The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-17
WANT CITY TO JOIN LEAGUE.
AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES TRY
ING TO GET CLOSER TOGETHER.

Intercourse which Would lie ES-
tabIishcd-J. :. Collins Petitions
Council Not 20 Levy Taxes on Col
IinsviIic Property UntiI More
streets Are Opened-HOpper Closet
Ordinance on Schedule To Pass.
Five Hopper Closets Have Been
wasting Thousands of Gallons of
water at City Exchange Vault
Ever Sir &c New Closets Were Put
in the building.
AT the meeting Of City Council tonight
Savannah wid be asked 10 join the League
OF American Municipalities, which has las
central office in New York. Tho invitation
acted ia accordance with resolutions
adopted by the executive committee Of the
league
The main object OF the organization
seems to be the promotion Of the inter
ests Of al cities by making their opera
tons mutual to same ex,ent Being a
members of the league gives "A city the
right TO send delegates 20 the national
conventions. at which subjects OF import
auce to all municipalities are discussed.
Any Information that may be desired with
regard to other cities is furnished through
the central Office in New York and in this
way a bureau of Information is estab-
nshed which is of value to members.
The cost of membership varies. accord
ing to the size Of the city seeking admis-
sion. For cities under 1000 the admission
is 500 a year, between $1,000 and 80 900 Il Is
$50 a year, between $1,000 and 100000 it is
$40 between 100000 and 100000 it is $50, and
anything over 100000 it is $50 a year. The
returns Savannah is to receive in consid-
Grafton of the amount that viii be re
CURED viii have all to do with whatever
action is taken by Council, though it would
seem that being identified with the cities
now members of the league would justify
the expenditure of this amount. Mayor
Samuel L. Black of Columbus, o., is pres
ident, and B. i. Gilkison of New York
secretary of the league.
Another matter which will come before
the meeting is the petition OF Mr. j. :.
Collins. asking that Collinsville be relieved
from the payment of city taxes until the
city has fully compiled with its agreement
TO open and grade certain streets mem
toned IN an amendment to a tax bill
passed at the last session of the legisla-
ture.
When the bill was introduced to tax
Colnnsville, a number OF citizens thought
of going TO Atlanta to fight ats passage,
but were later advised that the proper
thing to do was 10 ask Council to make
such concessions as would bring the biI to
about what the property owners thought
il should be. This was DONE the result OF
the conference being an amendment, which
provided that taxation should not run I'M
til Bolton. New Houston and Henry, the
streets running east and west, and OF,
Harmon and Paulsen, streets running
north and south, had been opened and
graded. Ii was further agreed that this
amendment should be forwarded to At
lanta TO the representatives,. who had held
the bill up pending the result of the con-
ference between property owners and
Council. BY some means the amendment
was not attached to the bill as finally pass
ed, the result being that the city Is only
morally bound to comply with its provis-
ions.
While efforts were made by Hon j. ].
McDonough 10 find out what became with
the amendment it is not understood that
he succeeded. Mr.. McDonough said in an
interview shortly after the mistake was
discovered. that he remembered distinct
ly OF having seen the amendment attach
ed 10 the bin and had no knowledge that
there had been mistake until he read of
il in the papers. lie said the only possible
explanation he could offer was that the
small slip on which the amendment was
written may have got misplaced in trans
hitting the bin from the House to- the
Senate for its concurrence, II. was the de-
sire of all concerned that the bin pass in
its amended shape, so that the failure 10
pass the amendment can only be attribut
ed as inadyertence in some way.
The position Mr.. Collins takes in his
petition is that Harmon street, from New
Houston TO Gwinnett, has not been grad
been opened on the south side, there be-
ing a ditch on the south side, which less
ems the value of property. and makes it
inconvenient to pass to and from property
on that side of the street. He asks that
the director of public works be instructed
to do this work, after which there will
not be any objection to the collection of
city taxes from Collinsvllle.
Among the ordinances on the list is that
introduced by Alderman Bacon providing
for the removal of hopper water closets
ton TO the passage of this ordinance, its
use being 10 diminish the present excess
sive demand for water The inspectors
have been working some days in an effort
10 find out the number of closets of this
make now used in the city. When the law
goes into operation, there is no doubt but
II will be promptly and effectually en-
forced and all water MASTERS removed.
AS evidence Of the great benefit Alder
man Bacon's ordinance will be to the city
in saving the water supply was illustrated
few days ago in the removal of five or
six hopper closets from the vault opposite
the entrance to the harbormaster's office.
1t seems that water has been running full
blast through these closets since the city
exchange was equipped with modern
fiush-tank closets. They were of prac-
tically no use to the city. Director Gads.
den's attention was called to an odor from
that locality few days ago, and after
an investigation he had all the closets re.
moved, with the exception of one that was
substituted for a hush-tank. How Ions
they have been allowing water to waste
or the amount that has passed through
them, are things ii would probably b,