New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-09
The following report was received and
ordered printed:
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AccOUyTs
New Orleans, August 8, 1872.

propose IOr the Department OF Accounts to
report to the Council herewith a list of all
persons in its employ, the work upon which
each is engaged, and the salary per month.
John CalhOm, chief clerk, mas special
charge Of settlements in bonds and fund
ing accounts, S4l6 6625.
N. G. Snethen, warrant clerk and signing
appropriation certificates, $3.50
John G. Devereaux, supervision of tax
bills and special Investigations $3.50.
Charles SheeHchen, bOOk-keeper, 5000.
y. II. Watkins, tax settlements, $3.50.
T. g. Uhlhern, delivering appropriation
certificates, $780,
d. +. Mitchell, levee.dues clerk and regis
trar of claims, $50.
J. OberIander, making out certificates
and pay rolls and signing tax bills, $50.
John Burke, examines warrants, bills,
etc, special clerk, $50.
L. +. Barrett, examines judgments,
ments, costs, ETC., special clerk, $t5O.
E. Luscy, examines and registers fund
ing claims, 500.
James Furneanx, assistant warrant clerk,
aid to Mr.. Snethen, 500.
J. M. Davidson, retiring certificates and
settlement of back tax accounts, 500
Henry A. ANTI, ordinance clerk, and
signing appropriation certificates, 500.
J. J. Aubertin, registry appropriation
certificates, and signing tax bills, 500.
Thomas Lynch, tax settlements, 500.
George Gordon, clerk and copyist, SIS.
James Dickson, porter and messenger,
Drainage-W. T. Mayer, chief clerk, 5000;
L. Laroque, assistant clerk, $50.
Registry of mortgages, under act No. 70
of IS72-F. B. Earhart, $3.50; j. D. Taylor,
$l25; +. z. Ames, $780,
The description Of the work, in which the
several officers are engaged, is by no means
full, as above written, and il does not show
adequately the multifarious labOrs Of the
department. The drainage, the tax bill
making and registering the appropriation
certificate business, and several other spe-
cialties were unknown to this Office under
previous forms of government.
The work of the three last named officers
is imperatively required by act No 70 Of
1872, but it will be temporary.
A careful examination of the list of Off
GERS of the department at large will, |
think, lead to the conclusion that the sala-
ries are not too high for the ability re-
quired, and which they possess. They have
suffer ed in common with all city employees
by the heavy discounts. A reduction of the
number would entail work at nights during
the summer season on the remaining clerks,
as has been in fact required in winter from
several when the force was fuller than the
above. 1t will not do to place persons of
inferior qualifications in charge of import
ant city accounts or settlements of any
kind. The best commentary on this list
is that the Office has had even the heaviest
work in readiness at the proper time, and
very few and unimpOrtant mistakes to &C
count for. But this department will cheer
fully conform to any measures of retrench-
ment that may be required by the opinion
or action of the Council, and, above all, by
the necessities of the city.
None of the foregoing appointments have
kuna oh Ivv% EnG %DAo
administration, nor any of the federal
authorities, nor have they been the reward
of services to any political party. | am
happy to assure the Mayor of this fact, in
answer to his suggestion of possible pOliti-
cal exigencies.
ALFRED SHAW, Administrator.
The Mayor said he had just received a
communication from the Administrator of
Assessments, which he would ask to have
read.
The following letter was read:
DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS
Hon. Benz. F. FlandersJ mayor:
SIR-Your call for a public meeting of
the Council, for the Ostensible object of dis
cussing the expenditures of the various de-
partments of the city government, more
especially with a view of reducing the paw
my approval. / believe that the Council
can much better scrutinize these expendi-
lures in committee of the whole, and adopt
such measures of retrenchment and econO-
my as may seem necessary and proper, to
which end you will always find me ready
to cooperate with you; while l am, on
the other hand, decidedly opposed to any
'buncOnbe," such as similar discussions |
brought forth heretofore.
H. BONZANO, Administrator
The Mayor suppOsescOmmittee of the |
whole means public meeting, and this
,heroom in which to hold it. 1 have never !
heard of Congress or any other deliber alive |
)OGy going into secret session when it re- |
olives itself into committee of the whole. |
n answer to the remarks OF the Admins |
rator Of POlice,I deny entirely the posi-.
ion he assumes, that no Administrator has
he right to question the pay rolls or actions
f any other Administrator. This Council
las two functions, one executive and one
legislative, and it is the business of every
administrator to have something to do with
he business of other Administrators The
reat mistakeIof. this Council, as l have twice
q my messages shown, is that it considers
self seven Councils instead of one. Every
in his Legislative capacity
J responsible for the acts Of every other
administrator l believe that no man
lould be employed by any head Of a de-
artment, except in case of emergency, and
len the fact should he reported at the
lrliest possible moment, unless his en-
loyment is first sanctiOnedsby the Council
have said this privately frequently, and
now think it necessary, in justice to my
IF, and to Administrators who have
fought with me on this matter, to state it
lblicly. The Mayor has vetoed ordi-
ances, and they have been passed
7er his veto, on the ground, l
oppose, that no Administrator wished
interfere with another Administrator
apartment, That has been the great fault
this Council. submit to the Council
lese weekly pay rolls. lit is my desire that
l laborers who are shown to have been at
ork should receive their pay at once, and
" portions of these pay rolls to which
ERE are no objections l will promulgate
thout delay. As far as have been able to
ok into the pay roll of. the Department of
'lice, l see no particular objection to it ex
pit that, perhaps, like other pay rolls, it
too large for the existing condition of the s
y. {
Mr.. Shaw said he did not care whether
e Council sat privately or publicly. He {
| not think there was any necessity for c
,recy at all, but he thought the Council g
ght to take up seriatim all the matters to