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IF reason THE REASON COMPANY 81 Express Building* No. 5. GIVE US PUBLICITY, GENTLEMEN OF COUNCIL Council on Wednesday night last “discussed a little in caucus’’ the proposition to relieve the Savan nah Electric Company of the payment of a part of its specific taxes to the city. Why close the doors upon citizens when this question, the outcome of which directly concerns every taxpayer in the city, is being considered .’ Nothing has been made public which even remotely justifies Mr. Guekenheimer's proposed amendment to the tax ordinance. As long as a part of the dis cussion is in star chamber, no one can assert pos itively that there is no good reason why the amend ment should be adopted, and if its advocates are in a position to vindicate their proposed action, they are doing themselves great injustice in the public mind by withholding anything the publication of which would have that effect. If there is to be a discrimination of thirty or * forty per cent in the tax assessment basis in favor of the Electric Company as against private property holders, surely the public is entitled to a full expla nation from the officials elected to guard the inter ests of all the people of the city, and to see to it that no one enjoys an advantage that all do not receive. If there are Aidermen whose election was in anv part due to the friendliness of organized labor, these gentlemen are under special obligations to their constituents to see that no action shall be taken without the fullest publicity and justification, ex tending unusual favor to this enemy of unionized labor. It would seem to be very bad policy to go on record as favoring payment, in any part, by the City of Savannah of the Electric Company’s strike-breaking bills in Pensacola. ONE YEAR SI.OO. crfSSfeiS h’ive' CENTS! Savannah, Ga., May 23,1908 It is stated on what The Reason regards as most excellent authority that the motormen and conduc tors who were promised about two years ago that every man with two years' service to his credit would receive two and one-half emits per hour in crease in wages are being discharged without (-ause at the expiration of the stipulated time. This, it is asserted, is done to make place for new men, who will not be eligible to the increase until two years hence, when, perhaps, they too will meet a like fate. As a matter of fact, the Council caucus is an unmitigated and inexcusable evil, take it from what ever viewpoint one may. The star chamber is an institution in Savannah which Ims been abolished by nearly every other up-to-date city in the coun try. There is no more reason why Council should hold secret sessions than could be ottered in exten uation of a star chamber adjunct to the House of Representatives at Washington. And who would tolerate a proposition that Congress be permitted to discuss or amend appropriation bills behind closed doors ? The executive session practice endures in the United States Senate, it is true, but its scope is restricted to discussion relating to treaties with foreign countries and to the personal fitness or unfitness of presidential appointees to office—mat ters but remotely touching tin* people. A few years ago while residing in another South ern city about the size of Savannah, but which has an outside reputation for immorality in general far surpassing anything ever imputed to Savannah by any of her critics (excepting Dr. Broughton), the writer witnessed a tremendous manifestation of pub lic indignation, brought about bv the offering in E. I AMAR PARKER, DAVID P. DYER. Edi'orn. Vol. I.