The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-19
PAVEMENT OF SHELL
DETERMINED ON BY COUNCIL FOR
EAST BROAD STREET.
STREET FRANCHISES GRANTED
RAILWAY COMPANY MUST PAY FOR
PAVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE.


of the street Railway Company
and j. F. Cam Appeared TO Ex-
press the Objections of the Realty
Improvement aud Trust Company
TO a Shell vement-Arguments of
BOth-CIause for the Maintenance
of the Pavement by the Company
Added-AIderInen Frank, Schroeder
and Bacon Voted Against the
Measure.
The City Council yesterday granted
the petition of the Savannah Electric
Company for rights and privileges ad-
sditional to those that it already en-
Joys on certain streets. In return for
the grant the company is required to
pay the cost of a pavement of shells
on East Broad street, from the north
side of Gwinnett to the north side of
Henry street The company is also
required to maintain this pavement,
and it is set forth that the city re-
serves the right at any time, should 1t
be desired to change the shell for some
other pavement, to ordain that one be
laid of some other material, the COM
of the change.
At special meeting of Council this
action was taken. 1t was upon the
report of the Committee on Streets and
Lanes, to which had been referred the
amended petition of the Savannah
Electric Company. The yeas and
nays were called for when it was NOV
ed that the report be adopted. Alder
men Jones. Dixon, CAVITY. Horrigan,
Colding. Garfunkel and Watson voted
yea. and Alderman Frank, Schroeder
and Bacon voted nay.
Before the Committee.
The meeting of the Committee of the
Whole began at 4 o'clock. This, as us
ual. was a secret session, none except
those Immediately interested being adj
mitted. Both W. W. Osborne, attorney
fer the Savannah Electric Company.
and ]. F. Cam, Esq, attorney for the
Realty Improvement and Trust Com
pany, were admitted, and each spoke
on behalf of the interests he repre-
scented.
Mr.. Osborne asked that, if any COM
pcnsation were required by the city in
return for the grant asked by the COM
pany, it be a pavement of shells. He
said that he appreciated that the COM
pany Mr.. Cam represented would pre-
fer brick pavement, which was but
natural, as brick made a better pave
ment. In view, however of the cost of
such a pavement and the opinion he
thought the majority of the aldermen
entertained that the franchises asked
were of not sufficient value to justify
demand that the petitioner defray
such a cost, he asked that the cheaper
material be decided upon.
The Committees Report.
Mr.. Cam spoke at much greater
length. His talk was made up largely
of quotations from the Mayors annual
report and from other documents of
record showing that the Mayor had
declared that no more shell pavements
should be laid in the city; that the
Committee on Streets and Lanes had
declared in most vigorous terms for
the future use of brick. as against
shells, and that every member of the
board, in the passage of the CASTOR
street paving ordinance over the veto
of the Mayor, had placed himself on
record as opposed to shell pavements
and in favor of brick.
Reference was made by Mr.. Cam to
sworn statement rendered for tax
able property by the street railway
company, which showed a valuation of
1885, 600. This was followed by it's
sale for about 81 100000 he said, and by
Its subsequent bonding for several
millions, so that the franchises owned
by the company, he concluded. must
represent the difference between the
real and the taxable value. These
franchises had been secured from the
city for practically nothing, and he
drged that it was time to call a halt.
Amounted 10 Nothing.
Cam left the Committee of the Whole
to its deliberations. His talk how
ever, had been ineffective He was
surprised, though. to learn of the
adoption of the report of the Streets
and Lanes Committee, as he had sus-
pected that a decision to charge the
company $4,000 for the grant and put
the money in the general fund would
be reached. Mayor Myers, he said,
had questioned the equity of ordering
pavement on East Broad street,
when the greater part of the double
tracing was to be done on Duffy street,
seeming to believe that the Duffy
street property owners were entitled
to some consideration.
MIR. Cams Protest.
In the open meeting the following
report of the Streets and Lanes Com
mittee was read:
THE Committee on Streets and
Lanes, to whom has been referred the
annexed petition of the Savannah Elec-
trio Company. dated July 8, 1902, and
referred to the Committee of the
Whole at the meeting of July 8, 1902,
recommend that the petition be grant
ed and that the petitioner be allowed
TO lay the additional tracks. turnouts
and curves asked for in the petition,
subject, however, to the following cons,
iitions: "
1.-THE city will lay, at the expense of
the petitioner, a shell pavement on
East Broad street, from the north side
Of Gwinnett street to the north side of
Henry street, the entire width of East
Broad street. from curb to curb. petit
Homer to furnish the shell, and all ex-
pense incident TO the laying and COM
pletion of the pavement including
abor and material, to be borne nv the
petitioner and bills therefor to be
promptly paid by petitioner. Material
10 be selected and work done under
the direction and supervision of the
Committee on Streets and Lanes and
the director of public works
"The city retains the right. in the
event of the improvement of this part
of East Broad street, or any of it, to
substitute such other pavement as the
city may select under an improvement
ordinance for such shell pavement, and
TO assess the petitioner under the