The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-26
YOUNG ORATOR
CHOSE EASY PATH
SAYS MAYOR OF Mr.. TRAVIS.
MIR. MYERS GIVES HISTORY OF THE
RIFLE RANGE MOVEMENT.

In Answer to the Statement That
City Is Holding Matter Up, the
Mayor Tells What the City Has
Been Asked to Do, and Refers TO
the LiberaIity of the Municipality
in the Pnst-First Complete State
ment of City's Position.
Il notice in the Morning News that
Mr.. Travis relieved himself of some
thoughts on the rife range proposition
made to the city" said Mayor Myers
yesterday in discussing what was said
by Mr.. r. J. Travis at the banquet of
the Savannah Rife Association at the
Bannon Lodge Tuesday night.
"Of course no one would expect Mr..
Travis to be acquainted with the real
facts in the case. 1t is so much easier
than it is to ascertain the exact status
Of affairs, that it is not surprising that
this young orator chose the easier
path"
Men who have knowledge of the
city's course toward the military gem
orally, will merely smile at his re-
marks and pass them by as unworthy
of further consideration. but as there
are many who are not aware of the
policy of Council, it is probably not
amiss to make a statement of the cor
rect facts. They may be news even to
Mr.. Travis.
The new association, which is nego-
tiating for land is. we learn. private
corporation. 1t wants the city to donate
to it the site now used for The public
pest house. This site includes about
ten acres of ground and improvements,
representing a value of about 10000
In addition it wants a hard road built
to connect with the county road, which
means a further expenditure of $300
to $4,000.
what is Wanted from City.
"If this were done the city finds that
Il must then go to an outlay of about
$4,000 to equip new site for the pur-
pose for which the pest house site is
now used. 1t has not site for this
purpose. The city has no site,
but it is minated that the
county might donate one on the Dor
der of the old Estill Park area. The
county has not yet done this, how
ever.
THE county is also asked to do
work, aggregating an outlay of prob
ably $4,000, the greater part of which
comes from the taxpayers of the city
of Savannah To sum it up, the city
is expected to give up property val
ued at $4,000 and spend probably $780,
600, and the county TO eXpend $15,00
In Mr.. Travis opinion this is appar-
emily an insignificant matter, to be
disposed of without consideration, on
demand.
Would Close EstiII Park.
1.-The gentlemen representing the
range association have been given a
hearing before Council, (which took
the matter under advisement. We find
that the proposed location of the pest
house is not regarded by the health
officer as anywise near as suitable as
the present one, not being so isolated
or as healthful If it is used for this
purpose, the use of the woodland orig
inally set aside as Estill Park will
be closed to the public, owing to its
proximity to the pest house.
This is very undesirable. OF course
these are trihing matters which Mr..
Travis would not have Council deem
worthy of consideration, but the alder
men, charged with the duty of pro-
tecting and advancing the interests of
the entire community, are always 10th
to jump at conclusions without in
vestigating the step it is proposed to
take.
other Important Public Works.
II am somewhat inclined to the
opinion that orators like Mr.. Travis
seldom advance the interests of the
cause they espouse. Aldermen are here
to do what they regard as best for the
public's interests. We have many I'M
portant public works under way, in
which the vast mass of the public feel
an interest, and when a request for an
extraordinary expenditure of $4,000,
like that of the rifle association, is
presented, it is apt to be considered
very carefully before there is any de-
cisiVe action.
Our policy toward all public move
ments has been liberal, and it is like
ly to continue so, but the strain of
liberality may sometimes be too great
for the treasury, and this may be one
of those cases."