The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-08

of the same lot. without public consent.
He cannot lay the foundation of a
building on his own land until the city
surveyor defines the lines. He cannot
erect the building until the grade is
nrst ascertained. Brick buildings are
required for certain trades. For brick
buildings the thickness of the walls is
prescribed. Tenement houses must
have brick partition wall. In all
these, and many similar instances, pri-
vate convenience, preference, and right
are subordinated to public benefit, ad-
vantage, and safety. At every turn
the owner of property in a city is made
to realize that his ownership is not
absolute but qualified.
SaVnnnnh's Pressing Need.
THE great and pressing need in Sa-
Vannah is for greater depth of lots; a
purchaser can procure all the
front that his means enable.
if he is met by a street or lane.
at a distance of eighty or ninety feet.
Upon such lot no commodious or
handsome building can be constructed.
a front garden, that beautiful prelude
to the music of sweet home, is almost
prohibited. The establishment of a
reasonable building line, say fifteen TO
twenty-five feet, from the street line,
would result in deeper lots and attrac-
tive front gardens.
Would not this improve the culture
and moral tone of our people? Would
1t not enhance comfort, safety ana
sanitation? In our light, sandy soil,
house built on the street line becomes
simply a dust bin and dirt gatherer.
Every passing vehicle or stirring breeze
whirls clouds of dust into the premises.
This dust is often germ laden and
disease bearing.
"Tyndall declares that all the slaugh-
ter of wars is tritiing compared with
that of atmospheric dust 1t clogs the
air passages, eyes and lungs. and is
responsible for many human ailments.
lady friend, whose house, in COM
pliance with the prevailing Savannah
style, stands on the street line, tells
me that in dry weather she does not
dare to open her front windows; that
every high breeze and passing car lit
orally deluges her premises and ruins
her curtains carpets and belongings.
She prefers an oven to a dust bin; and
this injury is daily inflicted by a car
company that in open and contemptu-
Gus defiance of a city ordinance, re-
fuses even to water its tracks. Are
these constant dirt douches helpful to
sanitation?
Premises set back twenty or TWEEN
tyfive feet, with small trees or shrub
berry interposed, largely escape this in
Fiction. l can speak from personal ex-
perience. Ought not the city to do
what it can to mitigate this evil? 1t
can do much by the establishment of
reasonable building lines for all new
streets yet to be laid out, beyond which
new buildings shall not be allowed to
encroach.
May Refuse Permit.
Under the existing ordinance of this
city no person can construct a build
ing without the previous permission
of Council. What is to prevent the
Council from refusing a building per-
NIT to any builder who refuses to
conform to reasonable building
would compel the city by man
damus to override it's wise and reason
able discretion in such case.
THE suggestion that building line
can be accomplished by mutual con-
sent is a lovely, but misleading, NUM-
cipal dream. l myself tried that in
vain. Probably in every block in our
city there will be found at least one
citizen so mean and sordid that he
would not yield and inch or a brick
for the highest municipal good. He
err reason that to be able to assert his
own fancied superior wisdom or reso-
luton
"A friend just from Atlanta has been
telling me of the great beauty of
Peachtree street, with its deep lots.
and its houses set far back. with
lawns, shrubbery, and flowers in front
And yet the Atlanta papers declare
that these generous proprietors are
about to yield a portion of their love-
ly fronts in order to widen said street
Will we ever have such a street. with
such abutting lots, in Savannah? Not
unless a far more liberal, progressive,
and aesthetic spirit than now pre-
walls seizes our municipal authorities
and citizens.
IF our present city rulers cannot
see their way to establishing build
ing lines for our coming streets, what,
let me ask. prevents them from secur-
ing through the Legislature a simple
amendment to the charter giving them
the right to establish reasonable build
ing lines, and to refuse permits to
builders who stubbornly refuse to con-
form to such wise and reasonable
building formulas. If the city author
! tiles realize the benefits that will be
| conferred upon our future Savannah
as it expands by the establishment
and maintenance of reasonable build
| ing lines, and desire to secure them
the way of accomplishment is easy"