New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-23


IT, - ~ - "
h&ads q fnd1 dent, irresponsible and
| ostsn ant enlle bceiss, $50 # wkom
have almost unlimited power to expand
money, without H. trouble o. responsibility
of raiaing it, snd, consequently, DO mot ade-
quatsly feel tho necessity u ssonomy. Tho
control of tho police, tho management Of
the public schools, the care Of tho public
health, thesdrainags Of the city, the public
printing, and the rate of fees to be paid
coroners, sherits and prosecuting officers
have been placed by Legislative enactment
beyond the reach Of the city government.
Considerations Of retrenchment and efh-
ciency require that these branches of tho
city government should be restored to the
city. at least 60 far a. to enable it to control
their cost.
WHAT THD COUNCIL SHOULD DO.
In the meantime the Council has duty
to perform, and recommends:
l. A reduction Of salaries to tho extent
Of two hundred thousand dollars, which l
believe can be made, without impairing the
efficiency of the city government, by dis
pensing with unnecessary officers. No one
should be appointed or employed solely on
account of personal friendship or party in
terests or for charity, unless he is competent
and worthy. in which case those motives
may properly govern; but in every instance
strict and faithful discharge of his duties
should DO exscted from him. The sworn
public officer having public duties and trusts
committed to him who enriches his personal
or party friends or himself, by indirection,
out Of the pockets of the public is, guilty Of
perjury and theft by whatever speeious
name he may sugar scat the fraud.
9. Every expenditure should be brought,
as far as practicable, under the immediate
scrutiny Of tho Council. The Admiuistra-
tors being paid TO devote their whole time
to the public service should meet daily, or
as often a. necessary, and no person should
he employed or materials purchased by sny
upon by the Council in committee of the
whole; and all materials and supplies ex-
ceeding five hundred dollars in value should
be advertised, and the contract awarded to
the lowest bidder.
3. Abolish the reduplcation of book
keeping in the several departments, except
such memoranda - are needed to enable
Administrators to keep the run of the bust
ness of their departments, and leave the
care of the city's accounts to the Admins
traitors of Public Accounts and Finance, to
whom it properly belongs. Under tho
present system We have seven separate
councils instead of one, and eight executive
officers, nearly every Administrator keep
ing a set Of books. These should be dis
pensed with.
WHAT THE LBdIsLATURE SHOULD DO.
Having thus retrenehed down to the mar
rowest limit Of indispensable outlay all ex-
penses within our control, and having es-
tablished a vigorous administration Of city
affairs, the Council will be in a position to
ask the Legislature to make such modifica.
tons of existing laws as will enable it to
effect further eurtailment of unnecessary
expenses, and to grant authority to levy
taxes or issue bonds to the extent required
to place the city in sound financial con-
ditlon.
The police, as l have repeatedly urged,
should be restored to the control of the CITY
government, which has the duty of levying
q f1,o faw 70
lug that the force now employed would be
permissible in city out of debt and at ease
financially, it is clear that in q city placed
under the imperative necessity of retrench-
ing in every department, the City Council
is best qualified to determine what retrench-
ment each should bear. l have investi-
gated the matter, and think the personnel of
the present force is generally good, and that
the officers, as . rule, are faithful, compe-
tent and alert-much more so than might |
be expected, considering the fact that they
receive and hold Their places under two
distinct and often inconsistent obligations
one to party and the other to the public |
with whose money they are paid-and that |
the latter obligation is generally made sub
ordinate to the former. But the force NAV |
be reduced, and many expenditures of |
minor necessity could be Topped off, and the
annual cost curtailed to the extent of $780,
600. without endangering the public safety.
The printing law, which compels the city
to employ designated establishment for
It's printing, and to pay higher price for
the work than that for which others would
10 it, entails an unnecessary expense of
many thousand dollars year on the city.
Sixty cents a day is allowed by law to the
Sheriff for feeding prisoners, and the city is
compelled to pay that charge for the prison
RS incarcerated in the Parish Prison. while
he inmates of the Workhouse, which is
lnder the city's control. cost only fifteen
'ents day. The city this year, under COM
'ulsion of law, will pay the Sheriff over
$4,000 for board of prisoners, fully $4,000
90 much. 1 repeat the views expressed
asst year, that either the fee for boarding
prisoners should be reduced, or the city
hould be authorized to undertake their
itself, and to employ them
Turing their incarceration at some labor
which will repay at least in part their cost
o the community.
The park tax, which absor5s one hundred
nd sixty thousand dollars year of the
axpayers' money; is not justified by public
necessity or public sentiment. When the
ity REQUIRES another mark and ia able tn |