New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-19
Mr.. West presented the following resolu-
ton, which was received:
DEPARTMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS. }

To the Honorable Council Of the city of New Or
Having had under consideration the petit
ton of The Southern Paving Company to be
furnished lines and grades to enable them
to proceed with their contract for paving
St. Charles avenue, the undersigned respect
fully reports that, under the opinion OF the
law, and personally concurred in by the pres
emit City Attorney, it is expedient for the
CITY to sllow the work TO proceed.
The contract makes no reference TO
bridges-it merely provides for pavement.
It Will not answer 10 lay down a permanent
pavement, unless bridges and culverts OF
like character are provided. Bridges with
iron tops, and culverts with stone wings,
some one hundred 100) in number, will be
required, and are estimated by the City
Surveyor to cost eighty thousand (So0. 0O0)
dollars. In addition thereto, brick cui.
vert to carry Melpomene canal across st.
Charles avenue is estimated will cost thirty
thousand (s30,000) dollars.
Resolution authorizing the commence
ment OF the work on August l, Is offered
herewith, and the first consideration with
reference to it's passage will be that Of the
means available to pay for the work, the
city's portion of which will aggregate some
three hundred thousand $500 ,000) dollars.
1t is for the Council to determine whether
they will attempt to meet this outlay from
current revenues, Or will provide for the
sane by the means suggested by section
twenty five Of the charter.
Herewith are returned the petition of the
Southern Paving Company aud the formal
demand made by G. W. Christy, notary
public. in their behalf.
Very respectfully,
J. r. WEST, Administrator.
In connection with the report, Mr. West
submitted the following resolution, to be
printed and lie over:
Resolution relating to paving st. Charles
avenue, under the contract with the
Southern Paving Company, and for other
purposes.
ResolUed. That the City Surveyor be and
he is hereby authorized TO give the lines and
grades on st. Charles avenue TO the Southern
Paving Company in time to enable the work
to be commenced by the first day OF August,
1870.
Resolced, That the Administrator of I'm
provements be and he is hereby authorized
to advertise for proposals to make iron
bridges, with stone culverts and wings, to
the crossings of st. Charles avenue, between
Tivoli Circle and Toedano street; also for
proposals to construct d brick culvert for
MelpOmene canal at the crossing OF st.
Charles avenue.
The Council took up the ordinance organ
izing the Department Of Assessments.
Sections one and two were adopted with
out change.
Section three was amended to read as fol-
lows:
SEC s. Be it further ordained, etc, That
the Administrator of Assessments shall, by
and with the advice and consent OF the
Council, nominate and appoint one secre-
tary, who shall be entitled TO and receive an
annual salary OF $780,
Thirteen assessors, who shall be entitled
to and receive each an annual salary Of
$4,000.
Six clerks, who shall be entitled to and re-
ceiye each an annual salary OF Sl2O0.
And six additional clerks, who shall be en-
titled to and receive each an annual salary
OF $1,000.
One porter, who shall be entitled to and
receive an annual salary of $500.
- One messenger, VINO shall be entitled to
and receive an annual salary Of SloO.
All OF which salaries shall be payable
monthly, at the end of each month of SER
vice, and all Of said employees shall, in all
respects, be under the direction and con-
troll of the Administrator OF Assessments,
who shall have full authority to assign any
OF them to any duty which shall, in his dis
erection, best advance and accomplish the
duties devolving upon the Department OF
Asses sments, and the Administrator OF As
sessneuts shall have full power and authOrl-
ty TO remove orsuspend any of said employees
at any time, but shall report such suspen-
sion or removal to the Council at It's next
regular session, together with the cause or
reason for such suspension or removal, for
the action OF the Council thereon.
On. the question Of the adoption Of this
section, as amended. Mr.. Bonzano said the
number of persons he proposed to employ
might appear very large, but here we were
with FIVE months and half of the new
year gone, and not a single assessment
made. The work could not be done with
less. There were about one hundred and
twenty miles to travel over, according to
the Surveyors statement, and ten thousand
squares to assess.
MI. Shaw moved the adoption OF the Sec
ton.
The Mayor said he certainly considered
the number of employees provided for very
large. From his experience in the city of
New Orleans for the last twenty.f five years
he happened to know that before the year
1854 four men made out the assessments OF
the old city and there was no complaint.
This went on until the year 1866 or 1856,
when real or supposed political necessity
arose for an increase of officers, and the
number was increased for that reason alone
to twelve. This increase was ridicu ed at
the time as al absurdity and as an unusual
and unnecessary expense to the city, but it
went into effect and three or four men did the
work while the others looked on. TIL
State assessments of the city were even
now done by four assessors, and he had
heard no particular complaint from any body
that he was not assessed. The year being
far advanced, he conceded that perhaps ten
or twelve employees might not be too much,
but here were thirty persons to be engaged
for the assessment of the city. He thought
SO large force unnecessary.
Mr. Bonzano replied that the four State
assessors received a salary of eight thou
sand dollars each, and when they wanted
any help they obtained it and paid for it..
He would also call the attention of the
Mayor to the fact that he had consulted the
experts, the Mayor himself had recon-
mended, and they concurred with him.
The section was adopted.
Section four was as follows:
SEC. 4. Be it further ordained. etc, That
in event that it shall, in the opinion of the
of Assessments, become in
any emergency necessary to increase the
clerical force in his department, he may ap-
r,oi,f ud1itinnQl ctprkS which case III
shall be his duty to report the fact to the
Council at its next regular session after
such increase of force.
AZ Chain mound I hot Il he stricken ont.