ap-
pears unreasonable 20 me. The city'S APP
preparation for opening streets this year
is $4,000. We could do a good deal with
goo were it not for the fact that $3l,W0
of this amount must be paid on maturing
obligations contracted in previous years.
With only 50 900 TO spend you can see that
the committee has not very much leeway.
one man wants s., 100 for opening up por-
ton of one street alone. There are several
streets which, in my opinion IL is impor-
tant 20 open up. The merchants demand
ttidt ANANtt Stitel ne OpNiifu III VI uCA MAJ
they may have better facilities for deliv-
cry of goods. Negotiations for the open
ing of this street, which have been in pro-
gress, viii be continued, and ! have hopes
that they viii be carried to a successful
issue The streets across the Savannah,
Florida and Western railway should
be opened up in order that
the property east of the
railway may be made subject to taxation,
under the act by which that section was
added to the city. Burroughs street
should be opened throughout as This
would be great convenience to the peO-
pie in the southwestern section Of the sity
] am also in hopes that West Broad street
viii be opened 10 the city limits 1t will
be necessary to acquire a frontage or
about LOCO feet in order to do this. At the
prices at which the property owners are
now holding their property, however, l do
not see how we can afford to open both
West Broad and Burroughs streets, and
the opening of the latter would probably
be more appreciated by the people in the
southwestern section. The other mem
bers of the committee will doubtless have
ideas to suggest as to the opening of other
streets. IL do not think the committee
will have anything to submit "a the meet
ing OF council next Wednesday night, UNI
less we complete the arrangements for
opening a portion of Twelfth street the
property for which has been donated to
the city through Messrs G.. T. and J. r.
Cam"
Il is evident that the city will have to
continue its policy of giving notes in pay
ment of property, II anything extensive
is accomplished in the way of street OPEN
ing, as the 5000 which win be left after
paying notes and interest due will not 20
very far.