The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-22
EXTENSION Of LIMITS
WILL BE CHAIPIoNED AND oP-
POSED IN ATLANTA TODAY.
A SAVANNAH DELEGATION.
HAS GONE TO APPEAR BEFORE
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.


Committee-What He Has to Say
About the Proposed BiII-Maj. G.
Nj RyaIs Wants His Place, which
is Within the Present Limits,
Stricken out-Receives None OF
the Advantages That Are Sup
posed to Come From Municipal
Observation-Disclosures. Henry Blum
Wants an Agreement to Open
streets and Lanes Through Prop
erty Taken in.
A Savannah delegation left last night
for Atlanta, where it will appear to-
day before the committee of the Legis-
lature to which has been referred the
bill for the extension of the city linn
its. Those who comprised the delega-
zion We're Maj. G. NJ. Ryals and Capt.
Henry Blum, who will oppose the bill,
and Mr.. S. B. Adams, city attorney,
who will appear on behalf of the city.
The City Council has adopted a res
olution to define new limits for the
city, and the representatives from
Chatham and the senator from this
district are all understood to favor it.
The gentlemen opposed to the extern
sion of the limits, or to it's extension
In a way to hurt their interests, feel,
however, that they Will be able to
mSlke showing THAI should carry
weight.
Mr.. Adams was seen and asked what
arguments he purposed making on be-
half of the city. He replied that he
would simply submit a map, showing
just what extensions are contemplate
ed. The evidence afforded by the map,
he said would be supplemented by
statement of the facts as he knows
them.
4 am going to Atlanta" said Mr..
Adams, by the request of the Mayor
and Aldermen and will appear before
the committee to which has been re-
ferred the local bill concerning the ex-
tension of the city limits / will pre-
sent to the committee. as the city's rep.
reSentative, the action of it's Council
and the position of the city.
understand that both Maj. Ryals
and Capt Blum will be present in their
own interests. The formers property
has been in the corporate limits since
the act of 1854, but subject to the
terms of the proviso. which are to the
effect that the land brought into the.
city limits by that act shall not be-
come taxable until the plan of the city
has been regularly and bona fide ex-
tended over it. This proviso was elm
mated by the act passed in December,
1898, and, since this last date Nal
Ryals property has been legally tax
able.
Capt Blun's land has never been
within the corporate limits. Both Mai.
Ryals and Capt. Blum object to the tax
alton OF their land upon the ground, as
understa it, that they have no
streets or other city ADVANTAGES L
have heard that Capt. Blum is willing
to have his land taken into the cor
porate limits provided there is a re-
striction attached to the effect that the
land shall not be taxed until streets
are put through it. but this may be an
error. My opinion is that since the con-
stitution of 1877 the only way to ex-
empt property from municipal taxation
Is to leave it out of the corporate linn
its
II think restrictions like that con-
tanned in the act of 1854 were repealed
by the constitution of 1877. The city
has, however, observed the restriction.
It caused questions of difficulty to arise
as to what constitutes the plan of the
city, and what was necessary under
the proviso, and the result was that
this proviso was removed, and now all
property in the corporate limits of the
city is taxable, except such as is ex-
empt by the constitution and the act
of the Legislature passed in pursuance
thereof.
Maj Ryals has no particular fault to
find with the proposition to extend the
city's limits. What he wants is the
drawing in of the present lines so that
his place win be left ont of the limits
He has many acres of lands that are
devoted to agricultural purposes and
used for no other. 1t is absolutely
without single advantage that arises
from its being Incorporated, for there
has never been a street opened through
it. nor has there been water connec-
tions made, nor police patrol establish
ed, nor fire protection afforded, nor
electric lights put in.
In fact some years ago, Maj. Ryals
said, his barn caught fire and was
burned to the ground, without any aid
having reached his place from the city.
Before the artesian wells were bored
at the new waterworks, he said, he
had we'll with an excellent flow of
water that was worth hundreds of dol
lars to his farm. The tapping of the
artesian flow cut off his supply, and,
where there was a free flow, a. pump
has to be used to get any of the water
to the surface. This is another griev-
ance that he has, though he appre-
ciates that the city had to have wells.
Maj Ryals' chief contention is that
his place is isolated from the rest of
the CITY, cut off by barriers that rem
der it impossible for it to ever become
really part Of Savannah. Those bar
riers are both natural and artificial.
The lowlands of the Springfield plan
tation intervene, for one thing, making
it impossible for traffic to cross, save
by boats, in wet weather. The Laurel
Grove Cemeteries, white and colored,
also offer bar, and streets and lanes
could not be opened through them. In
addition to these barriers is that re-
Gently established by the Savannah
Union Station Company, which has
constructed an approach to the union
station that occupies an embankment,
Maj. Ryals said that is twenty feet
high. There would be no such thing as
opening streets over or under such an
obstruction, he said.
No taxes have ever been paid on his
lands by Maj. Ryals TO the city, but
he does not want them within the linn
its. II the lands were taken in original
ly because they were purchased by the
city in order 10 introduce dry culture
and improve the drainage, he thinks
they should be excluded, now that they
are owned privately and have been
drained.
Capt Blun's position is that the city
should Immediately improve the sur
rcundings Of the property taken in by
the extension. He is not opposed TO the
limits being extended IL the city agrees
n az