The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-11
LOOKING FOR MORE TAXES.
is THE PROPERTY OF TELEGRAPH
COMPANIES EXEMPT.

Take the Case-Tybee Islanders
Want DrainaGe-J. r. EnsOn Gets
the Contract for the Jail Tower at
$1,OO0-Isle of Hope People Want
a Paved ROad-COmmissiOne VIII
Create a New Road For BuckhaI-
ter.
The question of taxing the property Of
telegraph, telephone, express companies,
and others of like character. In the limits
of the county, has come up before the
county commissioners, and they have de-
cided to give 1t some consideration
At the regular monthly meeting of the
County Commissioners yesterday, Mr.. ].
r. Saussy, the county attorney, read a let
ter from an out-of-town lawyer bringing
this matter to his attention. He said. in
illustrating, that there were nine wires
running along the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railroad and five along the Flor
ida Central and Peninsular These are
the property of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. According to this let
ter taxes on such property are collectable
by the county in spite of the law which
requires them to make their annual
thinks that law unconstitutional.
These taxes, he thought, could be col
lected for a period OF twenty years back,
and, besides, he also thought such COM
panies could be taxed on the pro rata
value of their franchises. He believed
there was something like 100000 or more
involved in Chatham county alone. 1t
Wa 81 F1,ak NaIo
express companies, and all of that class
came under the same head. He was sat
isfied, however, that the matter, when
taken up, would go into the federal
courts. The writer was willing to take
up the matter and push it on a contingent
fee.
Mr.. Saussy put the letter before the
board for what it was worth, and explain
ed the laws on the subject as they stand
at present. He was requested however,
to correspond with the writer of the let
ter and to make a full investigation into
the subject after which he will report to
the board.
The commissioners first took up the pc
tition for the renovation of Tybee Island
The petition called attention to the fact
that there are many tax payers on Tybee
Island, and that it is a resort visited by
hundreds of Savannahians during the sum-
mer season. 1t was claimed that the ISL
and is badly in need of drainage. The
petition was signed by about 100 names.
Mayor J. G. Butler Of Tybee, Messrs. j.
A. Huger, p. j. O'Connor, and others APP
peared before the board to urge the COM
missioners to put gang on the island for
drainage purposes. Mayor Butler thought
a gang of twenty-five men could COM
plete the work which the commissioners
began sometime ago, In about four weeks.
Chairman Dale thought the county had
finished the work 1t had set out to do, but
this, Mayor Butler said is not the case.
The chairman asked whether Tybee is
Incorporated, and upon learning that such
is the case, he made point on that. He
wanted an estimate of the number of cubic
yards of earth to be moved, but that in
formation could not be given. Mr.. OCon-
nor made few remarks in behalf of the
petition, and it was referred to the COM
mite on drainage for a report
The bids for constructing the new tower
on the county Jail in accordance with de-
signs by Messrs. Eichberg & Whitcover
were opened by Chairman Dale, and were
as follows: John r. Eason, galvanized
iron trimmings. $1,000; terra Gotta trim
mngs, $500; Steward Contracting Com
pany, galvanized iron $1,799.50, terra Gotta
s., 1858; William Noonan, galvanized iron
81, 1896, terra Gotta $685.. John r. Eason
was the lowest bidder both on galvanized
iron and terra Gotta. There was some
discussion as to which material would be
best. Since terra Gotta is better than the
balance of the material in the structure it
was decided to use galvanized iron i'm
building the tower, that being considered
more in keeping with the rest of the build
ing. On motion of Commissioner Kehoe,
John r. Easons bid of 81, 500 for building
the tower with galvanized iron trimmings,
was accepted, and he will be awarded the
contract.
A 1nrtxr
owners of Isle of Hope, and others interest
ed, asking the commissioners to complete
the road to the Isle of Hope from the
terminus of the present gravel road to Isle
of Hope with shells or other hard material
by May l. was referred to the committee
on roads and bridges for a report. This pc
tition was signed by about 100 residents of
Savannah and parties who live at Isle of
Hope. Efforts have been made for some
time to get an improved road all the way
to Isle of Hope, and it seems now the
board is going to look into 1t.
A letter from Capt. w. W. Williamson,
asking that certain improvements be made
on the drainage at the Avondale Rifle
Range certain drains having been damag-
ed, was referred to the committee on drain
age with power to act.
About twenty petitions for relief from
double tax were referred to the chairman
of the board, as customary, with power to
act
Clifton T. Mailman sent in an earnest pc
tition for permission to preach to the con-
vcts on the first and last Sundays each
month. The petition was referred to the
chairman of the committee on chain
gang with power to act.
The Savannah and Isle of Hope Railway
Company put in a petition for relief from
county taxes in 1897, for the reason thar
it has not been in use for some time, and
because the county is now using it free
of cost. These taxes amount to about $4S.
Chairman Dale said he could see nothlng
in the reasons given to justify the COM
missioners in relieving the company Of
the tax. Mr.. Dale seemed to think as
long as the county had gotten the use of
the road free of charge, there was no rea-
son on that account why the county taxes
should be given up. The only reason for
relieving the company of this tax, he said.
was its poverty. That was MOI consider-
ed a good reason either, and Chairman
Dale's motion that the petition be not
granted was carried. Commissioner Ke-
hoe did not vote, on account of the fact
that he is interested to some extent in the
company which submitted the petition.
A petition from Van r. Winkler with re-
gard to property belonging to the estate
Of a. V. Winkler was read. The property