New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-08


even ut Increased rates Of freight, thus ma
terially damaging not only the CITY, DIT sne
steamboat interest and capital embarked IN
The public levec and wharves in front OF
the business portion of the city, over when
the commerce of the city is carried ON, are
wholly unprotected from storm. or the
equally disastrous effect OF br0iling sum
mer sun, the water front distant from ware
houses, crowded with STEAMBOATS, anu a
barees. that in order to fulfill engagements
and charter party obligations, are com,
pelled to discharge or receive all kinds OF
merchandise on an open public common, or
unsliyltered plank platform, certain that
however perfect the condition Of the 3er-
chandise, when taken from the vesseD0r
Warehouse, few moments unavOidaoie
exposure to storm on the open ievee VIII
effect permanent damage and deprecla-
ton of its value, and lnvoive the carrier ie ~
an UNPLEASANT dispute or expensive lltlSa-
ti0n to satisfy the owner or cOnsiTpee as to
the date Of the damage and Liability.
II ia impOssible to estimate the actual loss
that results directly from the exposed and
unu detected condition of our pubic leyee.
II ia enormous beyond calculation. The
damage can only be approximated by call
ing your attention to important staple artl-
cles of commerce.
Twenty-fOur hours exposure to the NOT
sun of spring or summer, permanently
damages, and, in some instances, actually
sOurs. the best brands OF flour. A single
hours exposure to showers SO damages ana
tliscolors the barrels and packages as to
render it an inferior and secOnd-rate article
in the market, and involves the shipper IN
a greater loss than any expected margins
of profit The loss in this article OF COM
merce alone is incalculable.
Bacon, hams, lard and butter suffer
equally from eXpOsurc-in many instances
where these articles are removed from the
leyee with the utmost possible expedition,
the loss by depreciation amounts to thou
sands Of dollars on "a single consignment.
The more fragile articles Of commerce
suffer in equal proportion. This charge en-
tails upon the commerce at this port "A bur-
den more serious than the national tariff,
and it is not unreasonable that merchants
and shippers in the Valley OF the Niissis-
sippi and the great West should seek other
routes to the ocean, where their experience;
guarantees that their commodities Will
reach their destination without becoming
absolutely ruined in the transit.
This defect in our public levees, and want
of proper protection and facility for safe
transhipment, has been apparent to this
business community for years, and various
devices, expensive to commerce, and In
effectual to accomplish the purpose, have
been resOrted to. and the only protection
now at hand and available is the tarpaulln,
which affords but slight protection against
storm, is not the slightest protection against
the heat Of the sun, and has nothing In par
ticl,lar to recommend it, excepting Its
primitive character, ineffectiveness and
antiquity, and has at all times afforded less
security to the merchandise it is invoked to
protect than it has to the encrOachmcnts OF
the thieves operating under the planking OF
the levee.
1t is the object Of the undersigned to fur
nish adequate protection to the commerce
of the city, by affOriling it ample and COM
plete shelter from the elements, and to af
ford reasonable security against the dep
relations of thieves, at a far less cost and
expense to commerce and the city, than
the present system so wholly inadequate.
In order to accomplish this purpose, we are
willing, without interfering i'll the slightest
with the full right Of the city, to impose and
collect all of its present wharf dues and
port charges, to assume the responsibility
and expense Of maintaining in perfect re-
pair, the wharf, levee, apron and wooden
structure in front of the city lying between
the upper line of Common street and the
lower line OF st. Joseph street, in the First
District, for the period of twenty five years.
subject to the following guarantees and
restrictions: We ask to be permitted and
guaranteed the right to enter upon all said
wharyes and lcvees, including as well the
wooden structure as all other portions OF
the public levee between said streets. in the
control of the city, with the right OF con,
structing and maintaining thereon suitable
tire-prOof sheds or structures. in no manner
interfering with any Of the public streets. or
any grants that the city may have hereto
fore made any corporation or individuals;
to hold the right of maintaining such sheds
for the period Of twenty-five years.
We guarantee that such sheds shall be
constructed of the best material, and while
they shall be of ample capacity to cover
and protect the levee and all merchandise
that may be landed or shipped, they shall
be constructed in such manner as not to
obstruct the free use Of the levee for the
purpose Of landing OF shipping goods. We
further consent to become responsible to all
whom it may concern, for the safety Of all
goods that may be landed or placed under
the sheds, guaranteeing both against dam
age by the elements and against theft. for
the period of forty-eight hours after the
goods are delivered under the sheds. In
return for the responsibility incurred for
the amount Of capital invested in erecting
the sheds, and in consideration of the ex-
pense in which we will become involved in
maintaining the levee and wharves for the
period Of twenty-five years, which must
amount to at least the sum of sixty thou
sand dollars per annun, and for the IN
creased facilities and security which we fur
nish to commerce, we ask to be exempted
from municipal taxation upon the value of
the improvements and the capital embarked
in the erection of the sheds and maintaining
the wharves.
We also ask reasonable guarantee
against any future inimical, prejudicial, or
discriminating municipal legislation; and
that we may be permitted to collect and
receive small charge upon articles of
merchandise sheltered and protected under
the sheds, which shall not exceed the rates
named in the schedule herewith presented,
which we believe will involve less expense
and afford better security than the present
rude system OF protection by tarpaulin.
We are willing that this grant shall be
made with the prOvisO that at the cxpira-
ton Of the period of twenty-five years the
city may elect to take the sheds at one-halt
of the appraised value thereof, or may ex-
tend the term Of the grant for fifteen years,
with the prOvisO that the sheds shall. at the
end of that period, become the absolute
property of the city, without compensation.
The undersigned. in petitioning your hon
orable body, respectfully represent, that
representing the commercial and shipping
interest of this community, they believe
that the interests of the city and of COM
MERGE will be enhanced by the grant they
ask for. The city will be relieved of the
charge of maintaining the most expensive
portion of its public wharves, without any
diminutiOn of its revenues; the interests of
commerce will be subserved by increased
and perfect facilities for the transhipment
of merchandise, and the transaction of bust
ness with guarantee against loss that can
only be obtained and secured by the guar
antee of private individuals. Merchandise
under the sheds being perfectly secure
from damage by the elements or denreda.