The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
HOUSE DRAINAGE PLANS.
Objections Presented to Various
Features of Them.

Features of Them.
Editor Mornig News: After the public
realize the evil results of too hasty legis-
lation and immature elaboration on con-
tracts affecting the public welfare, as evil
denced by the recent street railroad deal,
it would be wen for the citizens to i'm
press upon council the necessity of going
slow In the matter of house drainage.
The plans were to be ready by Nov. l,
but were not ready for several days after,
and are not yet completed. So far as they
have gone they show the want of careful
study and acquaintance with the local re-
quirements The former defect caused by
lack of time In preparation, and the latter
by the fact that the men who prepared
the plans were strangers, and entirely I'M
acquainted with the city.
The plans were to be ready for inspec-
ton in the city engineers office, but they
are not there, and the city engineer does
not know thing about them. You have
to visit the office of Waring, Chapman &
Farquahar to see them. This violation of
the resolution of council is enough to vi
tate the whole work of calling for bids
should any contractor care to object.
The report of the drainage committee,
which was adopted by council. recon-
mended that bids be called for on basis
of payments extending over ten years. The
printed form for bidders calls for cash
payments. Have council given up the idea
of issuing notes? If 50, how will the
money be raised? If by raising the tax
rate 1T will take at least an increase of
IA per cent. to meet the cost If by as
sessment or the property owners, then, it
would require a special ordinance before
calling for bids. The action of the city
council 50 far has been anything but de-
Lucrative, and as the matter now stands,
only one way is open to them If they
want to let the contract for drainage work
this month They cannot issue notes in
payment, as the form of contract calls for
cash payments. They cannot assess the
property because no ordinance has been
passed authorizing the work Then the
only alternative Is to raise the tax rate
IA per cent Will the citizens submit to
such, an imposition from the hands of a
council only four members of which own
any real estate, and none of the balance
return any more than $500 personal prop
erty.
AS an evidence of the immature DELHI
Grafton the whole plan has received, I
would state that about fifteen miles of
the proposed sewers are entirely removed
from the city water malns-some quar-
ter of a mile distant 1t would require the
laying of fifteen miles of water mains
along with the sewers before the houses
could make use of them. About five miles
of the proposed sewers run through the
streets and lanes not yet projected, and
which have never been attempted to be
opened by the city-sone of the land be-
ing still planted. Has council included
the cost of these water mains and con-
demning rights of way in its estimates
To include these expenses would require
an increase of per cent on the tax rate
to do the whole work. But why put sew
ers through lands not yet laid out, and on
which there may not be a house for ten
years to come? in one instance a main
sewer Is to run for four blocks under the
yards of the houses, which will necessitate
the removal of stables and outbuildings.
No local man would have made such an
error
These are but a few of the vagaries of
| the proposed system" of house drainage
to the preparation of which Col. Warning
was to give his personal attention But has
he? Contractors will refuse to bid on
plans which have not been adopted by
council or even laid before 1t.
| 1t Is not too late to call halt and slow
up on this matter, but after turning up fifty
miles of the city, with the possibility of a
mild winter, and the inevitable sickness it
| will produce, it will be too late when, may
be- some Of US or our loved ones are laid
away. Humphrey Thwackem.
Savannah. Nov. 6. 1897.