The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-01
TAXATION EXTRAORDINARY.

One of the greatest outrages suffered by the
PEOPLE Of New Orleans is the present drainage
ystem, or rather the manner in which that
ystem is carried out The city is annually
eeced out Of a half million of dollars in the
hape of pay rolls and per cent gold bonds,
or work that in large part is OF little use.
The trouble began with the Mexican Gulf Ship
Canal Company, known as the Noyes Act, No.
Do, passed Feb a. 1871. BY this act the
State gave the company bonds to the amount
pf $500. 900, besides the interest paid, probably
5000 900 more; but all this is lost as the entire
property was sold about a year since under
foreclosure Of mortgage for $4,000. This
canal originated the present drainage system,
which was accepted by the city government
during the Flanders's administration in 1871.
All the funds due and collected belonging to
the previous drainage funds went to the new,
except si5 coo in fees, taken By two attorneys
for work performed by another
The Legislature only created three drainage
districts, viz: FIRST, Second and Third but the
Council added fourth, embracing that part
of the city from Enghien street to Fisher
mans Canal, where the slaughter-houses are
new and old canals is three mills per square
foot-outside it is two mills per square foot.
The cost for drainage per acre at two mills is
$S7 12-10O, at three mills it is $50 800
a good price, We should say, considering that
land one mile from the city limits can be
bought for SIS per acre, and the larger portion
of the land when drained will not probably
sell for as much as S. per acre for years to
come
The First, Second and Third Drainage Dis
tricts cannot be set aside except by an act of
the Legislature, but the Fourth District, hav-
ing been created by an ordinance Of the Com
mon Council, can at any time be repealed, and
the sooner it is done the better will it be for
all concerned. The tableau of assessment for
the Fourth Drainage District is 1884, 600, and
the estimated cost of the work is set down 1T
$7O2 40 so. Not clod Of earth has been
thrown up, but the City Attorney, a year ago,
homologated the tableau and put all the prop
erty in question under mortgage. The drain
age bills have been sent out and payment de-
manded, and we have had a sight of two sent
to property. owners in the suburbs. One is on
q property 81 arpents front by 40 arpents deep,
assessed by the State at $50, 900, and the
drainage bill is Sl7,767. The other property
II front by so arpents deep, assessed for S10,-
600 drainage bill s5O0O
As there are only ten acres Of the latter
property susceptible Of cultivation, the cost of
drainage per acre of the good land is $500,
notwithstanding the owner has dug all the
bitches necessary to carry off the surface
water to private canal in the rear of the
premises.
That the drainage authorized by State law in
the First, Second and Third Drainage Districts
ought to be carried out we do not pretend to
dispute, but it should be done with great dis
cretion and in a modified form, so as not to
bear too heavily on the finances Of the city
and on our citizens.
The Fourth Drainage District, from Enghien
street to the lower limit of the city, establi;hed,
not by law Of the State, but by simple or
dinance of the Common Council, and which
entails a cost ior drainage Of nearly double the
value Of the property assessed, we submit,
should be set aside and the mortgages resting
on the property raised by the city; it is not
only wrong but it is iatoleratle. The residents
Of the Fourth Drainage District represent to
us that there is no use for the ordinance as it
now stands; the front land in that district is
high, and numerous canals, made by the resi-
dents, carry Oft the surplus water to Bayou
Bienvenu, and when favorable winds and tides
occur the same channels are used to bring out
pickets, slaves, shingles, wood, moss, etc.
It would be absurd in us to dwell upon the
enormity of a tax which amounts to more than
the assessed value of the land upon which It
is imposed. The people upon whom this act
Of spoliation is premeditated will, of course,
resist it. They will be fully justified in 50
doing, and we are amazed that the Council
should have permitted City Attorney Lacey to
progress so far in an attempt to sell the peo-
pie of the Fourth Drainage District out Of their
homes
If there was ever before an attempt on the |
part Of a government, city, State, or national,
to extort from. land owners taxes amounting to
nearly twice the value Of their estates, it has
nc n u ned on