The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-27
MAYORS ANNUAL MESSAGE
CONTINUED from Eighth Page)

NOoAtlHuCu from EiSnLn Eage|
spring and early summer. and they follow
ed by intensely hot weather, that fcvors
prevail Up TO this time we have had no
severe cold We may have heavy rains
IN the spring and summer, submerging the
toWlands, and this may be followed by
intensely hot weather. While much has
been done to improve the drainage Of Sa-
Nannah, and its vicinity. yet, there is mOrc
10 do, and the county authorities, as Wen
as this municipal body, should be held to a
strict and full responsibility for the proper
drainage of the city, and of the territory
Immediately adjoining it. During last
summer, the County Commissioners paced
under the control Of the city the convict
force of the county. These County Com
mlSsloners rose to the responsibility of
the occasion, and l desire to thank them
for the promptness with which they acted
put the time to do this drainage is now.
not next summer. We should anticipate
the peril. and not wait until pestileuce
knocks at our door / do not intened 10
De misunderstood. The city of Savannah
should be made absolutely clean. and kept
so, and the adjoining territory should be
paced in like good condition, and so main
tanned. The lowlands northeast of the
city, between Twickinglfarn plantation and
tne savannah river, are not in proper con-
ultlon, and you should see that this local
lty IS no longer a menace to the public
Meath. 1t is also true that the lowlands
southwest Of the city proved a breeding
place for malaria during last summer. ana
TINS evil should be remedied There was
more malarial fever here the past season
IMAM there ought to have been and careful
inquiry demcnstrate ted the fact that the
TWO localities named We're the foci of that
iever On the subject Of public health. it
might be well to remark that as soon as
the mousse drainage is completed such open
sewers as Bilbo canal viii no longer be a
menace to public health
VI the work done in the street depart-
nlent, the Mayor says: The work done &,
inns department is satisfactory. The
chairman of the streets and lanes commit
zee, Alderman Davis, has given 10 II much
OF his valuable time With ali bie effor,
me streets and lanes are not vet as clean
as they should be- Occupants of PROMISES
permit waste paper and trash of various
KINDS to be scattered i'm front Of
ne ne property occupied by them Moth
s IS more unsightly than to
anu l therefore recommend that an ordl
nance be passed requiring al occunsnts
VI premises 10 place this debris in oovo,..l
Ieceptacles There is no reason whv orr
streets and lanes. parks and sonaros
snoulu NOT be kept clean and neat. And
a.; ~ pIople VINO have not sufficient pride
IN seeking to have the city kent This naot
and clean should be punished for anv acf
VI omission or commission by which the
nedthess and cleanliness Of the citv are
DESTROYED ~ 0''S are
very large amount of work has been
Ore ~ the way OF opening streets. but
regret 10 say that in many@5nstancn
land owners have sought 10 cbarga ~, 10
CITY eNorbitant prices This work of omen
ING streets viii be continued for the soon
er II Is done the smaller win be The cost
IL Is a source of great regret thai many
OF the streets thai have been opened dur-
,hs the PAST year had not
that the efforts of the COM
mittee will be generously aided by land
owners, for, in most instances. the OMEN
ing OF street not only takes nothing from
the land owner. but, on the contrary
largely enhances the value of his holding
Inc amount of paving done In the last
year mas been greater, perhaps, than ever
before in the history of the citv. For de-
taied information and the cost thereof
you are respectfully referred 10
the report of the Commits
sioner of Public Works, ACCOMPANYING
this message. More paving is necessary.
ano as such OF 4 viii be done as the fnan-
cial condition of the city will permit.
There is no city in the United States
where there can be laid better sidewalks
than in Savannah, and yet there are very
Few cities where the sidewalks are as poor
IL has been proposed TO create the office of
an inspector of sidewalks. with a salary
attached, where there should be a rigid in
spection of these walks. not only because
OF the comfort to the citizen but because
a defective sidewalk is frequently the
cause OF suits for personal injury against
the city; yet. doubt the wisdom of Gre
ating any new offices. 1t seems to me that
TINS duty OF inspection can be devolved up
on some one of the present officers ana
he co fro, a.
be simple of execution, requiring prompt
repair, and yet subjectng the property
owner to no unnecessary expense. l re-
spectfuliy invite your attention 10 the ad-
Visibility of providing for a uniform side
walk on the extension of Bull street Dref-
erably. from New Houston street, but
probably from Anderson, to the Southern
limits of the city. This extension of Bull
street is destined to become a fashonab BILE
boulevard, and now, before it is too late.
handsome sidewalk of concrete artificial
stone. or of some suitable ma terial. should
be laid, thereby adding greatly to the
utility and beauty of the street
Abiding to parks and squares, the Mayor
says: II cannot too strongly urge upon
your consideration the ornamentation of
our parks and squares. They are the
beauty spots of Savannah. Money wisely
spent upon them is wen spent and the
trees, plants, flowers, and grass plots in
them should be protected. The modern
city awakened to the sense of the beauti-
full, is providing parks. so as to give
health and recreation to its people and |
would invite the attention of this Council
to the wisdom of seeking TO acquire by
donation, or otherwise, suitable locations
for new parks. Savannah Is growing, and
will continue TO grow, and every reasona-
BILE effort should be made by us to aid not
only in her material progress, but to give
to her people those things which may slim
ulate in them a love for their city.
The Mayor took up the subject of mu-
nicipal lighting. He says: The contract
for city lighting being about to expire.
invited your attention to the advisabiity
of the city installing it's own electric plant
This question is veXed one; the evidence
is conflicting; the estimates widely differ
When previously directed your consider
alton to this subject, you were furnished
certain estimates which proved to be en-
tirely unreliable. But the result is that
we have now made a contract with the
Brush Electric Light Company whereby
the previous price Of 800 per light per an
mum has been reduced to S72 per light per
annum. This price is fair and just. The
contract provides for 200 lights of 200 can
die power. Ii fixes the price for a period
of five wears with the DriVilegp ~, the