The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-20
The Tax ON the Commerce OF New Or.
leans,

Thc Tax ON the Commerce OF New Or.
leans.
While we have sndeavored to give reasons for
objecting to the, Bill Of Mr.. Payne, and attempted
to show by reference to the Prices Current that
the trade Of the city is not afflicted with gaop-
ing consumption, we readily concede that many
Of the charges are too high, and ought to be re-
duced. But the wharfage is the last which ought
to be touched and yet it is the first to suffer- The
present pilot system is crying evil. The pilot
association, in fact II close corporation, the
members Of which are vested with the power of
selecting their fellows. They constitute one part
nershp, and are all equally interested in the pro-
ceeds Of their industry. All competition is cut
ef-all stimulus to industrial enterprise is BAN
ished. There is nothing like It in the cipilizsd
acorld! This gross abuse has been maintained
here by the force of party. The pilots are all
members of the dominant party; they concentrate
vote of several hundreds, and all efforts made to
remodel the pilotage, and to place it the system
which prevails in the great commercial cities, have
signally failed. Faction has been permitted to
cripple the commerce Of New Orleans, and her
politicians have been party to the measure. We
| are glad to find our citizens awakening to the
| importance of reform in this matter.
| Again, the fees Of the Harbor Master and Port
Warden are enormous, and ought to be reduced.
But those of the Port Warden exist by virtue of
State laws, and can only be reached by the Legis-
lature. Wharfage il the compensation which COM
merce pays for the use Of landings by which to
carry on its operations. 1t is universally admitted
that the facilities for receiving and discharging
cargoes here, surpass those Of any other city in
the United States. The Levee and wharves have
been built and kept up at great expense The
amount collected for series Of years. from vessels
/ and steamboats,, does not exceed the expenses.
But we think that the city has right to charge
something beyond the mere cost to the vast amount
Of produce landed here The wear and tear of
streets-the increase Of police, should be in part
reckoned in estimating the just wharfage to be
levied on products landed on the Levee. 1t is
difficult to hit upon the exact apportionment of the
expenses. A part should be borne by the com.
merce, and part by the property of the city.
The plan proposed by the new Bill of collect
ing the wharfage daily, involves the necessity of an
army Of tax collectors. A bill must be presented,
receipt given, and the proper entry made in the
books of the city, every day. The fractions of
days would be lost 1t was to guard against this
evil that the present rule was adopted, that of
assessing tax for certain length of time, pay
able at once If the vessel remains over the time,
then an additional tax is levied. The rates were
fixed by reference to the average length of time
that vessels remain at the Levee, and we learn
that the great majority of the ship owners do not
object to the time.
No change ought to be made in the rates, to take
effect before next year. Let the amount of tax to
be levied be fixed with reference to the diminished
revenue caused by the reduced wharfage. But it
will be oppressive and unjust to cut off this reve-
nue. at once. The Second Municipality was just
on the point of making large appropriations for the
extension Of the wharves into the channel and thus
build over the bar recently formed. This new Or
dinance prevents this improvement