New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-19

The expenses for the city police tor lSo|
were S5.7 O9l 10.
Thus it viii be seen that with a force OF
five hundred men the expense of the city
police for 1867 amounted to Sl,l54 Is per
man, while the cost of the Metropolitan
Police in the city of New Orleans for the
year 1920 amounted to $725.357 %, or
$l,l49 "a per man for the six hundred and
thirty-one men employed. The Metropoi-
tan Police has, therefore. cost 81 81 per
man less than the city police for the year
above stated.
The city police were paid at the rate OF
. $3.50 per annum to patrolmen. and in that
ratio to their officers, while by the Metro
pOlitan Police act patrolman receives
$1,000 per wear. Had the city police been
paid the same salaries as the present depart
,nent the cost Of the Metropolitan Police
would be S44 81 les per man per annum
than the city force.
1t will be seen, therefore that the expen
ses under the old system were niue h higher
than those of the present metropolitan
Police and proves that the police, as il Is
now administered. is far more economical
than it has been or could be by any admin
istration who can not devote their entire at
tentlon to the subject.
The board is prompted to make these
statements. as the Mayor and Administrator
of Public Accounts, IN their late reports to
the City Council, have endeavored to show
that the expenditures OF tine Metropolitan
Police are out of all reason, and that the
city is unable to pay their current expenses
ON that account, and the Administrator OF
Public Accounts recommends an addltiona.
tax OF one per cent as necessary II some
means of curtalment can not be found
Nothing is more uni ust than this assertion
of the city officials just referred to. who. TO
cover their own extravaganza, attempt to
throw discredit upon The metropolitan
Police.
The city is authorized and has levied for
the year Just past a fax OF three-Quarters
Of one per cent for the payment OF the
METROPOLITAN Police. This taxed is collected
and turned over to the State Treasurer. and
should constitute an independent fund to
be used for no other purpose than that tor
which it is intended by law.
The assessed value of real and personal
property in the city of New Orleans ac-
Cording to the last assessment is Sl3S,OOO,-
900. Three-4uarters Of one per cent of this
amount equals 81 ,035, 900. while the actual
expenses OF the Metropolitan Police for the
same wear is $725. 357 30 leaving a surplus
of $309.6;2 u to the credit of the Metropol-
itan Police account and enabling the city to
reduce the police tax for the next ensuing
year. provided that surplus is not used TOR
any other purpose. Thus far. however, the
city has rendered no account of this three
quarters of one per cent tax collected.
Section twenty seven OF the metropolitan
Police act empowers the different councils
and police .jures of the cities and parishes
comprising the Metropolitan Police district
annually to cause to be levied and collected
by tax upon the real and personal property
subject to taxation according to law, the
sum annually apportioncd By the board as
the total expenses Of the metropolitan Po-
lice.
Section twenty-cight says that the State
Treasurer shall receive the sums estimated
%xN$ al
ishes Of the Metropolitan Police District
from or through the treasurers of said cities
or parishes respectively.
1t will be seen that the municipal govern
ments within the Metropolitan Police Dis
trict are merely agents whose duty it is to
levy and collect the tax necessary for the
support of the police, and this tax based
upon the estimate of the board, has nothing
in common with the receipt, and disburse-
mcnts OF the corporations aS necessary TO
carry on their own government ana can not
therefore increase the expenses OF the city
of New Orleans, nor render an additional
tax of one per cent necessary.
In the year 1867, the city OF New Orleans
paid the sum Of $5T 09l IS for the support
Of her police. This was paid out OF her
usual revenues, without having the power
and without finding it necessary to levy any
additional tax. The expenses Of the police
being now paid by special tax. the reve-
HUGS Vi lilc cltS VI INtN ol.thAi aiS Ah
creased by the amount formerly paid to her
police. Thus the metropolitan Police does
not take one cent from the amounts usually
collected for the maintenance Of the city
government.
The conclusion is evident that the reye-
nues of the city OF New Orleans increased
by over half a million dollars formerly paid
to the city police, should be ample and sutfi-
Gent to carry on the city government, and
that the extravaganza of the present ad-
ministration must be enormous when they
discover the necessity FOR an additional tax
Of one per cent to meet the current expenses
of their government.
Section twenty-five of the Metropolitan
Police act says that the estimate and appOr-
tionment made by the board shall be sub
mittcd to the may ors of the cities and police
iures of the parishes within the MetropOli-
tan Police district, to consider the same,
and if the said mayors or police jurcs shall
object IN writing to such estimate and ap-
portionrlcnt, or to any portion thereof, and
40 notify, and cause o be notified, the said
Board of Commissioners, it shall be the
duty of the latter to carefully revise the
same and consider the said objections, ETC.,
which goes further to show that the mayors
and police juries arc merely agents and
Guardians of the interest Of the people to
sae that no excessive or unnecessary ex'
--... - II ho incurrA6.