Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-07-09
OUR PARISH LEVEE LAWS.

upon this subject IS worthy !he attention
of our citizens, and particularly our pc
lice jurors. It treats upon n subject
which has created some feeling in GU
parish, and which we are satisfied la:
not been carefully considered by thos'
that have opposed it. For"one, we have
ever been opposed to an increase o
taxes pom our people, for the simple
reason that until within some three year,
since they were almost iutoIerable. By
strict economy and prudence, they have
been so far reduced AS to be almost nom.
inal, and our people are beginning to
reap the benefit of tlleir own exertion.
and care. While, at the present time,
every attempt at a further reduction OF
taxes is hailed with pleasure, it should
be borne in mind that niggardIy parsi
mony can by no means be construed into
economy. The judicious expenditure Of
a few hundreds or thousands of dollars
may, and often do. in the long run,
prove far more beneficial, and result in
greater advantages, tina" by the counting
the money. without calculating tue bene-
fits.
A resolution offered at the last meet
ing of our Police Jury, to elect or ap-
point a L2vee Inspector for the whole
parish, at a salary Of fifteen hundred
dollars, met with much opposition in
that body, land which We are sorry to
say has been echoed out Of it,) upon the
score Of economy. The practicabi|i&y Of
the measure has not, we feel assured,
been taken into consideration. We are
paying now to the different Ward in
spectors Of the Parish three Hundred and
,hirty-ive dollars per annam, and scarce
ly a session Of the Police Jury is held,
but there is some trouble in regard to
A. 1. -~~4;"na Of the ,Iusp ctors.
Tue dut'eS Or ev.'4.~
No two Of them act alike, think alike, or
even INTERPRET the plain provisions Of the
levee laws alike. So that often in one
Ward, the planters escape with less la
Dor than thsy do in another. In fact 50
often has this been done, that many have
been led to the belief that it is the re-
suit Of par,iA|ity, Ignorance Of the law,
or a desire to escape the responsibilities
Of the office. 1t is not for an Inspector
to say what constitutes a safe tevee, and
order them to b. made Of corresponding
size, when the law plainly points out the
Nor eau an Inspector be
allowed to use his own judgment, III re-
gerd to such matters, when such judy
ment is in opposition to the law. The
law marks out the course for him TO
pursue, and he must follow that course.
The slightest deviation from 1t is an in
aud he either refuses or neg
|ects a duty Of his Office. "Jus:ice'' says
some Inspectors never read the law"
W. can show him where a Levee H.
spector-a member of the Police Jury
who with ~ copy Of the Digest in his
possession actually, last year, ordered
The building of a levee Of less dimensions
Than those required by law! And per-
hars we a point out where Others ac-
Lually refused to comply with the law.
as a reason that such and such
|evees were safe enough, and that was all
required. Too many Levee Inspectors
are like too many designers to a piece Of
work-they can never agree, and such
result, proves injurious to the interests
they were appointed to protect. Another
matter in regard to Inspectors, is the DIFF
in the bills they often have to pre-
sent to the parish for work done upon lev.
ees. These bills are often disputed as being
unreasonable, unnecessary, and other rea-
which often place the Inspector in an
unpleasant position, which he would not
for fifty times the salary voluntarily
assume. Our Police Jury members and
such citizens as were present, will re-
member the confusion and trouble that
prevailed at the last session Of that body
regard to such charges against the
for work ordered by Levee H.