The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-26
Urged CHANGE
IN COLLECTION
SPECIFIC TAXES.
,raE is TOO MUCH LAxITY, Ac-
CoRDINC TO THE GRAND JURY.

Doommended That No Business Be
allowed to Run Until the Specific
T.x Has Been Paid In Full-Com-
Dt On the Present Conditions as
Snecific Taxes in Chatham
c,tx-Better Provision for Care
of Lunntics.
rha grand jury for the fall term Of
49,. Sunerior Court made its general
.uasantments to Judge Cam last night
"a was discharged, with the thanks
Of the court.
Tho large amount Of uncollected
-,octfic taxes was commented upon at
.,,oa length. The conditions existing In
49, county Jail were discussed. and
soveral changes were recommended re-
oording the feeding of the prisoners
ond the care of lunatics. Other mat
.ars suggested in the charge of Judge
c.,nn were also reported on. The fol-
lowing is a summary of the most in
,aresting sections of the presentment:
I'm the tax collectors books there
oro some entries which the grand jury
did not understand. and it is of the
opinion that the system of bookkeep-
inc in that office is to some extent
faulty.
"The records of the sheriff's Office
show a condition of affairs difficult to
understand. The grand jury believes
there is entirely too much laxity in
the collection of executions for over
due specific taxes. Fl fas. were found
for a large sum, probably thousands of
dollars a large part of which the sher-
If advises will probably never be col
lected, partly on account of the imper-
feet laws governing the collection of
specific taxes.
Troubles That Are Met with.
The grand jury is informed that 1t
is useless for the sheriff to attempt to
satisfy executions in many instances,
as the delinquents have no property
on which he may legally levy. In the
case of an execution for the collection
of a liquor dealers tax the property
liable Is. in few instances, sufficient
to cover the amount of the tax.
The grand jury understands 1t to
be a custom to allow liquor dealers
to do business before the tax is paid
and it is of the opinion that this prac-
tice should cease, and that no author
ity to do business shall be granted un-
til the full amount of the specific tax
has actually been paid.
Care of Lunatics.
IAN examination of the county Jail
reveals a condition of affairs that, in
the opinion of the grand jury, calls
for immediate remedy. We find that
the lunatics, so adjudged in the Ordi-
nary's Court, and confined in the Jail,
are not removed to the State Asylum
as promptly as they should be, the
fault being, not with the county, but
with the state authorities.
There are now in the Jail Cor were
on Nov. 22) two negro women who
were adjudged insane Sept. Is and
Oct. respectively. The condition of
one is most pitiable. The woman is
blind. is a complete physical wreck,
and should have been promptly re-
moved to the asylum.
I'VE are informed that one female
lunatic recently died in Jail where she
had been kept for four months. The
lunatics are kept on an upper floor
of the building along with the other
women prisoners. We recommend that
this practice be discontinued, if pos
sible, and that such means as human
ity demands be taken for the better
care of the unfortunate insane
AS to school Room.
In commenting on that portion of
Judge Cams charge regarding the
providing of recreation and study
rooms for boys, the presentments say:
While recognizing the humanitarian
interest of the court in its charge, adj
vising an investigation of the practi-
cability of the use of one or more
rooms in each of the public school
buildings as places for physical rec
reation and mental Improvement for
boys, as a partial remedy for street
loating, and indorsing the suggestion
of the court, the grand jury is advised
that the school authorities do not fav-
orably consider the plan. and do not
deem it feasible"