The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-15


of price. Railway & Co., 55 Elm St,
New York.
I would not support propositions look
ing to the accumulation of new debts
for wholesale paving, much as / APP
preciate the Importance of having our
streets on a parity with those of lead
ing cities elsewhere. Another year a
street on the South Side nearer in,
say Thirty-second or Thirty-third,
should be paved. The trend of home
builders is entirely in this direction
now, and the city's revenues from the
area south of Anderson street are in
creasing so rapidly that every en-
couragement should be given to those
engaged in it's development.
Whatever paving is done should be
of character to sustain considerable
traffic Asphalt has been found too
expensive in the beginning and too
great burden for maintenance, and
shells and ebert are unsuitable for a
city and should not be called into SER
vice again on any of our roadways
Streets that have been paved with
these materials, though. should be kept
up by the city in justice to the prop
erty owners who have paid for the
original work. An inclination has been
SHOWl 10 dilOM NIdSlOn street 10 IdlI
into a very bad condition through con-
tinued neglect. This 1 cannot approve
of. While the courts have interfered
with the paving of that street with
another material and the litigation
is apt to be of long duration, the city,
to my mind, is freed from the RESPONSE
bility of keeping the street in pre-
sentable condition. A state of reason
ably good repair should characterize
the roadway
Compensation for Franchises.
During the coming year it is proba-
BILE that applications will come before
Council for the further use of the pub
lie streets for transportation purposes
| am on record as opposed to any
further granting Of such use of the
streets without the city receiving suit
able compensation therefor. The time
has passed when public franchises
should be given away. The recent
sale of the existing street car lines
abundantly demonstrated that the
franchises granted by the city are
very valuable asset of such a prop
erty. If they are valuable to the in
weston they are valuable to the pub
lie. whose agent the city government is.
There should be no further surrender
of the streets for private purposes
without the public being paid therefor.
Public taxes paid for the ground, paid
for opening and grading and otherwise
improving the streets, and the public
should be reimbursed hereafter when.
ever any concession is granted TO cor
porations to use such public property.
Other cities have adopted this princi-
pie and Savannah's streets are suff1-
GENTLY valuable for it's citizens to in
sist on having the same consideration.
New Cemetery Needed.
You win also probably be called on
to consider the question of a new pub
lie cemetery. During the year lust
ended the community has enjoyed an
exceptional good health, the report of
the health officer showing a smaller
mortality among both races, and
especially among the whites, than. for
years past. For this we have reason
to be grateful. We should exert our
selves to continue such satisfactory
conditions. AS for ten years past, the
health officer alludes to the fact that
the section surrounding Laurel Grove
Cemetery has the worst record in the
city, demonstrating to his satisfaction
the accuracy of his contention that that
burial ground is a menace to the pub
lie health. For number of admins
have, without exception, pointed to the
necessity, from a health standpoint, of
establishing new cemetery. Our
health officers have consistently op-
posed the extension of Laurel Grove
The statistics of that department nave
shown that there is far more sickness
in the immediate vicinity of that ceme-
terry than elsewhere in the city. No
more urgent reason than this can be
given for the opening of a new ceme>
terry removed from the city. The
health of the people is paramount TO
any other consideration.
Because of this 1 will oppose any
proposition to build up more land for
graves i'm Laurel Grove Cemetery. I
do not doubt that more ground can be
filled in, or sub-drained, as was done
several years ago. But l also know
that such additional area to the ceme-
terry is, if we accept the statement of
physicians. only obtained and used at
the expense of the health of the COM
munity. outside of this ave confront
the fact that the lots so obtained are
undesirable and difficult to sell They
are bought by citizens practically un-
der protest, because the city has not
provided them with a better place
Everyone knows that the new-made
portion of the cemetery is only used
because of the inability to buy lots
elsewhere. Few who have the means
to buy elsewhere will buy them l be-
lieVe the poorer of our citizens should
be given an opportunity to buy proper
lots elsewhere. We have got to nave
a new cemetery eventually. What is
proposed is only a temporary make
shift. and one of very unsatisfactory
character at that. My idea is that il
will take several years TO prepare a
new area for cemetery purposes. The
land should be bought and then placed
under the Park and Tree Commission.
with an annual appropriation for each
of five years TO prepare IL for public
use. its plans to be subject to the APP
prevail Of Council. At the expiration Of
this time the cemetery could be opened
to the public. The sale OF lots there
after would largely reimburse the city
for it's expenditures and the public
need would be met in a manner salts
factory 20 our people. The use OF the
present cemetery should be gradually
restricted. and il might be proper for
Council to set date some years hence
at which time intermcnts therein
should cease.
New city exchange BUILDING.
The consideration Of a new public
building cannot be long deferred. Much
az we may be attached TO the present
city Exchange by reason Of It's his
torical associations u cannot but be
recog nized b. all that Il is unsuitable
aud Inadequate for the purposes OF a.
rapidly growing city u has been out
grown hy the oity's development and
compares unluNorahly with tho muuicl-