The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-21
CITY TAXATION.
The Incubus Of the Floating Debt-What The
People Think About II.


sderatl0n, each having in view the relief of de
lnquent taxpayers and other btors Of tht
city. Mr. Brown, Administrator Of Public Ac
counts, offered " An ordinance relative to the
payment OF back taxes, inclusive OF the yeal
1873
Be it ordained That until the 1st day Of June
1919, payment Of city taxes may be made as fol
lows
Taxes of 1850 to 1870 inclusive entirely in scrjp
including interest tax bills and costs adj
vanced by the city. Taxes Of 1871 entirely in
scrip, and for interest on tax bill and costs ad
vanced by city one-half in cash balance in scrin
Taxes of 1873, fifty cents per one hundred dollars
IN cash: balance two dollars and fifty cents Del
one hundred dollars in scrip and for interest on
tax Dill and costs advanced by city, one-half in
cash and one-half IL scrip
That by the word ''scrlp" as used in the ordi
nance, Is meant regis cred payment certitcat E
oil appropra IONS, tax wsrran : city money iury
certificates, coroners certificates tax excess Ger
tl1lcates, claims provided for by ordinance to 1S7;
inclusive, with right Of transfer
That under no circumstances will the terms of
the ordinance DO extended beyond the period
nxed, and all taxes unpaid Oh the LIST of June,
1873, Will be payable in cash
That ordinance No. 2575 administration series
adopted April 2lst, 1873 and ordinance No 23l5
administration series, adopted De cember 10Th,
1919, be and tho same are hereby repealed"
Mr. Landry, Administrator Of Commerce offer
cd the following a substitute
An ordinance for the relief Of DELINQUENT tax
payers and other debtors Of the City Of New Or
leans, ana providing the manner in which certain
passed due Indebtedness to the CITY NAV be made
receivable for back taxes and licenses
whereas, the enormous and constantly in
creasinS debt due the city of New Orleans on ac-
count OF delinquent taxes and licenses, amount
ing now to over four mi lions of do lars and
whereas, 1T is apparent that some relief must
DC afforded to the delinqnents who arc unable
to settle their Indebtedness and to prevent the
TOTAL M1i sacrifice Of their property. and
whereas. 1t IL mani Eestiv to the interest of the
CltN 10 IaCllItate q settlement mar nj
delinquents. enabling them to avoid the accu-
mulated costs OF interest, penalties, etc, which,
IN many Instances. have doubled the amount OF
the original obligation and exhausted the cash
value OF the properly; tn rctoie be it
;, R3sotrea That all past due indebtedness t.
tle clty OF New Orleans, Of whatever kind, shall,
until the 3oh day of Juno, 1875, be receivable BY
the Administrator of Finance in payment Of all
back taxes, licenses and other indebtedness to
the city due and payab in any year prior to the
LIST day of JaLuary, 1871 be it further
heS"Lted, That i'll all cases in which delin-
luent has awaited himself OF the provisions of
tins act prior to the lst day OF july 1915 all pen
altles interest and charges shall be RENTED, and
the ADMINISTRATORS Of Finance and Accounts are
authorized and directed to make settlements as
herein provided be it further
ReSOired, That this ordinance shall take effect
and be III force from and after its passage; be It
further
Reso'eed That all ordinances and parts of ordi-
nances conflicting with this ordinance BE- ana
are, hereby repealed
On motion Of Administrator pilsbury the sub
stltnte OF Mr.. Landry was tabled. Administrators
Pilsbury, Brown, Il ,uny and Mccarthy voting
yes, and Administrators Landry and Bero
voting no.
The ordinance of Administrator Brown was
then passed.
1t is to be regretted, ina matter Of such gen
eral interest, and OF such grave imp Drtauce 70
our people. that Mr.. pIlsburys motion should
have cut off all debate. 1t is due To those no
have for years borne the burden Of excessive
taxation and InjudlciouS 5tcwal dship, that Ill q
matter involving their future interests. the
frankest and fullest publ expression Of opinion
and eX lblt Of facts should be had the part OF
their elected agents.
AS you Will perceive from the text Of the two
ordinances, Administrator Brown and Admins
traitor Landry have the same object in view, the |
only difference being that Mr.. Landry, at one |
stride, arrives much nearer to the common goal. |
The great disideratum Of our city government |
is to get rid Of the floating debt, amounting to |
over one and half million dollars. This debt |
has proven constantly increasing quantity and
fruitful source Of I'M unctions and expensive
litigation. The Ordin ance of Mr.. Brown is GER
tainly step in this direction, and il commenda-
bic to the extent of its operation while Mr.. Lam
dry ordinance proposes to entirely destroy the
incubus, substituting only in its place the citys
obligation to settle with the Clerk of Court and
Sheriff, which the remission ofcosts would neces-
state.
BY the adoption of measure of like relief, the
State collected in the city last year twelve hun
uIeu lHOubdnu uolldTS OF taxes, ana IL Is 1af
to presume that Mr. Landry's ordinance. had it
been adopted, would have influenced the pay
ment of a very considerable portion Of the fur
millions dollars nov due the city for back taxes
BY reference to ordinance No. 2575, adopted
April q, 1878, and to Mr.. Browns ordinance.
passed at the last Council. il Will be perceived
that the necessity of attording relief to dein-
qucnts was apparent both to this and tho pre-
cedipg city adniui. tration, and that tie greater
latitude given by the last ordinance was due to
the conviction that the greater the relief tho
greater tho receipts. This beng the case, it is
logical sequence that the passage Of Mr.. Ian
iry's ordi ance would have induceda much larger
of outstanding obligations than any
other that has been adopted. !
The opinion is general that the city. being re- :
ieyed from the embarrassment Of the tloatlng
lebt, would be amply able to meet all obligations,
md could hereafter, without any detriment to ;
5he public good, so arrange to bring It's eX- i
)enditures well within its cash receipts.
These ideas, Mr.. Editor. are submitted more
or the purpose of evoking discussion of this /
important question through the public prints !
han for any other reason. CITIZEN.
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