The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-31
FOR EDUCATION AND POOR.
THOSE APPROPRIATIONS.

General Presentments Returned to
the Court Yesterday and the Grand
Jury NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
That the she'll Roads lie bought or
Condemned-UrGent Need for More
schools in the Country Districts.
County buildings and Books Found
in Good Condition.
The Superior Court adjourned for the
term yesterday afternoon at 8 o'clock. The
grand jury met and returned its general
presentments. The usual courtesies were
exchanged between Judge Fal!igant and
the jury the latter being thanked for its
efficient work, and the court, in turn, for
his uniform courtesy and attention to the
needs of the jury.
The first thing dealt with in the present
ments of the grand jury is the question of
roads and bridges, which leads up to the
subject OF county finances. on that line
the grand jury acted as was reported sew
eral days ago in the Morning News, de
Quoting $1,000 from the appropriation made
by the County Commissioners for roads
and bridges, and putting it onto the edu-
cational fund. The County Commissioners
stated that with $4,000 for roads and
bridges they expected TO surface and inn
prove the Augusta, Louisville and Middle
ground roads, and put in some new bridges
and cdlverts where they are badly needed.
The grand jury considered that the i'm
provemeuts TO the Louisville road could
be dispensed with for another year. es-
pecially in view of the fact that the needs
OF education are paramount. The Board
of Education demonstrated it TO the sat
isfaction of the grand jury that the
amount appropriated by the County Com
missioners was insufficient for the needs
of education in the county for the cur
rent year. and for that reason the in
crease was allowed.
The County Commissioners have, for
several years. been approprating from
5000 to 5000 for county poor, and the
grand jury say they cannot understand
why the commissioners should have cut
the amount 20 $1,000 this year. In view of
the fact that the greater portion of the
county taxes are paid by the residents of
the city, the grand jury considers it just
and proper that provision should be made
by the county for the county poor living
within the city limits. 1t was for that
reason that the grand jury added $1,000 TO
the county poor fund, directing that it be
distributed through the Charitable Asso-
citation of Savannah. This was the only
increase made In the budget and the total
amount was thereby run UP TO 1885, 1OO
The court house and Jail were found in
fairly good condition, but it was consid-
cred that the walls of the court house
should be brushed up and cleaned, and the
cracks in the walls repaired The public
school buildings are in good condition
as the finances of the Board Of Fduca ton
Several inn,
recommended. In the country districts
there are thiTty-eight school buildings, only
three of which belong to the Board of Ed
Ucation. These are at Pooler, Spring Hill
and Isle of Hope. At all other places
school is taught in buildings belonging to
private parties or in church buildings The
grand jury considered that the county
should make sufficient appropriation for
the.Rurpose of building at a moderate cost
two or three school houses each year in
the country districts. The present school
population of the county is about 1920, of
whom $500 are enrolled in the schools
The indications are that the school census
viii show an increase of about 1880 pupils
over The number enrolled five years ago.
Under the circumstances the committee of
tile grand jury came to the conclusion
unanimously that an appropriation of $751;
900 would be needed to meet actual ex-
penses for the current year. The general
administration of The public schools by the
Board of Education and other school Off
GERS was highly commended.
The drainage committee stated that ow-
Ing to the drought prevailing for the last
six months it had nothing to report. The
convict camps were found in good condi-
ton.
The books of the magistrates and county
officers were found in first class condition
and highly commended.
After making several recommended lions
with regard to certain needed road i'm
provements the grand jury recommended
that the Thuuderbolt and Sl1daway Shell
roads be purchased by the county and
converted into public roads. Toll roads
are out of place in these days, it says,
and are relic of a past age. With the
recent Improvements in the county roads
II ought to be possible to buy or condemn
the shell roads for far less sum of mon
ey than would have been the case even
a few months ago.
The grand jury recommends that provis-
ion be made to surface the road from
Montgomery Cross road and the county
farm, or from Hanar's bride to Mont
gomery. Also that wherever necessary
iron bridges be substituted for wooded
ones, especially over Augustine creek,
Dundee canal Salt creek and Little Ogee-