The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-01
MUTUAL PROFIT AND GAIN.
SUGGESTED PLAN FOR SOLUTION OF
ESTILL PARK DIFFICULTY.

Mayor Myers Referred Resolution OF
Council on the subject to Chair
man Dale. of the County Commits
Siohers-The Mayor Explains the
City's POsition-Lct the Annual
Appropriations for Five Years Ac-
cumulate-Suggeste Now That the
city Give the County Control of
the Property for IA Term and Per-
nit Its Appropriation to Accumu-
late During This Period.
The County Commissioners have been
officially notified by the Mayor and alder
men of the action taken by the latter body
at recent meeting OF Council, when the
question of the hest method Of fitting that
property for its intended purpose was I'M
Ger consideration.
The city Council passed a resolution
asking The consent of the commissioners
TO a change in the conditions upon which
the land comprise within the limits of the
park was given to the city, so that in
stead of spending each year the annual
appropriation Of $1,G00. such an amount
might be appropriated each year and held
in reserve for five years. and at the end
Of that tine expended in a lump.
In his letter to Chairman j. j. Dale Of
the County Commissioners, Mayor Myers
says; In forwarding the enclosed resolu-
ton, adopted by the City Council on last
"Wednesday night. for the consideration of
the County Commissioners. | beg 10 add
TO it hat il appears to the city government
that the expenditure of 5000. at one time,
would carry out the project of establish
ing public park in more systematic
and thorough manner than the use Of
small amounts. over a period of years"
The spending of $1,COl each year" con
tinues the Mayor, would in our opinion
he largely a waste of money the results
being necessarily unsatisfactory. To ac-
complish what was intended in the deed
/. e., the improvement of the grounds for
public purposes, it will be necessary to
prepare a definite plan and have sufficient
funds on hand at one time 90 push the
work through"
"It is with this in view that Council
asks a modification of the deed. While the
resolution is sef-eXplanatory, If it is de-
sired a committee of Council can be ap-
pointed TO further discuss the matter with
the commissioners"
While the commissioners are averse to
discussing the subject publicly until they
have been able to consider ii thoroughly
and to get each others IDEAS il Is not be-
lieved, if no better plan can be suggest ed
that there will be much difficulty in Sc
curing their acquiescence to that proposed
by Council. AS the park now is, IL GER
| ia My is of little advantage to the public
and the commissioners are likely TO snap
eagerly a any plan that will serve to car
ry out the purposes of the gift. If they
can think of nothing better than 10 wait
five years while the fund is accommodating
they will probably consent to such n
( change in the deed as will make this pos
sible.
] 1t is rather thought though that the
! commissioners or some of them, favor q
scheme by which the county will come
into possession and control of the prop
erty for such time as the city desires les
fund to accumulate, say ten years. Dur
ing this time the land or such part Of Il
as is suitable. might be used by the
county for agricultural purposes and put
to a real use. 1t would serve to relieve
the strain upon the lands of the county
farm and offer a wider field for the EN-
. ployment of che county convcts in agrl-
cultural work. Its products would be
used by the county forces and prisoners,
AMI thus would save expense.
In the meantime the annual appropriate
ton of 81 900 a year from the city would
be accommodating, and at the end of ten
years, with interest, would amount to
enough to begin the work of making the
property such a park as would be of use
to the people of Savannah, with a far
chance of carrying 1t through to sue
cessful conclusion. The wooded part Of
the property, the nature of which would
make 1t especially, and more easily than
the other, adaptable to park purposes,
might be exempted from such use by the
county as would interfere with its natural
features
In the course of preparing the land for
agriculture the county would be forced to
provide an efficient system of drainage, so
that at the end of the agreed term this
one item of expense to the city would be
obviatod. All the money that had accumu-
la cd could be applied directly 10 the i'm
Troy ement Of the property and in making
it an ideal place OF resort for the citizens
of the city, who desired to escape from it's
dust and noise TO cool and quiet retreat
in the country. The scheme appears to
have In II something of advantage 10 both
city and county, is known to have the
approval of some of those who have stud
Ted and Investigated the question, and
may contain the germ of the solution of
the difficulty.