New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-08

Total. SAL, 4IS IL
To the foregoing aggregate must be added
| SlS56 25 MS the amount due TO contractors
| tor repairing bridges in the four old city
| districts. Some of their work, the contrac
| tors being in default, has been done by this
| department., and until the account has been
| adjusted the amount due by the city can
not be definitely stated. monthly due of
$500 to the Carondelet Canal Company, for
privilege of draining into their capal. as per
| judgment Of the Fourth District Court re.
| quires to be added to the expenditures by
the Bureau of City Drainage, making pro-
bable total of expenditures OF this depart
ment for April Of (S42, S00) forty-two thou.
| sand eight hundred dollars.
| 1t is Lot to be admitted that the EXPENSES
| OF previous years should be the criterion Of
those of the present. Necessities may have
been greater then or more urgent now. But
| taxpayers may want 10 know relatively
what they are now being made responsible
tor by this department, as compared with
their bills for the last two years. | am in
formed, by the Administrator of Public Ac-
counts, that the records OF his office can
not, without great and laborious research,
afford detail of the expenses hitherto in
CURED By the departments of the old city
government, corresponding with that of In
provements. Recourse to the data and re-
cords of the old Streets and Landings Com
mittee, and to the Surveyors department
by myself, disclOses an expenditure of
81, 006 900 in 1868, and of 81 ,0299 39 in 1869.
The examination is by no means perfect,
and if 81, 050,O0 is assumed for 1868, and
81, 100000 for 1869, they will be nearer the
just figures. And these embrace only the
offered for report of the expenses of
Algiers. and CT jefferson City, of like
character.
Thus we have present monthly ex.
penditures OF S42 800 or per an
mum of.... ........ sob $50
Contracts to complete paving in
progress ........-.......... 100, 500
Contracts to complete repairs to
morgan Wharf "................. 10000
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1851, 100
Six hundred and ihirty.seven thousand
one hundred dollars for the new city,
against 81 100 900 in 1869, for the old.
Called upon by the Chief Executive of the
State to administer the department in
volving the largest expenditure of money in
the city government, | feel the great re-
sponsibility Of the position, and am more
anxious to acquit myself to the satisfaction
of the people, than had they been iustru-
mental in entru5tlng me with their steward
ship.
1t is not conaiiered that they will be sat
isfed with the above scale of expenditure
My judgment tells ne that they need more,
and are willing to DAY for what they get.
One cardinal principle shall not be lost sight
of-nothing shall be undertaken tina. they
can not afford, nor shall they pay for any
thing that they DO not get. Brains, muscle,
material, whatever they pay for, the otter
party to tue bargain shall render value re.
ceived to the extent that possess the abili- |
ty to exact it.
With dirty city, extensive streets in bad
condition, wharVe. and landings tending to
decay, imperfect drainage, the man who, with
limited pecuniaIy means at command, eX
poets to remedy all these defects, may well |
stand aghast 81 the hopelessness of his eff |
forts, but in the trust that some good may
be done, l have addressed myself TO the |
task. ard shall ask your assistance, that OF |
the Council and OF all obligated or concern.
ed, to achieve something to relieve New Or |
leans from the reproach justly attached TO |
the unsatisfactory condition of its Depart |
ment OF Improvements, that has been de |
tailed. |
| am as confident that l have exhausted |
your patience, as | ana that the subject has |
not been concluded.
Trusting 10 be able to make report more |
to your satisfaction tor the coming month. !!
/ am, your obediept servant,
j. i. WEST, Administrator.