The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-07
DIDN'T AGREE TO THE SPLIT.
COLLINsVILLIANs NcT PLEASED
WITH COUNCILS ACTION.

Shall he Taxable as soon as Boil
ten, New Houston, Henry, OFT, Har-
mon and PauIsen Streets Are
Opened.
Collinsville's property owners were heard
in Council last night on the modification
they desire the city TO indorse as a substi-
tute to the bill nov pending in the Sen
ate providing for the taxation of property
in that section. Their desires were includ-
ed in a petition, to which was subioined
the bill pending. and also the one proposed
as a substitute.
AS the petitioners had previous under
standing 10 be heard, there was repre-
sentative number of them present Mr..
Charles F. Prendergast, chairman Of the
committee managing the opposition to the
bill. Mr.. J. S. Collins, Mr. ". D. Sim
kins Dir ". B. Stubbs and Mr.. J. S.
Schley were among them. There were
several interested property owners, who
also desired TO hear what action Council
would take in the matter.
The petitioners had been referred to the
City Council by Chatham's representatives.
a delegation went to Atlanta last week
for the purpose OF appearing before the
Senate committee on corporations to pro
test against the passage of the bill, which
in substance. repeals the clause in the act
of 1854 exempting that section of the city
from taxation until the streets and .anes
are opened. IL was agreed at the sugges-
ton of the delegation, that the matter be
referred to the City Council for its in
dorsement and such substitute as might
be agreed upon. II was for this purpose
that the petition was filed.
After stating that the petitioners are
bona fide property owners the communica-
ton recites the exemption clause. The
exemption is just and equitable, it is
claimed, for the reason the territory is cut
off from the remainder of the city by the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway,
over which streets have not been opened
so as 10 give the people out there access
TO the city. They say, further, it would
be an Inconvenience and injustice to tax
the property, when the city's part of the
agreement to open the streets and lanes
has not been complied with. Their propo-
sItion 90 Council is:
we have no desire to escape our Just
proportion of the burdens OF city taxation,
and are willing and ready, not only 10
comply with the law as set out in the
act OF 1854, but in addition thereto, to
waive part of our rights Hereunder. and
| begin paying taxes Immediately upon the
opening of the streets and lanes through
said territory, and are willing 10 further
agree that the property situate on each
! OF said streets snail become subject to
taxation as soon as the particular street
and lane south of ii, shall have been OPEN
| ed and graded"
| Mayor Medium stated that the petition
ers mad the privilege of being heard. and
after agreeing on half hour for this pur-.
| pose, most all of them had sometime m
| say Mr. w. b. Stubs exhibited topo-
graphical map of Collinsvine. and ex-
/ planned The disadvantages i'm getting into
| the city. He mentioned one or two streets
/ mat had been improved, but said the work
| was iett OH al point where it failed to
| beneht property owners. He also said
| what work had been done in the way of
! grading streets and laying sewers. was by
! the savannah Improvement, Building and
| Loan Company. In the main. however
| he insisted the conditions were about tbe
same as they We're when he bought there
some years ago. Mayor Meldrlm raised
| the question as 10 whether the petitioners
| expected the lanes 70 be opened also. as
a condition to paying taxes, and Mr..
| Stubbs said such was his understanding
Mr.. Collins insisted that good faith OH
! the part of the city demanded that the
| streets be opened before taxes are levied
| In 1890 he said he bought a large tract of
land in that section for the company in
which he is interested. This company laid
! out streets, he said, and graded them at
| great expense; put in under-drains and
/ made other improvements As the tmprov-
| ing had been done by private enterprise
| he said the people were expecting some
thing from the city before they paid taxes.
| why did you not come before Council
| prior to going to Atlanta?'' inquired AL
| derman Duncan.
I'VE did not know the bill emanated
from Council at that time" replied Mr..
| Collins. Had we known ii was the
proper course for us TO pursue, l assure
| you we would not have gone to the ex-
pense of going there"
Mr. Prendergast explained has connec-
ton with the matter. He said he had
made three trips to Atlanta on account of
it. 1t was at the suggestion of the dele
| cation that they were before Council
! They considered this the proper course as
/ they heard the board was behind the bill
There was prolonged discussion about
which streets are, and which are not open-
ed, during which it was developed that
neither Waldburg nor Duffy streets can
| be opened across the railroad right of
/
been spent by the city this year in open
| ing streets alone, and it was stated $4,000
of the amount was appropriated in Coll
! msvilie. During the general discussion
! there was diversion by Mr.. Schey who
called attention to the value of GER
| tain property on either side of the railroad
| on Waldburg street, which would be
greatly deprecated if that street was not
/ properly opened. He said he represented
the estate that owns the land, and would
| be willing to sell the city at a reasona bic
rate necessary strip to open the street
! Alderman Charlton offered the following
| resolution which was adopted by Council
as a compromise, but was not assented
! to by the petitioners:
! Resolved. That the representa- lives
! from this county and the senator from
! this district be requested to provide, by
an amendment TO the bill introduced to
repeal the proviso in the act of 1854, as
a substitute bill for the one Introduced
/ that the section known as Colinsville