New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-12

City Council for secretary and assistant
secretary. $3.50. Expenses, 500 30. City
Hall building, janitor and porters, S2240.
City Finances.
From the Department OF Public Ac-
counts, Hon. j. Calhoun, Administrator, /
have received a statement OF appropriations
made for the first six months OF the current
wear, extending TO ordinance No. 269O,
adopted July %, 1874. There are some ex-
penditures not provided for by ordinance
at that time. These are not considerable
ia amount. The statement, therefore, rep
resents approximately the city's expenses
for the half year.
The appropriations by ordinan ces amount
to 81 ,04l .922, leaving unexpended balances
of budget appropriations S1oo,ooo.
The appropriations were principally for
the following objects: For the support OF
the aged, infirm and INDECENT, and for the
removal of the sick and dead, $295l; con-
tingent expenses, Sil ,238; criminal courts,
salaries Superior Court, stationery, etc,
clerks fees, sheriffs fees, district attorneys
fees, Jury commissioners, fees OF clerk OF
First District Court, S3l, o3o; drainage ma
terials and draining machines, S3l ,4SS; fire
department, SSl, 1000; House OF Refuge,
$l0,297; Insane Asylum, $72i5; inGuests
sl2,9lO: lighting with gas, $l0l, 12l, and
with Oil, $l6,074: law charges, sol, S66; Office
expenses, Sl4,576; printing promul CATION of
ordinances. reports, etc, S576l; parish
prison, S26,Ol7; sinks and squares, $27Gl;
repairs of courthouses, S905l; OF market
houses Sl572; of schoolhouses $5266; of
public buildings, $685.; cemeteries $40; City
Hall, S265; salaries bureau OF streets, S20,-
sos; OF drainage, 500; OF wharves and
landings, $500; Surveyor and en-
plovees, $3.50 water works, Office and
proper, $i4.33o; keepers OF courthouses.
squares and pounds, $500; judges, ETC., of
municipal courts, $2l,S3 Workhouse.
$3.50: House of Refuge, S276O; Insane Asy
lum $3.50: CITY physicians and sanitary in
spectors, S57t3: City Attorney and Ell ployes,
$3.50; Mayor and Administrators. s4,750;
in Mayors office, $3.50; City Hall building,
$20i0; City Council, $3.50; librarian. $500;
Department of Finance Sl44lC, of Public
Accounts sl0,585. Of Commerce $l2,9lO, of
Waterworks and Public Buildings S22S6. of
Police 5000. of Assessments Sl6,A31, of lM-
proyemeuts $1,000: keeper OF archives, S900:
mortgage registers, S34S3. Total salaries,
$2i0,503. Streets, materials, etc, SIG, lO7;
support of orphans, Sic, s33; making tax bills
of 1874, $600o; smallpox patients. s6242;
wages for work on streets sl41 ,oSo; on
draining machines Sll,4Jj, on drainage
$50, 200, on wharves and landings S62 AGO, on
Waterworks sS267 III Surveyors department
S24 $50. Total wag es, $303,S92. For Water
works, machinery, etc, Sl2,432, and for ex-
tension SIS 202; materials for wharves and
landings, $ll ,72l; towing nuisance boats,
Sl672; Workhouse, $4039; conveying pris-
ouers, $722; recording deaths, S5Sr; reim-
bursement of taxes, $574 Total appropria-
tons for six months, as above, l,O4l, g22.
In some items the appropriations tor the
first six months of 1874 have exceeded the
budget appropriations or estimated limit
for the entire year. In most cases this
raop1+aa f,up, u.ramOunt reraSSitv aa will
be seen upon inspection OF the items, which
were as follows: Stationery for criminal
courts cost $l2l7 Is, exceeding the budget
by S2I7 Is. This resulted from the estab-
lishment of the Superior Criminal Court.
On draining there was expended Sl9.9H sc;
excess over budget S2947 Sc. This resulted
from the overtiowing levees and the vast
quantity OF the rain fall il March, April
and May.
Law charges called for 1850 Sc. ex-
ceeding the budget by $3l,e6G Sc. Of the
expenditures under this head more than
$4,000 was for costs and fees in suits for
the collection OF taxes of 1878 and previous
years. The amount includes also large
fees for legal services under old contracts
The budget allowance to tax bill makers
was exceeded by SIG so, part of the result
of necessary alterations of bills in conse-
uuence of a reduction Of rate OF tax IN rev
levy.
The budget allowance for repairs of court
houses was $500; actual repairs cost
s9O5l Is; excess $65l9 10. This re-
suited from repairs to the citvs build
ing at the corner OF Cont and Loyal
streets, which was fitted up, for the
Superior Criminal Court created By act of
the General Assembly, passed after the
budget was made.
Repairs of schoolhouses have cost S22G c.
more than the budget appropriation Of
$1,000.
Repairs to public buildings have cost
S2255 67 in excess Of the $4,000 allowed by
the budget. The report OF the Administra-
tor of Waterworks and Public Buildings
fully accounts for this.
Salaries TO keepers of public squares have
amounted to $lG0 80 in excess OF the budget
appropriation OF $4,000.
Materials etc, for streets cost sl9,907 II
more than the budget allowance OF $4,000.
This increase resulted from the threatened
overflow, the heavy rains and the necessity
of buying on credit.
The wages paid for work on wharves
and landings, Department of Improve
1nents. cost an excess of $l3, $40 50 over the
$4,000 allowed by the budget. while the
materials etc, for the same cost sl72l more
than the budgets $4,000.
These excuses amount to S7S,33l g..
The larger part of this was caused by the
unprecedented high water OF the river
threatening the city with an inundatlon
which would have resulted in the loss OF
property to the extent of many millions Of
dollars, immense damage to health and
business and much unavoidable loss of
life. Large numbers OF laborers were EN-
ployed night and day IN spite of unceaslng
torrents Of rain, necessarily at high wages
Materials, bought at high prices because on
credit, had TO be procured at any cost
There was no alternative. To have neg
lected the defense of the city against the
impending danger would have been Grim
inal. What this defense cost in money,
labor and ceaseless vigilance will more fully
appear from the report which Surveyor
Bell has furnished at my request, as follows:
SURVEYORS OFFICE,
August T. 1874.
Hon. Louis A. Witt, Mayor.
In accordance with your request |
have the honor to submit the follow
ing report of the operations of bureaus
under my direction during the months OF
April and May, 1874.
From reports of the rise in the upper
rivers during the month of March, 1874,
felt convinced that there would be an I'M
usual rise of the river in front of this city,
and, consequently, ABOUT the tWenty-louEtu
of March, detailed a majority of the force
in the Bureau of Drainage to assist that Of
the Bureau Of Wharves and Landings. A
great portion of the river front (being
eleven and one-half miles to upper limit,
and one and one-half mile above upper
limit to Camp Parapet) was raised and
strengthened. During the day of April 6
the water had risen to point six inches
below that of 1871, and all intelligence from
above warning us that 1t would rise above
opv nravinus hirb 1ro+o, IT, ,neot the