The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-17
OTHER WAYS To BENEFIT THE
CIIN.

CITY.
The discussion of the question of increas-
ing the industries of Savannah is on the
right line 1t would be much better foI
the people to get together on building up
the city than dividing and fighting on fac
ton lines for the spoils of office. Any
thing that will bring the people together
for the welfare of the city can but De
beneficial in one direction or another.
There can be no question that more
manufacturing and industrial plants will
do good; those that we have are doing
well, though some people seem not 10
know that we have any industries. The
reopening of the cotton factory and the
building of other industrial enterprises and
the establishing of a sugar refinery would
do good
There are other things, however, which
would be beneficial to the welfare of the
city: namely. free highways. Two of the
best settled highways are toll roads, and
this despite the fact that the owners OF
them offered to sell their franchises to
the county for nominal sums. No other
city in the country of the size and i'm
DpELdlct OF savannah II iicliiIlNiSN ~ 49,
growth by toll roads Tens of thousands
of dollars have been expended by the coun-
ty authorities in building new roads to
bankrupt the toll road companies, ana
yet the latter still hold on. In the line
of true progress these obstructive roads
should be bought and made to contribute
to the upbuilding of the county. The toll
roads could have been bought year ago
for $4,000. 1t would doubtless cost the lax
payers to-day a much larger sum TO get
them, and a few years hence il will cost
probably ten times what they can be
bought for now. The people have an in
stance before them at this time, of the
unwise policy on the part of the city
few years since in the matter of opening
streets. Street ways which then could
have been bought for 10 cents a square
foot. or probably could have been had for
the asking now cost the city 80 cents or
more a square foot. If the city is to in
crease in business it must increase in pop
ulation and business facilities, opening of
new streets means cheaper rents, and
cheaper rents mean more people, and
more people mean more trade.
No greater good Gould come to this city
in business way than that which would
flow from the purchase by the county
of the Thunderbolt and White Bluff
roads, instead of wasting the money OF
the people on so-called improvements eight
and ten miles from the city. If the White
Bluff road were to be bought and wldened
so as to make a handsome extension of
hold a1aV
by the county authorities. to be turned
over to the city at some future time, ii
would be the best public work that could
be done, and would save several hundred
thousand dollars to the taxpayers in the
next generation.
And on this same line the city should
open streets while land is cheap and cas-
lily bought The Street Opening Commit
tee of Council, under the wise direction
of Alderman Williams, is doing a great
work in preparing for the future needs
of Savannah by opening streets, and there
by saving tens of thousands of dollars In
future taxation. Too much cannot be
done in this direction. With ample room
for house building, people will build homes,
and among the builders and taxpayers
will be many who will establish new en-
terprises.
In short, there is ample room in every
direction for helping Savannah, and there
are many ways in which that help can be
extended; it means new industrial enter
prses, new businesses, new stores, more
streets, good pavements, more people. Sa-
vannah has made wonderful strides in the
past twenty-five years, but it win do all
concerned good to endeavor to make great
er ones in, the future.