Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-03-19
Taxation and Wosteful ExtraVagance

will afford convincing proof, TO every
candid mind, Of Che wasteful extIav!
agance which has characterized The
administration Of the financial affairs
of this ta1-ridden State. The ex'
hibits which are given ia detail in
said Report, are such as would have
sufficed 20 stomp any, The richest and
most prosperous eras Of our State
antecedent 10 the war, with char
acter glaringly reproachful 90 Che
score of squandering The public
moneys. How much more reproach'
,ul and inexcusable such dire ex.
travagance in times like the present
when this unfortunate State, contin'
uing to realize the unhappy conse'
quences Of the war, is doomed with
all her attending circumstances OF
impoverishment and debt, 70 undergo
the most fearful taxation on every
hand. Truly, our people must be
among The most patient and endur'
ing in The world, to have submitted
so long and philosophically TO such
cumulative burdens of taxation 4or
tue maintenance of sinecMe estab,
lishmenis and the deirayment OF
wastelul appropriations.
We complain, and with reason,
remarks The Iberville Pioneer, of lie
oppressive national taxes; while,
wi, h clear vision, we behold the in
justice and aggression Of the Federal
Government, are we not blind TO oui
own Sta;e affairs? 1t is high time
that our ielIow-ciiizens should look
20 the acts of he authoti,ies at New
Oi1eans. Between Gov. Wells and
the Levee Commissioners, with the
consent of the Legislature, Che State
is al,eady saddled with debt of six
millions or more. But the answer
comes readily that this great expense
has been made in self.defense-for
The construction of levees. The
vital necessity-the imperative obi
cation above all others Of securing
the Sta,e against inundation is adj
mitted. cut il is Che unnecessary,
unprecedented and altogether exor-
bitan' plices toat have been paid for
tne building and repairing of Che
levees Of which we complain. Just
examine facts; the prices paid by
the Board OF Levee Commissioners
have averaged fifty cents per cubic
yard. No levee ever cost rs cents
per cubic yard, and the actual cost
per cubic yard, before Che wal, was
not ten cents. The ordiua y days
labor is from 16 70 Is cubic yards,
amounting at tbe prices contracted
for by the Levee Commissioners 10
eight OF ten dollars hand per day
Admitting chat labor really costs
three dollars, and there is the euor-
nous profit of five or seven dollars
on each laborer daily. Into whose
pocket does this vast profit SO?
TIE people, are impoverished, are
despalling under mountains Of debt,
aud yet we see right before their
very faces with full evidences OF the
iac,s, they are suffering themselves
not only 10 be plundered but their
children end children's children
loaded with taxes through tine COM
ing years.
But tax payers just see bow much
benefit you have derived for Che mil
lions that have been and are 70 be
flcned from your hard and scanty
earning. There was culpable dill
toripess-criminal neglect last year
in commencing operations upon the
levees. If arrangements could not
have been made at an earliel day to
commence work, all active labor
should have been deferred till The
water fell. But the suDerannuated
old fo2ies in authority hesitated,
blundered and failed, but whether