Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-04-09
Board of Public Works.

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Board of Public Works.
The Legislature of this State, at its late
session, made provision to organ.zeza Board
of Public works. and divided the State into
four districts. The boundaries are IS follows :
The First District comprises the parishes
Of West Felicia ma, East Fe!iciana, East Baton
Rouge, St. Helena, Livingstone Washington,
st. Tammany, the city Of New Orleans, Or
leans left bank, St. Bernard, and all the. east
ern portions OF those parishes that lie on both
sides Of the Mississippi, to-wit: the. eastern
portion of lber15lle, Ascension, St. John the
Baptist, st. James, St.Charles, Jefferson, and
PIaquemines. The Second, @Calcasien. St.
Landry, Vermi|lion, Lafayette, st. Mary, St.
Martin, Lafourche, Assumption, Terrebonne,
Pointe Ceupee,, West Baton Rouge, and the
western parts Of Ibervilie, Ascension, St.
James, st. John the Baptist, st. Charles,
Jefferson, Orleans right bank, and Plaque-
mines. The Third, 3Avoyelles, Rap;des,
Natchitoches,, Sabine, Union, DeSoto, Caddo;
Bossier, Bienvi!le, and Claiborne. The
son, Carroll, M%orehouse. Caldwell, Ouachita,
Jackson, Franklin and Union. :.
The New Orleans Pieuyume says:
Under the provisions Of the bill, which is
also.a constitutional provision, the people Of
each district are required to elect a Commits
sioner4of Public Works on the first Monday
of next December, the day of the general
State election. .
In some quarters a movement is recon-.
mended to make party tests the measure. Of
qualification for this important Office. Such
an effort will be very likely to render the
bill uselessto the public.s. No single duty of
the Board Of Public Works is arpoliticalz zone.
1t has no connection with the politics Of the
State. But to prove Of advantage to. the
whole commonwealth, ito discharge faithfully
the duties imposed by the constitution and
the statute, it is important that the members
should be entirely disconnected with party
politics and in nd manner amenable to party
leaders,
A peculiar qualification Of mind and educa-
zion is necessary to the proper discharge of
the duty of a member OF the Board Of Public
Works. If not practical Engineer, he
must have a theoretical knowledge Of the
whole subject. Each member is to superin-
tend a series Of surveys Of his W district
to ~investig gate the most e%fectual means OF re-
Claiming swamp lands-ofopening or improv-
ing water courses-of connecting the central
points Of our river valieyso or prsir,e parishes
with the great markets OF the State-and to
suggest plans for the improvement of the in
dustry and of the development Of resources CO
the commonwealth.
Men, such as usually succeed in obtaining
the nominations in party cenyentions,scan-
the important station ofsasme1bbtr Of
the Board Of Pubiie@Works. The Whole de-
sign OF the constitution will fail if these
offices become the strife OF partisans and
made the rewards Of efficiency as mere roli-
~ticians.
1t is most unfortunate that the people Of
Louisiana do not repudiate this effort to make
every office Judicial aud educational, Offices
IN themselves disconnected from political
importance, subservien: to the movement Of
POLITICAL parties. The Office OF the Board of
Public Works, should of all others, never be
brought into the political arena.
For this the most worthy man, he who has
the highest scientific and practical know
who is the best acquainted with the
topography OF the district aud the means for
It's improvement; whose judgment and sa-
gacity, whose zeal and energy, whose pow
ers of analysis and combination, have been
tested and approved by experience, should be
selected BY his fellow-citizens without dis
%tinction OF party. One would. as soon think
OF filling the membership of a scientific sur
vcy with politicians merely, as the Board oil
Public Works. 1t would he as safe to choose
a chief OF a geological survey. not from his
knowledge Of the science, but from his ndeIity
and blind zeal for party.
The choice Of the members of Board Of
Public Works concerns the whole people. If
the public expenditure Of money! is to have no
relation to the ascendancy of one or the other
party, or one portion of a party over another
If the plan Of public works is to be based
only on the exigencies OF the landed interest
Of the different parishes of the State-in a
if capacity Of the highest order,expe-
r1ence that ripens Judgment, and the Best in.
terests Of Louisiana are 10 be secured, by
consent ofthe people Of the different
will select the men whose names
and history. will give confidence in their la
bors. The difficulty will be to find proper
men for the station, to secure that complete
ness of qualification without which but little
good can be expected.
We trust the people5of the whole State Wi.
AXE this subject under careful consideration