New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-23
have been diminished to the amount of ;
little moro than II IN 00O

have been diminished to the amount of
little more than S150,O0O.
2. That many Of the private markets a
} heretofore conducted are public nuisances
3. That the system of licensing privat
markets operates to the prejudice of thos
who from motives of convenience or other
wise, prefer to rent stalls in the public
markets
| There are other objections urged, bu
they are all related, in one way or an
other, to the three subjects above pre-
sented. and in treating the subject Mr.
Turnbull apparently loses sight CT some
of the cardinal principles which are sup
posed to regulate the body polite. 1t is
not proper, neither is it intended that the
city should depend upon the markets fol
a source of revenue. They are established,
regulated and controlled, or at least
should be, for the sole convenience Of the
public. The rental derived from the
stalls should be no greater than is abso-
lutely necessary to reimburse the city for
the expense Of erecting maintaining and
keeping up the same. To some extent
! the corporation becomes landlord when
1t furnishes for hire buildings, warerooms,
stalls, ETC., for the sale of merchandise.
AS such it may be permitted to compete
with other property holders, but it can
not enforce right of monopoly. If the
corporation, with the control of the money
of the public, can no! afford better facili-
ties for the sale of market articles than
private gentlemen who have to buy real
estate, erect buildings and pay heavy
tax to their chief competitor, or can not
maintain itself, it had better retire from
business altogether. 1t is not proper that
the markets, the wharves. or any other
continuance that may be essential to the
business OF the city, shall be converted into
money-making concerns. The public mar
kets are both necessary and convenient,
but private markets are no less so. And
it is wrong in principle for the city to dis
criminate in the matter of licenses in
favor of its own tenants and against those
Of private parties.
But the objection is urged that in pri-
vate markets are sold much poorer quail
ity of articles of food than are found in
the public markets. To our own knowl-
edge, this statement can not be substan-
tiated, and it would not affect the princi.
pie if it could. If John Brown sells stint.
ing meat in a psivate market, that is no
reason why Joseph Jones should be pro-
hibited from selling sound meat in the
same manner. Probably there is as much
unwholesome food sold in the public mar
kets, in proportion to the amount respec-
lively offered, as in the private ones. We
know this to be the case. The city's ten
ants are no more honest than those of
other folks. All are equally under con-
troll Of the sanitary laws, and the rules
established by the Board of Health. A
nuisance in Que place may be as readily
abated as in another.
For years before the passage of the law
of 1866 it was a serious offense for a citi.
zen living in the country to offer anything
for sale in the streets or at the doors of
the people. The man in charge of drove
of turkeys, dozen chickens or basket
of eggs was treated as ruthlessly as though
he were a public enemy. The result was
that all sorts of things were forced to
pass through the public markets, where
the producers were first cheated
by being compelled to accept half price
for their products, and consumers after
ward swindled by being forced to pay
double. In those good old dark days be-
fore the Republicans regulated things,
there were fortunes to be made by secur-
ing the lease of even one market. It did
not make much difference what one, nor
what was the price agreed upon. Two Or
three hundred per cent was wrung out of
the consumers, and the revenues were
spent by our municipal officials with
lordly iberality. We do not want to see
a return to such practices, and we do not
care whether Mr. Turnbull is mistaken, or
is after handsome revenue for the city |
from the markets. We regard the com
petition afforded by the present system
worth more than half million year to
the city, and We believe it does not di- |
minish the revenue penny. Not that it |
would make any difference if it did, for we
do not wish the city to make any profit in |
such a manner.
Every man is obliged by law to conform
to the rules established for the mainte.
nance of the puplic health. and Mr.. Turn. !
bull is mistaken when he says that the
retailers in private markets are exempt.
1t is true that he as Administrator may
not have any control over any except his
own lessees. But he should remember
that there is a higher power over them all.
himself included, and that he does not
represent the paramo cunt authority of the
city in the premises. We are among
hose who do not consider it advisable
hat he should. for he shows disposition
20 crowd out all who do not rent stalls Iii.
,ectly from his lessees.
Is IT AN ERROR OR A tOB7
We assume that every one who lives on
he banks Of the Mississippi river desires
is improvement, but there is an incident
n the mamnrial of 81 Louis 70 ,uh ;ch |