The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-21
MAY TURN OUT A MARES NEST.
GRAND JURY COMMITTEE FINDING
LITTLE AGAINST COMMISSIONERS

1t is Said the Waters Road and Es-
till Avenue Were Eighteen Feet
Wide In Nearly Every Place Meas
ured-One Thing the Committee
Does Not Like Is the Shaving of
Employees Fay and Bills Due BY
the COunty-Grand Jury May Mem
ton Few Things In Its Report.
Considerable interest centers in the work
now being done by the grand jury COM
mittee, which was appointed to make an
| investigation of county affairs. This In
vestigation is being made solely for the
! purpose of reporting TO the grand jury it,
self as to whether there are sufficient
grounds for that body making an investi-
cation of its own.
1t is said that one of the main charges
brought against the management by the
present board of commissioners, or rath-
er their predecessors, for the investiga-
ton has gone back into the actions of the
former board, fell through at the examn-
alton made the other day for the purpose
of ascertalning the width of the Waters
road and EstiI avenue
gusta gravel, and 1t was contemplated at
the time that they should be eighteen
feet In width. The claim was made among
other charges, against the management
of the board that these roads were in
many places only fifteen, instead of
eighteen feet wide. II was also claimed
that the layer of gravel upon them was
considerably thinner than it should have
been. Measurements of these roads were
made in several places during the exam
inatlon of the grand jury with the result
it is stated, that the roads were both
found to be eighteen feet wide in nearly
every place measured. There was one
place to which special attention was called,
which measured only seventeen feet in
width, and the assertion IS made that in
that place a long crosstie was in the way.
Another place. 1t was said. measured only
fifteen feet.
So far as the Investigation has gone it
is stated on good authority that very few
matters, if any, have been brought to the
attention of the grand jury to which ex-
ception can be taken. The investigation
appears to have shown that many of the
charges were founded on suspicion, or that
they involved nothing renrehensible. This
statement is made by one who has paid
close attention TO the progress of the in
Vestigauon.
There is one feature that has been
brought out however which the grand
jury committee does not like and that
is the shaving of pay to the county en-
ployes and of bills due by the county to
some of those from whom it makes pur-
chaSes. So far as can be learned II was
not developed that any violation of law
has been committed in this respect. There
is a statute prohibiting the purchasing
of county orders for less than their face
value by anyone in the employ of the
county, but the party or parties who have
done this, stated positively that they had
bought no county orders.
One of the Witnesses, who was before
the committee, was asked If he had ever
advanced money to county employees, or
county. He replied that he had done so on
several occasions. When asked what rate
of interest he charged, he replied that ne
had no regular rate, but charged what he
could get The employees of the county do
not get their money until about the middle
of the month, and frequently they want it
earlier Many of them have, on various
occasions, borrowed in advance of pay
day, allowing a certain amount to be de-
Quoted as interest. 1t is said the grand
jury may have something to say about
this, ana one or two other minor matters
that have come up, when its general pre-
sentiments are made to the court.
The investigation has been a long one,
and there is still more to follow. The COM
mittee had no idea that there was such a
long task before II when 1t began its work,
but 1t looks now as if it may be some
weeks before any report is made.