The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-28
SHOULD RETURN ESTILL PARK.
GRAND JURY SAYS COUNTY COMMIs-
sIONERS DID WRONG.


ed and Their Purchase Recon-
mended-Jurymen Think County
should Receive Interest on Daily
balances in the Hands of the
Treasurer.
The December term of the Superior
Court adjourned yesterday the last bust
ness transaction being the receiving of
the presentments of the grand jury. The
presentments are unusually concise and
succinct and speak well for the business
methods of the grand jurymen. There is
no waste of words upon subjects which
have been covered by hundred previous
grand juries. and attention is concen-
trated upon q few matters.
The leading features of the presentments
are an expression Of opinion in the mat
ter between the city and the county of
Estill Park, an Endorsement of the coun-
TVS system of improved roads with recon-
mendations for further extensions and
direction 8to the county treasurer to OBJ
tain from the banks bids for interest to
be allowed on daily balances for deposits
of the county funds.
Upon the subject of Estill Park the
grand jury makes remarks which are
plain and directly to the point 1t says;
1.-THE grand jury believes that the action
of the County Commissioners IN Selling
Estll Park is wrong. We are of the opin-
ion that this property should at once be
restored to the city of Savannah upon the
same terms as the original gift. We con-
slider that the citys request TO allow the
annual appropriations TO lie in the city
=, aJtt of ha
fund until such time as the fund should
be large enough TO be economically eX-
pended, was reasonable. and We regret tn {
the County Commissioners did not ac-
quiesce therein. We trust the County
Commissioners will restore the properly
to the city,
An interesting feature of the present
ments is that which relates to public roads
and the policy pursued by the county in
this matter After stating that the Com
mittee on Roads and Bridges report the
roads in good condition and the bridge
substantially built, the following views
fare expressed in the presentments:
1--WE commend most heartily the policy
of making new roads each year. Sys>
tematic extension of the present paved
roads will in a very short time give us
paved roads from tide water to the coun-
ty limits We know of nothing that can
benefit the community more than the
speedy completion of this work. We would
suggest that the county authorities take
steps to have a conference with the coun-
~ authorities of Bryan, Effingham and
Liberty counties and see if a concerted
effort cannot be made by all the counties
named toward getting highways reaching
out into their farming territory. SaVan.
nah is the trade center of this territory
and paved roads for forty or fifty miles
IN each direction will put us in easy
reach of every farmer and merchant along
the highways Independently of the rail-
roads We are strongly inclined to think
that such highways win not only help to
people a sparsely settled territory, but
win stimulate our own trade"
The Committee on Roads and Bridges,
in its report, commends the work of the
County Commissioners very highly and
approves of the work now In progress, es-
pecially the completion of the Augusta
road to Mon teith. They recommend that
as soon as the road to Monteith is COM
rle:ed that some attention be given TO
the line between Monteith and Melnhar1,
and that the road which has been sur
veyed from Meinhard to Pooler dis
lance of four and one-half miles, be grad
ed and ditched in order to furnish
connection between the Louisville and Au-
gus,a roads. The completion of the WORK
on the Louisville road from the five-mile
post to Pooler, a distance of five miles,
is recommended
The public toll roads are discussed ct
some length by the committee, the re,
port stating that the Thunderbolt ana
White Bluff shell roads are in a depora-
BILE condition. While their charters re-
quire the owners of these roads TO keep
them in order the report states that but
little or no o4tention is given them, fur
Their than the collection of toll, with the
exception of coca sionally dumping a load
of green oyster shells in the holes. Both
the roads ore stated to be in the same
conditio fun of holes sinks and ridges,
with no crown 10 the roadbeds, which are
instead more in the shape of basins, which
retain the water. so that in rainy weather
the roads look like rivers.
These are important roads. and ought
10 be owned or controlled by the county
states the report I'VE understand that
aey cal be bought reasonably, and
suggest their purchase by the county, as
this seems to be about the only way TO
have them kept in condition and made
Useful"
Is The committee commends the excellent
work OF Chairman Dale and the commits.
sioners and of Supt. Chaplin. especially
in the matter of drainage and road build
ing
The committee on county officers books
gives a statement of the money in the
hands of the county treasurer on the first
CT each month of the year ending Feb. /,
showing the largest amount of cash on
hand to have been 1872 9l237 on Jan.
], and the smallest amount $l617.T on
Oct. l. The committee recommends that
the county treasurer be requested and di-
rected to obtain from the various banks
Of the city bids fer interest to be allowed
on daily balances and to deposit the
funds of the county TO the best possible
advantage
Referring to this recommendation the
presentments say: 1.-The suggestion that
the county ought to derive some revenue
from the use Of its IDLE money is we'll
worth the attention of the county au hor-
tiles The city of Savannah has such a
contract with is dapcs tories. so has the
state of Georgia, and we see no reason
why the county shou lose this revenue"
The grand jury recommends that an eX-
pert be employed 10 audit the books of the
late sheriff, the COMM lice finding them
IN such confused condition that IL was i'm
possible to make a satisfactory examine
ton of them.
nhn Grand ilIrN a1nls nl.r. ] alge IL. m, AnLai-