New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-13
Communicated.
Seven Incompetent Men Gus Of Eight.
New ORLEANS. December ii. 1874.

NEW ORLEANS, Dccem Der H. 1871
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
1t is the duty Of every citizen to pay BIZ
taxes promptly, if he has the means to d.
| so. But at the present time large number
of citizens are delinquent taxpayers from
necessity and not from choice; years of dis
aster have reduced the wealthy and all but
ruined the working classes. Thousands OF
the latter class are property owners. own
ing only tue little houses they occupy. Iole
utterly impossible for them to pay the taxes
on their little hOmestesds tor months ia
come-they must get time. Tho Mayor is
evidently the most competent man that has
filled the office since she days oS A. ID
Gresham. The indecent haste of the Adj
mlnistraJors in resorting to harsh measures
tor the collection of taxes, their over eager.
ness 70 handle the stamps, has shown the
people what they really are-seven incom.
potent men, not one of whom !s tit to be a
public official. The city affairs can he put
in good working order, all the departments
run efficiently ye. economically without
working the ruin of a single individual. To
do this would require officials with some
executive ability, which the present AL.
ministrators have not got. They did not
suggest single thing about raising u rev.
enue from sources yet open. No!
They at once fell into the tsranuicai.
blockhead plan Of running the city by
ruioing the citizens. yhis plan will not
work. The people are not in . mood to be
taxed out Of house and home by seven
greedy men; We will hot permit the homes
toiers to be- ruined because. ior no fault of
their own, they can not pay taxes fast
enough to suit the convenience Of q tew
officials. 1t is not only imprudent, but i'm.
possible to force a collection Of taxes sc
present, for the man who would buy prop
erty at sherlf's sale would not have =
lease OF IL whole skin fOrtwenty- four hours.
The Administrators aeem to have forgotten
that resistance to tyrants is obedience to
God" The people are Willing to pay their
taxes. and are paying them as fast az cir'
cumstances permit; but they ale not willing
to pay Mr.. Miller or the sheriff the outrage.
Ous costs exacted hr those officials. This
plan of giving one or two Individuals q ia:
thing at the expense Of the city and :ts
taxpayers is hateful to the people. While
it continues taxes will be paid slowly. The
late Councils contract with Mr.. Miller
ought to be annulled forthwith, and all tax
bills Withdrawn from the courts and sheriff's
Office; then the Administrator OF Finance
should be empowered to receive the 3ace
amount Of each bill as payment in full.
The Legislature could authorize the city 70
do this; two-tbirds Of the overdue taxes would
be paid If the costs, fines and penalties
were RENTED. The city could we'll atto'd
to compromise with the sheriff and cou.;
clerks by paying them a reasonable sum.
1t the Administrators will not change their
policy there is no course FOE the citizens but
to get rid of them. This can be done by
appealing TO the Legislature to pass an act
to abolish the present. board of Administra.
tors and to reorganizs the city government
the present Mayor and reducing
the number of Administrators to four,
namely: Improvements. Finance, Accounts
and Police. The offices Of the Administers.
tors Of WaterwoIks and Public Buildings
and Commerce are sinecures-an uuneces.
sary expense to the city. The duties of the
of Waterworks and Pablo |
Buildings cOald easily be performed by the
of Improvements, while those
VI Commerce by the Administrator OF Police.
The Administrators IF Improvements, Fl. |
nance, Accounts and Police, under this act, |
% be elected by the Legislature-by the |
Senate aud HOuse-in joint session, to hold |
,ftice till December l, 1876; their successors |
% be elected by the people at the usual |
Election in November, 1876, the presens in |
to be ineligible. This would do |
way with three Administrators and three |
80 600 for the city.
The present Administrators are all men of |
mall ability, and several Of them are utter
Y unknown to the general public. The
publication of their names as candidates
'efore the election, was the fret ever heard
f them. We want men of mental calibre,
ike the Mayor, who by the successful man
cement of large business az private
itizens, are certain to prove efficient and
uccessfll as public officers. The Legis-
ature could select such men as General
seau,egard for Administrator OF Improve
nents; ID. p. Seaman or K. A. Bourk for
administrator of Finance-rwO OF the
blest financiers in the city. That expert
ccOuntant John G. Eevereaux for Admins
rator OF Accounts; and John McCairey for
of Police. Those names
anne to mind as wrlte-l could mention
lumber of well known citizens, from " HON
God selections could be made, but it is un-
The citizens, OF all parties, ought to hold
,ass meetings, in differeu: parts of the city,
0 protest against the action OF the Admins
ratOTs. and to warn them to change their
olicy-and If they refuse to do SO. to take
he steps which have suggested, in order
, get rid of them. Ia republics, the will
the governed. should DO law for the
overnors.
Respectfully. A CITIZEN.