The Morning News

CHAIRMAN DALE ON DRAINAGE.

He Says the Commissioners Are Draining Where They Believe It Is Most Needed.

The action of the sanitary board in asking the county commissioners to pay closer attention to drainage around the city, which the board claims to be needed, was brought to the attention of Chairman Dale yesterday.

"I have not received any formal communication from the sanitary board yet on this subject," said Mr. Dale to a Morning News reporter, "and all I know of the action taken at its meeting is what I have seen in the Morning News.

"I have not discussed the matter with the commissioners, but I know that we are doing the best we can for what we believe to be to the best interests of Chatham county in what we have directed to be done lately with respect to drainage. Of course, there is always a difference of opinion as to such matters among some people, and the board of health may say, and truly say, that drainage is needed at this place or that. It is nevertheless true that work is needed at other places, and the county commissioners are endeavoring with most earnest intentions to do all the drainage they can do, and at the places where, in their judgment it is most needed.

"The sanitary board has referred to the Buckhalter canal work, and they seem to think that the county commissioners should be giving their attention not so much to distant work as to lands closer to the city, where they claim drainage is needed to insure the healthfulness of the community. They evidently do not know how essential it is for the Buckhalter swamp to be drained, and I presume they would be amazed to see the conditions which have caused the county commissioners to undertake this work. This is the biggest swamp near the city that is undrained. When the drainage is completed it will affect a region that is within a mile's distance from the city.

Of course, the work has been commenced at the remote end of the canal or channel that is to be cut out. We could not begin very well at this end of it, because the plans of the channel demand that the work be taken up at the outlet and proceeded with in this direction. This is necessary to get the proper grade, or slope of the canal that is to drain this vast territory.

'The county commissioners are, as I have said, doing the best we can for the general good of the county in the matter of drainage. We are always glad to have suggestions, and we are always glad to comply with the requests of the citizens of Chatham county in rendering such services in this and other classes of work when we find that it is feasible or proper, according to the conditions of the case upon which we base our judgment."