The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-17
PLEDGED FOR PAVING
WAS SO REPORTED OF TEN OF
THE ALDERMEN.
WHAT MAYOR TOLD THEM
NTTLE LECTURE GIVEN THE AL
DERMEN IN CAUCUS.

1t Is Reported That the Mayor Had
Heard of the Report and Told the
Aldermen That He Did Not Think
They Should Have Pledged Their
Votes in n Matter of Public Com
cern-Mayor VIII Consider CASTOR
Before Acting-Believes 1t VIII BE
Passed, Even Though He should
Veto It-Ordinance Now Practical
Iy Law.
The action of the City Council in de-
Gliding to pave CASTOR street with vitri-
fled brick created a good deal of talk
yesterday. The discussion brought forth
a story that is of decided interest. II
leaked out in the talk, but inquiries failed
to elicit any very complete account of the
incident, as Council was in caucus at the
time.
The question of paving CASTOR street
had been brought up. 1t is said that 1t
had reached the Mayors ears that ten of
the aldermen had been pledged to vote
for paving. despite the protests that had
been heard from property owners. This
was made the text for little sermon
that was preached by the Mayor, who de-
clared that he thought the aldermen
should not pledge themselves 90 support
any measure relating to the public veal,
such as paving an important street, in
advance of the facts and figures that
might be shown, and the arguments that
icybt he ;.,4r lANyo
immediate interests were involved, and
who were to be present before the caucus
to discuss the matter.
1T is very well, gentlemen" the Mayor
is reported to have said for you to
pledge your support in any political mat
ter, such as the election of a candidate
for position, but l do not think you
should have done so in such case as
this-the paving of CASTOR street. In
the one case you are yourselves able TO
Judge upon the evidence of your knowl-
edge of the candidates who have an
nounced, but in the other you do not know
what subsequent facts might be adduced
to show that you were wrong in pledgins
your support"
The lecture did not stem the tide Nine
of the ten aldermen reported to have been
pledged were presnt, and all nine voted
for the measure. 1t is said that a second
vote would show even greater strength
for the measure, provided the full board
were present Should it come to an
other vote, however, the Mayor having
vetoed the ordinance, one of the opposing
votes would be missed, as Alderman
Thomas, who voted against it, will have
left the city on leave.
Mayor Myers was asked yesterday if
he intends to veto the ordinance. He an
swered that he had not decided just
what he would do as he wanted to con-
slider the various interests that were rep
resented by the property owners who
stand for and against a new pavement.
Five days are allowed the Mayor. If he
neither signs nor vetoes the ordinance
within that time, it becomes law.
Should he veto it, it would go back to
Council
The Mayor said that he supposed there
would be no change in the vote of Coun-
ell upon the measure should he veto it.,
but he would have had the satisfaction
of placing himself upon record oppos-
ing the measure arbitrary and unjust
to the majority of the property owners
on the street
Mayor Myers said it would cost only
about 81, 500 or 5000 to restore the shell
pavement on CASTOR street to good con-
dition, and that this should be done, as
new pavement more. The money required
for paving CASTOR street with new mate
rial could be used to better advantage
and greater profit to the city at large,
the Mayor thinks, upon some other street
Were CASTOR such a street as Drayton
or Jefferson, he said, where there is so
much traffic, he would consider that
Council was justified in voting for a new
pavement.
The action of the Mayor will be await
ed with interest. While, he said, his vote
would not change the result in Council.
those at interest on both sides would
like to see the matter definitely settled
one way or the other For all practic Al
purposes, though, the ordinance may be
regarded as a law and within two or
three months the paving. force will be at
work putting down brick. The PAYERS
will be in upon CASTOR as soon as the
other work mapped out, Jefferson, Thir-
ty-eiehth ard st. Julian streets, has been
finished