New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-01
NEw-o ORLEANS REPUBLICAN,, TUESDAY DECEMBER 1874

lie journals Of New Orleans give many
thanks for the kind. liberal and commenda.
tory terms in which they have 90 often refer.
red to me and to my official action. Their ap"
preciative comments and generous appro.
baton have greatly encouraged me, while
their suggestions as to city affairs have
given me equally valuable assistance.
Upon leaving the post to which the par.
| TALLY of my fellow-citizens has assigned
me, 1 wish to express to them my gratitude
for an honor which shall never under.
| value. In return for their favor and conf.
| dence have under mOst unfavOrable aus.
pieces served them faithfully and to the best
Of my ability, with a constant and eager
desire to protect and promote the true in.
! LOUIS A. WILT. Mayor.
The credentials of the Mayor and Admin.
;strators elect, who were all seated within
the bar, were presented and received.
/ Whereupon the Hon. L. A. Wilt. Mayor
incumbent. conducted his successor to the
| chair. and introduced him as the Mayor of
the city. with the remark that he congratu.
lated the community in having. as his sue
cessor. an honest man.
| All the members of the late Council. as
we'll as the Mayor. having vacated their
seats and severally conducted their success
sors thereto. the new Council was organized
and proceeded to business.
| Present-The Hon. Charles j. Leeds.
! Mayor. presiding: and Administrators Leon
Bertoli. Of the Department Of Waterworks
and Public Buildings; 2. L. Bouny. of the
| Department OF Assessments; James g..
| Brown, of the Department of Public Ac-
counts; E. A. Burke. of the Department Of
improvements: Joseph Octave Landry. Of
the Department Of Commerce: Denis
Mccarthy. Of the Department Of Police:
and Edward Vilsbury. Of the Department
of Finance.
The annexed message from tha Mayor
having been read was. on motion OF Mr..
Burke, received and ordered to DE spread
upon the minutes:
| Gentlemen Of the City Council:
Chosen by our fellow-citizens to admin
| lister the affairs of this city, we assume con-
| troll under circumstances Of the most en-
barrassins nature. This community. once
| so prosperous. has. by years OF misgovern'
| ment and oppression been brought to the
verge OF bankruptcy. Real estate is almost
| without marketable value. commerce is
| declining. manufacturing and other indus.
| trial interests are paraiyzed and all classes
! are sinking under the load OF public indebt-
| edness.
The interest on the public debt. and tie
| current expenses for the support of the gov.
| ernmen: are more than the people can pay.
| and taxation now amounts to actual con-
! fiscation of the property OF the citizens.
! Public expectation demands at our hands
| immediate relief, and the necessities Of the
| people require the reduction Of the public
| burden. Taxation must be brought down to
| the lowest possible rate to bring back our
| former prosperity and save the city from
I impending ruin. am aware that under
existing laws, which have in a great meas
| ure taken away from the Council the con-
troll Of affairs of the city, il will be difficult,
| il no: impossible, 60 bring about ouch
| a reduction of taxation az will give
the needed relief to the public. 1t
Will be our duty TO apply to the
! Legislature for the passage Of such laws as
| the nature of the case demands. The park
I tax should be abolished; the school tax
should be taken off. or the management of
! the public schools RENTED to the city, with
control over the expenditures: the police
| should be placed in charge OF the city gov.
eminent. and the printing. drainage and
court expenses should be regulated by the
Council. In fact, all laws compelling the
expenditure of money by the city without
the consent Of its officials should be re.
pealed.
Trusting tina. the Legislature which Is
coon to meet will give us the required relief,
l advise that, in the meantime. no unjust or
;nexpedient tax be levied upon oar consti'
tuents.
The interest on the public debt i. new so
heavy that tax sufficient to pay it and the
current expenses Of the city government
teven it reduced to the lowest possible
point, together with the present State tax.
can not be collected without ruin to the
citizens and the consequent destruction OF
the prosperity Of the city, as these taxes
will. in my opinion. exceed the amount OF
net revenue of the property taxed. II a
tax is laid which exceeds the revenue OF the
citizens portion Of their capital must be
taken to make up the deficiency. This will
diminish production and decrease the value
of property. Capital. always timid. will be
withdrawn to seek investment elsewhere,
and population will be driven away until
nothing is left to the impoverished property
owner and the public creditor bu, empty
stores and warehouses. and deserted dwell.
;ngs.
IL is evident that. having progressed far
on the road to ruin. it is equally the Interest
OF the citizen and the public creditor to
devise some equitable mode by which the
public burden may be lightened. ! most
earnestly commend this matter 20 your
careful attention.
While thus compelled by the necessities
Of our people to ask relief at the hands of
the public creditor, il becomes US to inaugu.
rate a system OF strict economy in every
department. Every unnecessary Office
should be abolished, salaries reduced 20 the
lowest point compatible with efficient seq.
vice. and all purchases made ut tha lowest
possible rates. With this view, l advise
the reorganization of all tho departments.
so as to bring down the expenditures. All
work net OF immediate necessity should be
discontinued entirely, or suspended until
the city is in a condition to pay for it. In
order. however, to make any material re.
duction in salaries. or cos: Of purchases for |
the city. a return to cash payments will be |
necessary. and our utmost exertions should
be Immediately directed to that end.
As regards the collection Of the back |
taxes, ! advise a wise discretion. While |
there may be many who are able to pay |
these taxes. yet there are by far greater !
number who have not done 80 from inabi!- |
ity. If taxation had been just and equita. |
bile. if it had been moderate levy. upon a
fair assessment. a prompt payment should |
be demanded a: all costs; but the tax. as is |
we'll known. is SO excessive as TO amount in |
many cases to absolute cOnfscation: and |
i. is therefore no more than just to extend |
such indulgence as the public interest Will
justify when inability to pay exists.
Assessments Of property should be made |
a: its actual cash value at the time of as |;
sessment. The measure Of value should be
what j: can be sold for. and not what 1t
NAV have cost. Care should be taken to |
a sse=a all property at the same relative !