The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-20
TO PUT PRICE ON QUARANTINE.
CITY WILL GET LESS THAN HALF
THE ORIGINAL COST OF STATION.

THE OHlOINAL JUST UE S1AIlONs
Alderman Graham to Act With DR..
White of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice as Appraiser-BeIieved That
About $4,000 VIII BE the Value
Put on Property That Cost $47, 900.
The City Has Made Up Its Deficit
and Council Expects 10 Retire
With a Good sized Cash Balance.
Alderman Graham and DR.. ]. H. White
of che marine hospital service were desig-
mated commissioners yesterday by Mayor
Myers to visit quarantine for the purpose
OF appraising the property, for which the
government is to pay the city in case per-
manent charge is taken of quarantine at
the expiration of the present two years
lease. AS soon as the property is valued,
the report will be submitted to Mayor
Myers, who will forward it to Washing
ton
DR.. White went down to the station to.
see what IS there, but owing to his ia
miliarity with it, Alderman Graham did
not make the trip. No doubt is expressed
that they will be able to readily agree
on an equitable valuation. Just what
the amount will be cannot be told, but
the official opinion is expressed that the
amount will not be far from $4,000, which
is less than half the original cost of the
property the government is 10 get. 1t is
stated the government will not use the
disinfecting pant; in fact, the city has
never been able to use it, AS soon after
the busy quarantine period as possible,
the wharves and tramways will be chang
ed, and additions made which may be OF
a character 20 make the present struc-
lures of little practical use.
The successful conduct of quarantine I'M
der the marine hospital service will make
the present change an achievement of the
present Council. Aside from the better
management of the station the city Is en-
aoled from the financial benefits 10 make
goad the deficit of about SO, GOO something
like $1,000 of which had already been pro-
Vided for from other sources, such as cuts
Va salaries and other retrenc hments The
saving In quarantine expenses not only
provides for the deficit, but it is thought
the administration will leave neat bal
ance on hand when the reins of govern
ment are surrendered.
Basing an estimate on the average
amount that quarantine has cost the city,
the past few years, it seems that ST., 900
is about what The city has appropriated for
this department. OF this from $4,000 to
$1,000 must be annually deducted, as the
amount of port charges the city collects,
which makes the stations net cost about
$4,000 annually. TO this must be added
the 5000 the government is TO pay for
Ia mill ala 4
up of about S25 900, Since the tug is to be
paid for in cash, and as the appropriation
of $4,000 for quarantine for 1899 will be
bioIted out, this money will be available
for immediate use AS an investment
however, very little has been made on the
tug, which it is said cost about $4,000.
If the new arrangement works satisfac-
torily the balance the administration ex-
poets 20 leave behind will be enlarged
when The station property is paid for by
the government. AS was stated in the
Morning News yesterday, the Secretary of
the Treasury agrees to recommend to Con-
gress the appropriation of an amount suf-
ficient to cover this feature of the cost
DR.. While explained to the committee that
such an agreement could not be entered
into except by special provision of Con-
gress.
While II cannot be told what value the
commissioners will put on the property, it
is believed it viii be considerably below
the original cost to the city According
10 estimates furnished by City Engineer
Winn, the original cost was:
Officers quarters, wharves and tram
ways ...... ...... ......... ...........$3 $4,000
Improvements from storm damage,
1898 ........... .,,... ...... .......... 1900
Disinfectug plant ........,.......,.... R,OOO
Total ........ ........ ................$f,OO 600
Mayor Myers explained that he had no
doubt but the commissioners will be abe
to fix a reasonable value. Their report
will be submitted to him, he said, after
which it will be forwarded to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, and there filed with
the balance of the papers. If at the end of
two years the government assumes per-
manent control this appraised value will
then become payable. On the contrary,
the city will be expected to reimburse the.
government for the cost of whatever i'm
provements are made The opinion Is ex-
pressed that this amount would probably
be beyond what the city can pay, even if
1t should be desired to resume control.
Outside of a floating disinfecting plant,
however. which would not be a fixed i'm
provement, 1t was asserted by those who
favored the change that few other addi-
tons Will be made the first two years,
and that therefore the city would not have
so much to put up after all.
another advantage that follows this
change" said Mayor Myers, is the adj
ditional time the health officer will have
to devote to his duties. Much time has
heretofore been spent by him visiting the
station, and looking after the many de-
tails there He will also be relieved of
many former quarantine duties which en-
croached upon his Office hours. Now
that his efforts are to be exclusively di-
rected to the city, l feel sure we VIII be
better able 10 fight disease. and doubly
sure that the government will protect us
from the Importation of infection.
Something has been said about the
present station being adequate for all
purposes, but 1 foresaw it was only q
short time before something would have
to be done. Why, think of it, now have
in my desk recommendations by Health
officer LeHardy for about $4,000 of i'm
provements at quarantine"
Alderman Williams still thinks the dis
posal of quarantine was a mistake, and
especially as the city is now agreeing 10