The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-28
The Nraxor,r Message.

mtESaEcs
In his annual message. a fun synopsis
of which was published in the Morning
News yesterday. the Mayor reviewed the
affairs of the city comprehensiveIy and
forcefully. All of the subjects touched
upon are Of interest, but the two which. at
this time ought TO make the most impress
sion upon the public mind are the city's
health and the sidewalks
The Mayor called attention to the fact
that the winter thus far has been a re-
markably mild and dry one. Therefore
the chances are that there will be great
deal of rain in the latter part of the spring
and the early part of the summer. Heavy
ranfalls in the spring and early summer,
accompanied by a high temperature, are
usually followed by a considerable amount
of fever. Our only protection against very
serious sickness under such circum-
stances is good drainage
There are reasons for thinking that cpl
denies of fever from which the city has
suffered were due largely to the lack of
drainage of the lowlands and swamps in
the immediate vicinity of the city. These
lands and swamps are in a much better
condition now than they were at the time
of the last epidemic, but they are a long
way from being in a good sanitary con-
dition. And it is regretable that nothing
is being done to improve their condition.
The Musgrove watershed comes close to
the city and ought TO have been drained
long ago. For some unaccountable reason
the County Commissioners cannot be in
duced to undertake the drainage of it, al
though the fact that it is menace to the
city's health is well known.
Through the efforts Of the Mayor the
County Commissioners permitted the
chainAgang' force to clean out the drains
east and west of the city last fall, and
there was an immediate decline in the
number of fever cases in the eastern and
western sections of the city 1t is safe
to say that the Mayors action in this
matter saved a number of lives. If what
the Mayor said in ibis message were heed
ed by the County Commissioners there
would be little or no reason to fear sick
ness next summer, even if the weather
conditions should be unfavorable to.
health.
Speaking offdrainage, the Mayor said:
while much has been done to improve
the drainage of Savannah and its vicinity,
there is more to do, and the county au-
thorities, as well as the authorities of the
city, should be held to a strict and full
responsibility for the proper drainage of
the city and the territory Immediately
adjoining it,"
If there should be sickness of a serious
character naNrt et,royoar tto oo,,,,4,-
thorities would be made to understand
how great their responsibility is. The peo
pie are apparently apathetic now in re-
spect to this matter of drainage but they
would be terrible in their anger If their
lives and the lives of their children should
be jeopardized and the trade of the city
threatened with ruin by an epidemic caus-
ed by the unsanitary condition of the
lands and swamps adjacent to the city.
( Every dollar that the county can spare
should be used in drainage work that
would increase the healthfulness of the
city. and the City Council and the grand
juries should use all their influence with
the County Commissioners to have this
work done as quickly as possible. The
city has begun the house drainage i'm
provement and the county should coop
crate with the city in the work of pro-
tecting the city's health.
What the Mayor said about sidewalks
is timely. 1t can be stated without fear
of contradiction that the sidewalks are
in worse condition than those of any other
city in the country, and a remarkable
thing is that little or no repairing is done.
Does the officer whose duty it is to see
that the sidewalks are kept in good condi-
ton attend to his duty? If not, why
doesn't the Council find out why he
doesn't? Broken sidewalks are the rule.
good, even sidewalks the exception. Let
us have reform in this matter, and at
once.