New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-20

|le16 81 as {: Z. M 81 81
.szl - -
- ssetion four .supon pay folls = y 70
pared ~ ~ Adnini6tsAtSt staeeets & =
there vas ! genszal ordnance psescribing
how nay rolls were to be made ont.
Nh. Hemlck accepted tho amendment.
Nh. Cockrem called for the yeas and nays
on the adoption Of the ordinance
Tho Mayor took the Aeor. and called Ad
ministrator Lewis to the chair.
Mr.. Walton said: was in hopes this ordi-
nance would have been called No in private
consultation. 1 want to amend that Sec
ton of it which provides that the whaffin-
gers shall be ex-oficio collectors OF levee
dues. The collection of the revenues OF the
city belongs to my department according to
when this Administration first came into
existence, made compromise with him,
and we agreed that the whArfngers should
act in the double capacity Of wbarfngers
and levee dues collectors. Not wishing to
interfere with that arrangement, and in
Difference to the superior administrative
abilities of General West, have let the
thing 60 ON, although have long been sats
isfied it was not q proper arrangement.
Now, when the Department Of Commerce
comes up for reorganization, must claim
my rights to have my collectors under my
own control.
Mr.. Shaw: This was usage entered
into last year. I think it has the ad-
vantage of saving extra appointments.
Mr.. BonzanO moved that the ordinance be
laid over.
Mr. Shaw: do not think it is necessary
that the ordinance should be laid over.
The object of this combination last year
was to save the appointment of double
set of officers. The Administrator Of
Finance now claims the right of appointing
the collectors himself, and ithe question
thus becomes pure question Of economy.
There certainly must be whar6ngers,
whether there are special collectors or not.
Now is a very fair opportunity, in my
opinion, of carrying into effect that policy
Of rctrenchment which all the members Of
the administration are 90 anxious to carry
out.
Mr Walton It seems to me the word
''retrenchment" is entirely out of place in
connection with this ordinance. claim
that the collection of the revenues of the
city is in MY department. Anybody who
knows anything about the duty Of u
| whariinger knows he cannot be wharf.
niger and collect revenues at the same time.
This ordinance provides for twelve wharf.
ingers. Under the old city government,
which was universally denounced as ex-
travagant, there were only six. 1t provides
for superintendents of whar6ngers, super:
intendents of fire department, inspectors
| of markets, and a number of officers en-.
tirely useless, a. l have demonstrated
The Administrator Of Commerce has been
some weeks examining into this subject
and he probably has come to the conclusion
that these officers are necessary. don't
pretend to set up my judgment against
that of the Council, but l do insist on my
right to appoint the collectors Of levee dues
Mr.. Remick: I expected opposition from
this quarter from the very fact that there
has always been opposition from that quar-
ter to the department over which 1 have the
honor to preside, if have correctly read
the journal of the proceedings Of the Coun
Gil. When was appointed Administrator
of Commerce my first object was to get al
office in which could have my headquaf
tiers. When q proposition was made to thu
City Attorney to vacate the room formerly
occupied by the Administrator of Com
merce, now occupied by him, he willingl!
acceded to my request, but a cry Of tex
travagance!' was at once raised-''it woult
cost q thousand dollars to effect tn
change" That change has been made; tn
City Attorney occupies elegant rooms VI
stairs, with which he is entirely satisfied
and the cost was something like hundret
and fifty dollars. As to the matter of OF
travagance in my organization, let me sa..
it is the same organization, so far as tn
wharfngers are concerned, as General Yves
had-no more and no less. I propos
to collect the wharfage dues in tn
same way with no more employees and n
less. If am correctly informed, l hav
statistics to show that the running unde
the new regime was some thousands q
dollars cheaper than under the old regime
on account of the per centage then allowed
some six or eight thousand dollars les
Not only has this new system been savin
, in the expense Of running the Office, but
has brought something like q hundre
thousand dollars more into the city treasur.
so that the argument is decidedly in fave
of running the wharves on the plan adopte
by the Administrator of improvements
! far as regards the Administrator Of Finant
claiming the collection Of levee dues, l 90
this, that under the charter have the ''s
perintendence" of all matters on the wharv'
and he has only the regulation" Of Their
If there is any extortion practiced the pa
ties will come to me because have Il
superintendent. The charter says Il
! A1,n;r;strato,. If FINANCE NAV rAgulata II