Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-10-27
Is THE CITY A PART OF THE
COUNTY, OR NOT?

Conditions in one city or county are
frequently-indeed. generally but a
reproduction of the conditions that
exist in otter cities and counties of the
same state. Operating under the same
laws, and with the same general en-
vironment, it is but natural that this
should be the case. And because of
this very fact the experience of one
community is beneficial to anoth ar,
and the criticisms and complaints Of
one place equally as effective or
as well founded in another.
Here, for instance, is the Augusta
Chronicle asking, Wits reference to
that city and Richmond county, rs tae
city part of the county?" That ques-
ton is often asked in Americas as
well. For that reason we reproduce
the Chronicle editorial below. If We
were to change Augusta to Americas
and Richmond to Sumter it would have
just as strong local application as
though it had been written with esp4c-
ial reference to Americas. 1t is a
curious illustration of the fact that the
same questions are being asked all
over the state, and that the same prob
lens are every where being consider
ed. Here is what the Chronicle has 70
say:
In yesterdays Chronicle appeared a
news story from Macon in part as fol-
lows:
The city of Macon is now without
contagion hospital facilities, the coun-
ty pest house having been closed
against patients who reside within
the city limits
The board of county commissions Is
today notified the mayor and council
that no longer will the city be allowed
to send patients to the county pest
house, unless a bill for $4,000, which
the county considers the city owes as
It's proportiOnate share of the main
tenance of the institution is paid -
One might reasonably infer from the
above that Macon is not very i'm
portant part of Blob county-if, in
deed, a part of it at all. And, yet, as
a matter of fact, Macon is pretty much
all there is of Bibb county.
Since Macon recently extended is
corporate lines, probably not one
fourth of the people in Bibb county
live outside of the city, while the city
easily pays three-fourths Of the county
taxes
In face of all tGis, however, a citizen
of Macon cannot be placed in the
county pest house in case he has small
poX. Should he happen to live a mile
or hundred yards beyond the city
limits, the pest house is open to him;
but if he lives within the city proper,
even tough he may pay 10 or 100
times as much taxes as the man living
outside he is barred from the countys
hospital Queer isn't it?
Bat that isn't all. There is a road
from the county line into the city-a
dozen of them, maybe-and one man
has located his home on it just a hun
lrel Yards inside of the city limits
another on the same road, just a hun
bred yards inside of the city limits.
TIE county works the road in front of
the formers rouse, and stops hun
dred yards short of the latter's. Even
though the man inside may pay 10 or
100 times as much taxes as the man
Queer isn't it?
In other words, when community
it virtually ceases to be
a part of the county, so far as getting
any direct benefits from the money
which it pays into the county treas
ury is concerned. At least, this is the
policy pursued in some counties
Richmond among the number, if we
are not seriously mistaken.
For instance, if the village of Sum
mervilie were not incorporated, the
county would have to keep up lis
it's main streets
and furnish a certain amount of po-
ice protection, etc But being an in
village, it must take Gaze
Of itself, without any help from the
county.
SO with the city of Augusta. AL
though certain of it's streets are main
arteries leading through and beyond |
he county, the county's interest in
hem stops at the city line If we
mistake not, however, the state SUI
)reme court, at one time, decided that
he streets of a city are a part of the
public works Of a county We believe
here is even a special act which per- I
nits the county of Richmond to work
certain roads through the village OF