New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-27
Communicated
A CARD
fROi ADMINISTRATOR TURNBULEs
ICommun,c

EpToR REPUBLICAN:
Dr.. King has seen fit to make 1reo use VI my
name in a speech which is reported III the neput~
ican of the twenty fifth instant and winch Nd
made on the private market bill. He had perfect
right, as member of the Legislature or as cite
zen to discuss my official acts; but contend thae
his private public capacity does not ehtiue MN
to speak ignorantly, rratonally or malclousiy g
any man.
informed DR.. King that had been called Oh DS
a committee of the House Of Representatives, ioe
my views on the subject; that had freely gwen
them as requested and handed him printed
copy. l also informed him that was not in anr
way interfering to promote the bill; had taken no
action in regard to it, and that it was only when
called upon to express my opinion that frankly
did so. He has thought it, however, of advantages
to che cause he advocates, to make nsinuatiens im
pugnrg my motives but in doing SO places himself
in the dilemma of admitting either that he does
NOT know what he is talking about or II he doesS
has chosen to be knowingly slanderOus.
He speaks of as if determined, coueefe1
and disposed Of the revenue derived by the
eitv from the NnarketA He says of mes sHD
desires to draw s 900 from Them and disc
tribute them from his Office He asks What 10
Mr., Turnbull going to do with this money! Nowe
he Knows or ought to know before he preaumeS
70 speak, that do not draws collect or Distribute
any Sity funds whatever, except my own saaryo
vhiclS alas is deplOrablS in arrears He knows
or ought to know, that the amount OF munlclpay
taxes of all kinds is fixed either by stringent actS
Of the very Legislature of which he is membes
and ONLY to a very limited extent left to the die
Ct q ion Ofahe Mayor and Council, not OF any Acc
minetrator. Nearly the whole income of the city
is hypothecated by acts o: the Legislature whiess
compel the Council to- provides and set apart cee
tain for express purposes under severe penas
TEES He kno Us. or oughttO know. that by law os
the State the public markets nust he ans arc
Narmet o,IS to the highest bidder. that the rens
thereof is collected by the Treasurer and appr"s
priatedprncipally by acts of the Legslat ure, and
only in a small proportion by the Cosncs for cure
rent public purposes Do King asserts that "in
1893 he Mr. Tu1nbulD bad $500 ,O0os' and wants to
Know il that is not enough Ito pay his (Mrs
Turnbuil's) employees" Evidently if Dr. King is
not grossly Ignorant ie is guilty OF . base inss
endN
Is tire oocfos Of any otfe, Of t:eir sffendss
wants TO know why the private market men are
nos made pay their license tax, he must inquire
of the Treasurer and city attorney not of me- bu$s
have doubt the answer will nlyGontirm n4
Opinio,zOf the ssils of HE savorite systenS
Oh She merits ofthesIueston between puT'Ye sln5
private markets, the Doctor displays an impOtence
Sf mind not reconcilabe with the title pretxed to
his nance WhatISor instance, can be more iHog'e
cal than everything he says about the amount Of
revenue raised from these markets, whether pute
lie or grivate7 Is il not plain that if the amount ID
not ra sed ia way is must be ehised in anotheIs
and thas if class of property or business is rec
lie.vsd from quantum Of taxes. isean only be b.
imposing il another ? n there is to be diminus
tion of Taxation, ought it not Go be general ants
not merely for the advantage of those who waIs
to keep private markets! Does not the oDOctos
isr ow that positive dimnution of taxation is
possible, unless the Legislature relieves the city
from .he requirements OF the laws above mere
tonede
EvidenNy, 'Hen sne question can be only g
policy and justice, not of amount of revenue; fec
the amount must be obtained somehow or others
until the Legislature chooses materially to dimrs
ish the great appropriations it has made of city
reyen0ss. SS shall permit the City Council TO de
SOC
IN ssie meantime the Doctor pretends to have d
great desire to remedy the mi5eries of the p1oIa
His nostrum is to promote private markets, and by
them to supplant as much possible the old syse
tenn OF pub ic markets. but he does not tell us how
his nOstrum will operate to that effect. Private
market men, all know (if the Doctor does not)s
do not sell their vegetables and meat cheaper than
the same things can be had at the pubic markets.
On the contrary, the general opinion ia that the
prices at the private markets higher and their
provisions inferior. How then, are the poor bene-
hted! The implied answer is that the poor
saved the time they would lose il going 10 n dis
tant pubic market; but he bill the Doctor opposes
provides expressly for this objection, by permit
ting private markets everywhere beyond twelve
squares from any public one; that the greatest
distance from any poor persons residence and .
marke'. either public or private would be only Elk
and in n ,.1in ry.rca ,jnoA
nearer. Thus the grounds advanced by the Docs
tor in the interest of the poor shown to b
mere pretexts; and the fair inference is that he 10
only pleading for the Srlvate interest of the pris
"aee market men.
iie would, it seems Il esire to favor this Interest
not only at the expense of the city revenue. bus
even to the extent of importing the millions %
capital invested at the cost of the people in erects
ing the markets, and the millions invested by ind.
viduals in building stores and other improvements
around the public markets; for certain it is thas
the two systems are ncompa tible aud can noe
stand together.
II private marke IS nre pern.ttes, they mus Sts
stroy the public ones for two reasons. Che fl st -
that Of unequal taxations FOR the private msrkecs
are ge9ursd 20 pay only for license 40 mattes
Row much business they may doe while those who
occupy stalls in che public markets pay sixty cent?
per diem per stall; and the second reason is thae
poor butchers and the like, whose small businesa
wii only admit of the occupancy of single star.
ana can not afford to establish private market.
VIII md themselves driven out of the trade by Q
prSyiieged set of competitors, who far frons
seeking the custom of the poor living away fro1s
the sentrtss establish themselves in pcpuous parts
OF ene city well provided with public markets.
trlvate markets are established Oh the way thas
leads 10 the public ones, mainly to inter ept TIC
custom OF lazy or bribed servants who have beeS
sent BY their employers to the public market,
where there is the greatest Garlety and cheapnes.
I!'is Z: appears that the many, both rich aps
poor ere materially i.ured by the system advo-
Gated BY Dr.. King; ard nobody benefited except
his PETS the private maiketmen, who are enjoying.
aSuasi monopoly or privilege by exemption fIoIa
equal taxation
Or Che sanitary question the learned Doctor =
equally unfortunate. He sets himself up as ent..
Tied 10 speak ex-professo; but is he Doctor Phys..
Gus or a Doctor Of Laws2 See his name in tho
directory as being a lawyer. IT he ia a physician
he must have been unsuccessful in that vocation
anu Is trying the Other SO presume his authors
lty W.. not supersede that of scientific men OF
great reputation, who teach that putrid meat is
unhealthy. and that the sale of it should bs pr,s
vented.
:'"r haa ne any knowledge of the means have q.
ydlsposal to check the abuses which exist in the
private markets. have no inspection of priy;te
Hlafhets' nor does the law permit me more tina.
any othtr ltlzen to arragn and punish their mise
1eeos' nor am authorized to incur the great exc
pooSe tne DOCTOR suggests, of employing the largo
"u4iiooi vi inspectors which wOid be necessary to-
watch three hundred private markets, scattered
OK m q and