The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-01


The Grand JuFy's Report.
The grand jury's report has not settled
the drainage question. The majority
and minority reports of the special com
mittee were submitted by the grand jury
to the court without comment on the part
of the fun body. Having before them the
two reports from the special committee,
and the facts which have been given in
the columns Of the Morning News from
day to day, the citizens of Savannah will
be able to judge of the merits of the con-
troversy with regard to the condition of
the drainage of areas contiguous to the
city.
The extended reply of the county COM
missioners to question asked them by
the special committee of the grand jury
at the commencement of the investigation,
is made a part of the report of the grand
jury, published yesterday. Though signed
by the chairman of the board of county
commissioners, the reply is seemingly
special plea prepared by the county attor-
ney; and it possibly throws more light
upon the subject in some particulars, than
was intended or desired Attention is call
ed to the organization of the drainage
work thus;
After the yellow fever epidemic of 1876
in Savannah, the general assembly, in or
der to protect the state from liability from
similar epidemics, deemed it necessary
that a thorough system of drainage for
Chatham county should be provided and
appropriated one-thrd of the state tax
of the county for the year 1877, and APP
noiptad sueciai commission n receive 10
money and construct the drainage in such
manner as they should deem proper I'M
der the control and supervision Of the gov
ernor; with power to locate said drainage
either within or without the limits of the
city of Savannah.
Continuing, the reply goes on to say,
quite correctly:
The commission, in the discharge of Its
duty confined the drainage to the imme
date vicinity of the city of Savannah, etc.
The reply, continuing, sketches the his
tory of the board of county commission
ers since 1878, the merging of the drainage
commission with the county commission;
tells all about the canals and drains con-
structed-only one of which, however, was
built since the present chairman of the
board became manager of the county
work-and further says:
The enumeration of these systems,
though not exhaustive, is sufficient to
show that the drainage of Chatham county
is work of vast proportions. The large
number of extensive swamps traversing
the county in all directions and the COM
paratively small force of able-bodied con-
victs under the control of the county COM
missioners, make the progress of the
drainage slow and difficult.
Now. Notwithstanding the drainage was
! instituted for the protection of the city
of Savannah, as shown above; notwith-
standing the drainage system is "a work
of vast proportions" and there is only
"a comparatively small force of able-bod-
led convicts" to do the work on the drain
age system, as shown in the boards re-
ply. the county commissioners have taken
one hundred and fifteen of these able-bOd-
led convicts and sent them to drain a
swamp eight miles from the city
If there is any further argument neces-
sary to show that the board of county
commissioners is leaving undone those
things which should be done, and doing
those things which should be left undone
the Morning News fails to perceive it.
The report of the citizens committee Of
unprejudiced investigators will be present.
ed in a few days, and the taxpayers will
then be able to see clearly where the com
paratively small force of able-bodied con-
victs" should be employed, if the purpose
for which the county drainage was insti-
tuted is to he carried out