New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-29
AVID PRorRcTToN LEvEEs.

drainage and protection levees required
by law to be done. And no~twithstarid-
ing the length of time that had been
given members of the Council to inform
themselves upon this vital subject, when
the time came for voting to sustain the
resolution against the Mayors veto, 1T was
quite apparent that enough of the mem
bers were still in the dark to prevent the
passage of the resolution by two-thirds
vote. This isto be regretted, inasmuch
as it delays the work and makes the
| Council revoke its former action. made
in accordance with law and pzashc ne
c~essity, To this extent MAJOR Flanders
may feel fattered. The resolution failed
to pass over his veto simply because gen.
tlemen of the Council had not sufficiently
informed themselves to be able to sus-
tain the action of the Council had at a
previous meeting upon q subject that
has been thoroughly discussed.
1T appears that three of the four Admin
istrators, who changed their votes in defer
enee TO the views of the Mayor, were
ready to vote TO sustain the resolution
over his veto if they could have the pro-
lection leyee along the margin OF the lake
located according to their notions upon
the subject. But because they were In
doubt about this, they voted to undo what
they had previously done; and in this way
Mayor Flanders veto was sustained,
further delaying a work that he and MIR.
Walton, the Administrator of Finance,
have both been constrained to admit the
public interest requires to be done Ii
the Mayors conduct in this matter
could result in any good to the
city-or if there was any prospect OF
good to result from this course
could be excused on the ground OF
good intentions. But there is not the
slightest prospect of good resulting from
his opposition to a work the law COM
mands him to do-a work that is not OPP
tional with him. The price wen of the
work is fixed by the law he is commanded
and expected to enforce. The very oppo-
sition that he has made to an efficient
system of drainage and protection @leyees,
authorized to be done by act No. 80 of
the Legislature of 1871, entails useless
expense upon the city, and this, too,
while he processes to be in favor of the
work. If the Mayor is silly enough to
suppose that an efficient system of drain
age and protection levees can be had in
this city at the cost of one or two
hundred Thousand dollars, he is much
weaker than we ever supposed he was. 1t
is a work that will likely cost millions be-
fore it is completed. But it will be worth
many more millions to the city when it is
done. The lands in the rear of the city
that are now pernicious swamps, and al
most valueless, may be made valuable by
drainage. The increased value of these
lands alone, it is believed, would be far
beyond the cost of the work the Legisla-
ture has ordered to be done. But this is
nothing, compared with the increase of
trade and population hat will assuredly
come to this city when it is once under
stood that n of the causes of fatal
epidemics has been removed. Let
Mayor Flanders ponder well upon these
facts, and we feel assured he will become
ashamed of his penny-wise and pound
foolish opposition to a great work Of pub
lie improvement that has long been needed
here, and would have been had but for the
niggardly policy of property holders-the
very men who are to be most benefited by
such works. New Orleans has too long
been cursed with men devoid of all public
spirit, who have proved deadly incubus
upon her growth and prosperity. Instead
of keeping pace with New York, Philadel-
phia, and other cities founded in the early
settlement of the country, she has been out
stripped by far younger cities, by Chicago,
st. Louis, San Francisco and Brooklyn;
cities hat have sprung up within the last
fifty years, and, through the progressive
spirit of their leading men, have shot
ahead of much older cities, that have
been kept down by an old fogy and I'M
progressive spirit. Let our Administra-
tors, property holders and business men
remember these things and our city profit
by the knowledge.
After the vote upon the Mayors veto
had been taken, Mr.. Bonzano offered the
following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolred, That the drainage committee
prepare a plan for the construction of a
protection levee on or near the lake shore,
which, after being approved by the Council,
shall be the guido Tor the contractor and
surveyor, under the direction of the Admin
~istrator of improvements, in the execution
of the work.
The drainage committee is composed,
we believe, of Mayor Flanders, Admins
traitor Walton and Administrator Cockrem.
Upon them devolves the work of prepar-
ing an efficient plan for the construction
of a protection levee on or near the lake
shore, which may be regarded as the
commencement of an efficient system Of
drainage and protection against inunda-
tons. The conduct of Mayer Flanders
has resulted in bringing the responsibility
- 4.