New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-29

Wedne sday, January ~. 1873.
The Council met this day at u NJ. IN
special session.
Presentation. Louis A. Witt, Mayor,
presiding, and Administrators Brewster,
Calhoun. Fitzenreiter, Lewis, Schneider
and Sturcken.
The Mayor explained that the Council
had been convened to act upon memorial
to the Legislature, adopted in committee OF
the whole, which memorial was reported as
follows: "a.
To tho Honorable Committee of the House of Rep.
reseptatives appointed to confer with the
Mayor and Administrators of New Orleans Oh
City Affairs:
The Mayor and Administrators have the
honor to lay before you their views Oh the
affairs of the city.
Its financial condition becomes worse
every wear Remedies are constantly sug-
gested through the press and otherwise,
but few or none OF them touch the root OF
the evil To repudiate the city debt, or
part of it, to suspend for certain period
the payment of any portion o1 II ana OF inc
interest thereon, to stop all public WORK, TO
nut the existing corporation In liquidation
and create a new one, to alter the city char
ter. each has its advocates, regardless of
the legal difficulties and the violation OF
faith which stand IN the way OF most OF the
proposed plans.
The cry for a reduction of taxation is
heard on every side, and is as reasonable as
it is universal. The present State tax on
real and personal properly is two and iii
teen -hundredths per cent, the city tax I'm.
Gliding public schools) three per cent; total
five and fifteen -hundreth per cent, and this
in addition to certain heavy and grlevous
exactions, both by State and city, known as
license taxes In prosperous community
this would Justly be deemed an lntolerable
burden: in ours it is almost equivalent to
confiscation. And it is not too much to say
that il has been one of the chief causes OF
the unexampled depression OF business and
depreciation of property. 1t is impossible
that this should continue. lmpOsltiens be-
yond the ability of the people to pay, II
persisted in, must result i'll the insolvency
of many of the taxpayers. This condition
has been SO nearly reached as to attract the
earnest attention of the aw-making power,
and it is earnestly hoped that the public
distress may be relieved by wise and bene-
ficent legislation.
To comprehend the financial situation Of
the city it will be necessary to exhibit, first
those classes of expenditures which are
fixed by law, and which can not be dimln-
ished without legislative sanction; secondly.
those over which the City Council have
certain, though not complete control.
EXPENDITURES WHICH ARE FIXED BY LAW. |
The bonded and certified debt of the city |
was. on the thirty-trst December, 1873, |
SD 800 965 10 By act No - of the Legis- |
lature of 1872, and other acts the Council
is required to levy annually tax sufficient !
to reduce, each year, the principal of the
bonded debt from two to ten per cent, the
rate of reduction varying according to the
time the bonds have to run; and also to pay
the interest on all bonds ana other interest
bearing obligations.
For the reduction of the principal
there will be required. ......... S6:,S1b
This does not include wharf
bonds, which are payable ont Of
MARRIAGES; nor drainage bonds.
which are payable out of the
drainage tax.
Interest payable IN lo'l on the
bonded debt. Observation-Disclosures. !.3'o.b.9
This does not include interest
on wharf bonds, payable out az
MARRIAGES.
$2.04S.52
Metropolitan Police. for 1874. go. 100000
Public schools, 1871. 4oo,0O0
Park tax. ......-... ............. Ap"'of1 !
Criminal Justices
Costs and fees of crlml.
nal sheriff, including
the maintenance of
prisoners, 1874. .Sl0!,llS
Gees of clerk of Criminal
Court, 1874. ......... 2i.o3I
Paw of grand and petty
iuries, 1874. 45,9Oo
Rent OF Criminal Court, 900,
1874. ...... .....-...' '',oo'
District attorneys fees
for conviction of Grim.
,..li
Municipal police courts. ,
lSI 4............ fS.uVV
Coroner's fees for ln'
quests, views and bu.
rails. ......... .o,il~
Paw of coroner's juries lblo- dbl
!. xpenses OF Board of Health.... lo.OO'
expenses of Insane Asylum. "l,0oO
Total. .................... ,ol3,SH
The foregoing exhibit of expenditure, for
yhich the Council is compelled by legsla-
i've enactment to provide by taxation, shows
hat a levy of a fraction under 2.U per |
ent on the total valuation OF all real ami
ersonal property within the city (Sl5o,-
IL 1851 is required to meet it, leaving, out
f the three per cent levied, but 23loo, or
ass than one-fourth OF one per cent to
pply to other disbursements, many OF
,hich are OF such character that IL Is I'M
ossible to reduce them, as will presently
ppear:
OTHER THAN THOSE FINED
BY LAW.
treets $780,. <oA'''"' | ,
,rainage, other than canals ana
leyees made by the Mississippi
and Mexican Gulf Ship Canal
Company, under act No. 80 OF ian coo
1871 ............... |
,harves and landings. o~'1io