The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-23
I7Y SHOULD DO ITS PART.
.,,ss1oNER DALE on THE LOCAL
DRAINAGE SITUATION.

. lie Holds, Must Take Care
49,. nrninaGe Within Its Juris-
,,I as Wen as Corporate
..t.s--Hc Also Takes Health Off
.uardy to Task-The Com
,cr,s Letter Laid Before the
tor, BOARD and Referred to
,,a,or-HcaIth Board TO Visit
lands EAST of the City.
-,.,nbers Of the sanitary board will
.aa city exchange at $50 O'Clock
i......ooon and will proceed from that
FL, he lands beyond the eastern
Inc city for the purpose of in
,s the property there whose bad
'..r, condition has been recently dwelt
DR. IeHardy. This property is
.,,,,r of the naval stores sheds of the
-. system. DR. LeHardy has described
.,c.rtv as undrained, covered with
II ,.e- slime and muck, and used as
II s.-,-i-a ground for waste material of
every character.
r,s structures of DR.. LeHardy upon the
II Courv, commissioners for their with
1 l,,,.sl of the convicts from around the
Il ,.. and his comments on the "old I'M
II l..i,.1 rice field" which the sanitary
4 ,,,.7isstoners are to visit this afternoon,
4 .sl.sf forth sharp rejoinder from Chair
Il s, T. Dale of the Board of County
commissioners, in which he points out
1 r,.. errors in Dr. LeHardys statement
e,rcern,ng the rice field. and proceeds to
tals him and the city authorities gener-
l auv TO task for the position assumed by
1 tben in the matter of drainage around
1 the city.
Chairman Dale's letter was received
Yesterday by DR.. LeHardy and laid by
him before the meeting of the sanitary
hoard. As questions of Importance as to
the legal status of the city in reference
4 to drainage are raised by Chairman Dale
Il his letter was referred by the board TO
f Navor Neldrim for consideration.
4 Chairman Dale takes the position in his
4 letter that the city is not only entirely
4 in charge of all the drainage of it within
Il its corporate limits, bat of all within it's
iurisdictional limits, which were extended
\ two miles of the city limits by special act
of the legislature in order that it might
h have jurisdiction for sanitary purposes,
on this line Chairman Dale says:
around the city, you will find on eXamina-
ton of the laws of Georgia that as long
ago as December, 1885, the jurisdictional
limits of the city were extended one mile
beyond its corporate limits to enable the
Mayor and aldermen to prohibit the Gull
hvation Of rice; this power you will find
codided in section 4S44 of the appendix 10
the code, title city of Savannah. Eve
Dacppohar no nj Of
dermen of the city of Savannah have
been authorized to institute system of
drainage for the same, through any of
the lands adjacent to the city, this au-
thorJy is codifed in section 1854 of thessaid
appendix. By a very recent act of the
legislature, passed in November 1895,
the jurisdiction of the Mayor and alder
men for sanitary purposes is extended so
as TO embrace all the territory within
two miles of the present or any future
extended corporate limits of the city. And
the municipal corporation is authorized
TO pass such ordinances, rules and regula-
tons as may seem proper TO it's Council,
ana 10 confer on its sanitary commission
ers such powers and authority as may
seem proper and wise in order to pro-
mote the sanitary requirements of said
territory"
From the character of this legislation
that the duty was imposed on the Mayor
ana aldermen to promote the health of
the inhabitants of the city by instituting
complete system of drainage in and
around the city for the health and COM
Tort Of its inhabitants" With all of these
pehary powers conferred on it and for
'hese many years, how has the municipal
autHorltles permitted IAN old undrained
Iice heid,p so dangerous to the health of
Nf IL
ior so many years, within $50 yards of its
corporate limits? 1t is within, the iuris-
ulctIohal limits of the city of Savannah.
ana IN It's power to enforce the drainage
VI thls rice field, and not in the county
commissioners as you are represented as
saying The Legislature has placed the
power to enforce the drainage of rice
Helus within those limits exclusively in
eue Mayor and aldermen of the CITY of
Savannah. Wy u
=, Inc Mayor and. aldermen, in addition
' - lhe power to establish complete svs.
IN nave also the power to abate nui-
saHces within the jurisdlctonal limits
"iHCh may be manifestly injurious to the
RUoHc health or safety. Why IS
,,,,t,. ''i't so Tar as the
tL are Informed, no application by
Wv sanitary Commissioners has been made
~ ".I CITY TO exercise any of these powers
anu safety OIL llS lnlaDt-
'a"'s' but the County Commissioners are
Instantly called upon by the health Of
me-, , TO discharge the duties incumbent on
/ ne county of Chatham, under the gen
ei'u laws of the state, in common with
tYey other county in the state, has power
~ 'SIaoiish system of drainage of the
LANDS thereof In Chat
-'o.l county, however, this general
ao"er Is subordinate to the rights of the
Co'porate authorities of the city of Sa-
,'uHah by special law, approved Sept.
o. $50 which provides that none of Tho
to"ers conferred on the county of Chat
i!"h shau deprive the corporate author.
iH's OF the city of Savannah of the right
W. nave. hold, construct or maintain In
5'+ir own right any bitches, sewers or
ms anywhere in The county of Chat
H'" Ior the purpose of drainage in ana
oiouhd the city for sanitary or other pur.
l"Ses' nor to deprive the said corporate
"1'norlties of any rights or privileges given
I'm under section 1854 of the Code of
state.
II the municipal authorities are not
,Narged with the duty of caring for the
"'.ith of the inhabitants, why this re,
ion