New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-11
THE CrTY PRospECTs.

The ClTx k4Vyk6VA0s
The recent report Of Administrators
Shaw relative to financial affairs Of the
city, shows state Of things melancholy
enough for the property-owners to con-
template.
According to this report the deficiency
of liabilities over the receipts for the
year 1871, which will be unprovided for, is
81, 164, S4S, to raise which it is suggested
that it will be necessary to levy an addi-
tional tax of one per cent upon the prop
erty of the city. Unless some means can
be devised to avoid this, it will be the last
straw that will break the camers back.
An examination of the budget shows the
liabilities, outside of the expendi-
ture and general service account to be
50, 739, 1OS, a sum which it is actually
necessary to raise TO save the credit Of the
city.
Of the expenditure account in the
item of salaries, the sum of $454, $50 is
required to run the machinery Of a city,
the population of which is less than
100000, equivalent to fraction over
50 per capita. The item of wages
amounts to S424, 900, or 50 per capita on
the population Of the city. Then We have
the charges for street repairs, 100000;
fire department, $4,000; jury service,
$50, 900; law charges, District Attorneys
fees, criminal clerks fees, ETC., $50. 200.
The aggregate of these several items is
81, 300, 78O, in which it will be pos
sible for the city administration
to make considerable retrenchment.
1t is undoubtedly true that the
larger part of the liability account is
chargeable, to very great extent, to the
criminal neglect, mismanagement and
corruption which prevailed under other
than the present, but the
questions before the city authorities and
the people are payment, bankruptcy or
1t would seem, according
to statement recently emanating from
the City Attorneys Office, that there is
vast number of cases or suits against the
city now pending in our courts, some Of
which are as small in amount as one dol
lar, brought by no less parsonage
than a late sheriff the appointee
Of General Hancock. It is said.
that large majority Of these suits
will result in verdicts and judgments
against the city, thus adding thousands of
dollars to the present enormous city debt.
With all these accumulating burdens, the
question recurs what is to be done? The
imposition of an additional tax of one per
cent beside the two and five-eighths per
cent now imposed upon the property Of
the citizens would seem to be more than
can be borne. Though this additional
tax might be met by few of the more
wealthy capitalists of the city, there are
thousands to whom it would bring the loss
of the little property of which they are
now possessed.
Should the tax be imposed as suggested,
in Administrator Shaw's report, instead
of ten per cent, as the average failure or
postponement of collection, there will
be between thirty and forty per cent as
the average failure in such collection.
Under this tax there will be depression i'll
the value of real estate and capital, and
business will shun all contact with such
heavy burdens. The great inducement for
in real estate in any munich
pality is the economical administration of
its affairs, and the small amount of taxes
for the government of such
Business in our city is
very much paralyzed by the catastrophes
of epidemic and loss Of trade, consequent
upon the European war, and should the
latter continue who can tell how many
of our business men will stand the
pressure
The resources of our city depend mainly
upon the prosperity of the mercantile and
laboring classes, and when these two
great sources of supply are affected or
destroyed the political fabric which they
sustain must fall to ruin.
"We must retrench without impair
ing the efficiency of the city govern
ment," says Administrator Shaw.
That is just the question. We be-
lieve the present Board of Administra-
tors to be honest, good business men, and
DESTROYS of doing all they can to conduct
the affairs of our city. with the strictest
economy, and for the best interests of
those whom they represent. If this be so
let them begin with the cutting down Of
salaries, the discharging of. needless
clerks and officials not absolutely ncces-
sary for the discharge of official business.
Where these are is best known to the sew
eral administrators upon strict examina-
ton of the several departments under
their care and supervision. Let each
of them ask the question: chow would l
conduct my private affairs:' and then
apply the answer to the conduct OF their
several departments
We will instance Algiers. In the
month of March last, before the con-
solidation, the City Physician received
and was satisfied with salary OF
5000 per annum, now, with salary and
extra compensation, the same receives the
large sum of $500. The pound-keeper
and rent of pound amounts to S12O per
month, and previous to consolidation the
Street Commissioner performed that duty