The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27
Chatham County Commissioners
Again-PcOpIe Want a Change.


Editor Morning News: If public senu-
ment can be gathered from the express
sions of nearly every man who opens his
mouth upon the subject of our county at
fairs, the people of this county are sick
and disguised with the management of
our county business.
They have seen our money wasted like
water. They have seen the petitions of
our taxpayers pigeoned-holed as If they
were matters of no consequence. They
have seen the recommendations of our
grand juries treated with contempt. They
have seen the private property of our
citizens destroyed. They have seen the
individual prosecuted and 1t has all been
done in the name of the law; and the
powers which control are ever ready to
cry out for a full and complete investi-
cation. Yes we are sick of it-and when
they take their books to be examined, let
them show where the two fortunes went,
which were paid out for a county map.
Let them show the county map. Let
them show the cost of each road that has
been made, with an itemized statement
attached. Let them show the amount
spent at Buckhalter and the amount of
taxable property in that section.
They have been quoted as having said
that no county, improvements were made
to injure the Shell Road property of this
county If this be true-let them show
why they built the Thunderbolt road at a
cost of nearly $4,000, which is five miles
in length, when they could have purchas-
ed the Thunderbolt shell road for $1,000
which is only four miles long.
If they did not intend to injure the
White Bluff road why did they not build
a road all the way TO Isle of Hope in the
most direct route land save a mile each
way to the travelling public, beside a large
sum of money to the county, instead of
building the Waters road.
If it was not to injure the White Bluff
road why was that little piece of the
Montgomery road made, at a cost to the
county of over 5000, TO tap the White
Bluff road? It is of no earthly use to
any one unless they wish to evade their
toll by getting on or off the White Bluff
road.
If it was not TO injure the White Bluff
road why was not my communication
acted upon when 1 wrote the chairman to
see if the commissioners would not take
the White Bluff road at some price before
destroying it.
If it was not their sole purpose TO ruin
the White Bluff road why was it that
they ignored the petition of over Is per
cent of the taxpayers of the county, who
wanted it made a free road? No such Pc
ton went to them to build the Middle
Ground road.
If the County Commissioners had no in
tention of injuring or running the two toll
roads, would they have spent over 100000
of our public funds upon roads through
sections of the county almost uninhabi-
ted, leaving the people without roads
whose enterprises and investments should
have been considered first? If 1t was not
TO injure the White Bluff road-why is
that road prosecuted and PUT to the I'M
necessary expense of law suits?
The Morning News quotes the County
Commissioners as having said that the
Middle Ground road was going to be paw
ed at the request of the people out there,
and it was not done to injure the White
Bluff road. If that be true, will they
please explain to the people why they
ignored all petitions for roads where large
investments had been made, and selected
a road parallel to the White Bluff road
upon which there is not a single enter
prise of any kind and scarcely a white
person from one end to the other.
If the County Commissioners had not
determined to entirely destroy over $75,-
100000 of the property of the stockhold-
ers of the two shell roads-would they not
have listened to the recommendations of
three different grand juries composed of
sixty of our most prominent men, who
advised their purchase, and who are sup
posed to know the wants of the people
much better than one OF Two elecleu Oh
ficers?
For years we have had to put up with
a disturbing element among the County
Commissioners, and while this wrangling
was going on among the members, public
interest had to suffer and the lime has
come for the public to rise up and de-
mand some kind of a change. We have
always had some good and competent cit
liens upon our board of County Commits
sioners; but unfortunat ely very busy men
often accept such positions when they
cannot afford to give the office the atten-
ton that it should have, consequently our
county affairs receive very little of their
services.
competent engineer in charge of our
public works under the supervision of our
grand jury would be a great improve
ment, and prevent few men from MAX
ing the county pay for pet schemes.
d. 3. Lester.