New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-06
FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE PUB-
Lie SCHOOLS.

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE PUB-
Lie SCHOOLS.
Repor, % the Committee Of Ways aad
Means.
The following report Of this committee
was prepared tor presentation at the meet
ING of the board last night, but was not
acted upon for want of a quorum:
To the Board Of Schoo. Directors foJ the city Of
New Orleans
Your committee on ways and means, in a
preliminary report, showed that it would
be necessary 10 call upon the Board of Ad-
ministra,ors Of the city of New Orleans TO
raise by taxation the sum of S350O00, in
addition to the distributive share of the
State two mill tax. and in exclusion of debts
OF the wears 1871 and 1872. The committee
having taken time 70 avail themselves of
further facts from official sources, respect
fully present the same to enable the board
to determine It's necessary action.
Il seems that owing to the provisions Of
section of the State revenue law the Coun-
Gil of the city are unable to make any levy
for the benefit of schools, their maximum
Of two and three quarters per cent having
been already exhausted for other purposes.
Further legislation will be necessary to
repair this defect of the law. The city tax
bills are already being made ont for other
purposes. and, unless this legislation be
COMPLETED early. it will be impossible to
collect the school tax with the other taxes
Separate bills vii! be necessary in any
event.
II is not without some difficulty and much
labor that your committee has been able to
obtain the necessary data to enable the
board to take comprehensive view Of the
situation. The debts OF the scloo! board
had first 10 be ascSrtalned.
TIE SCHOOL DEBT.
THE school debt of the city of New Or
leans consists mainly of outstanding certif-
Gates. Up 10 January l. 1873, the total
amount issued had been S534 $50 SD, of
which had been redeemed 1926, 093 10. leav-
ing outstanding S299, 4l3 II.
The redemption was by three processes
payment, funding in new consolidated
bonds, and receiving tor taxes.
The total school debts, as nearly as can
be ascertained. were, January !. 1873:
Outstanding certificates, as
above ,..o......... WV, s|j }"
Claims on pay rolls for which
certificates had not been given .I.SS2 p
Claims pending before the board S,4S2 80
Total debts. s329,8G 50
ASSETS.
The or'r assets of the school board arise
from the Ia of twenty-eight cents on the
hundred dollars, levied in 1872, so far as the
same is still uncolected. What has been
collected has gone iuto the payments or ge-
ceipts for taxes shown above.
The total tax OF 1872, as levied,
was. s3o' ,DS.' ~
OF which had been PAID January
], 1875 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2o5,19o 81
Leaving outstanding. .......$l23037 Sc
The outstanding 1929, OBJ Sc will be mostly
realized; BUTT will come, as is sometimes eX
pressed, by driblets. But whatever there
may be Of uncertain or bad assets are all in
that amount. II embraces much Of the
levy or personal property, which lacks the
certainty OF collection of assessments on
real estate So that the schools begin che
year 1873 with a clear deficiency OF some
S225, 600
REVENUE FOR 1873.
The school board will be. entitled 20 re-
ceive by appointments in March, June,
September and December its share OF the
two mill (StateJ tax, according TO sections
thirty-tOur and thirty tive of act No. &. eX-
ira session OF 1870.
This is the third year of the levy Of that
tag. and considerable amounts are still due
az back taxes. With what promptness
these back taxes as well as the current tax
(cf 1872 cOllectible in 1879 will be paid, is
OF course unknown; il is affected, Of course.
more or less by the situation of public affairs.
The probable amount of State schOU!
taxes outstanding. which may now be de
nominated back taxes, we are informed, ls
about 100000, of which something less
than third wUaid come to the city Il coz
lected
The State assessments are given as 500
j9i, HI. which We presume are the assess
ments upon which the tax due the present
year j. based. The result of this tax two
mills on the ST. would be SOL ,l8S 50, II
realized: but although the city is ASSESSED!
and pays more than half of this, it by 10
means draws from i. proportionaily The
acs OF 1870 distributes ii on the basis of
schooi-ahle children, and these are SET down
with what correctness we are nor auVisedl
us sou IN the city, against 2So, I9l IN Tue
STATE, or say thrtytwo per cent OF what It
pays more than hal, of; and the overpl1s
is drawn 20 either part. of the State with
much more prompness thsn 20 CORE
spending taxes are received. q
The bas. OF distribution allmoranto is by
no means established by the Prostitution,
and under its wording. i: is dohbtfu1 if it
is even permissible by the Legislature.
l. IS much more easy 20 compute the re-
suit of the local or supplementary tax pro
posed 10 be levied foT the city. The board
only asks one-Quarter of one per cent. less
ti.an half what has been levied heretofore
tor police purposes. The assessments Of the
city for 1873 are:
Real estate. .............. :iii.:3C $3.50!
Income. .,i3G, 6iS
Furniture 0fS 335
Horses and carriages. .......... ,U3t 100
Stock in vessels, etc. sol $50
Capital. ...... 1910 ,5i5
Total. observation-disclosures. 81 l&5, 50! so
This would yield. az the rate Of twenty.
five cents on The hundred dollars. $780,.
49, y. But due allowance should be
MAGE for e!roaeol!s assessments ana bad
collections
SXPENDI1UREs.
The expenditures have been estimated
for 1913 upon the basis of those hitherto in
cured. !. IS evident. however, that much
reform is needed: price. have been paid
and expenses incurred IN a kind of inverse
proportion TO the means at the command OF
the board and the!s Reliability; and this
has been the case with most kinds of eX.
pendlture. the salaries Of teachers excepted,
who have borne more than their tut share
OF the consequences of this state o. things.
RENTS.
We present me whole rent roll foi the
careful examination of the board. 1t Will
Ue readily seen that SOM. of the charges
are III proportion TO the value of certificates.
others eXtravagant even on That basis, and
others again quite reasonable and liberal Vn
the part of the lessons:
House on Burgundy street: rented Of Mrs.
X. W. Desrayau1: lease expired March 10.
1872: 5000 peg annum.
Clio lot. on Clio street: rented OF John
Hall: NJ formal lease: $500 per annum.
House on Howard street: rented o: ?. J.
+: Woods: lease expired October Is. 1868:
$50 per annum.
House on Gravier street: rented o. =.