New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-22
THE MAYOR ON CITY FINANCES.

principle that division of labor lightens
work. He sets out by reminding the peo.
pie of their unequaled poverty, and then
naturally falls into the groove of railing
at the laws which, among other things,
have created the Office of Mayor at sal
airy of seven thousand dollars per year. To
| read his message one would almost think
this the only feature of the State law on
municipal matters which is not tyrannical
and unconstitutional. Relying upon some
of the wise sayings of Judge Cooley, of
Michigan, as applicable to our municipal
affairs, he tries to prove the sovereign
| character of New Orleans, a city entirely
Independent of the State in all concerns
| except the single matter of authorizing
and fixing the salaries of the city govern
ment. The functions of the Legislature
were exhausted when this was done. He
finds, however, that many charges are i'm
posed upon the city by law which can not
be changed by the representatives of the
local authorities.
Ny. Leeds will only have to show that
any of these charges of which he COM
plains can be or ought to be changed to
secure prompt relief. Whatever be may
think, or whatever he may suppose Judge
Cooley thinks, the municipal government
is the creature of the law in all its parts.
The Mayor and Administrators are not,
however, the entire municipal government.
The Board of Health, the Police Board
and the School Board are all appropriate
paris of the government, and each charged
with separate and distinct duties which the
majority of the peoples representatives
have thought proper to withhold from the
public functionaries which, as be claims,
constitute the city government solely.
Since his recent struggle with the
Misses Maenhaut, and inglorious defeat,
he talks with degree of respect of for
eign creditors, but takes it out on the po-
lice and schools. He merely hints that
the suspension of the tax for the interest
on the public debt would be good thing.
That is, we suppose such to be his mean
ing but as he does not complete the para
graph, which is begun under the head of
secondly" it may possibly be the wrong
meaning which we have placed upon it.
We are perfectly willing to go as far as the
Legislature will permit in the matter of
suspending the tax for this interest, but so
long as the laws remain as they are, and
so far as they are irrepealable, they should
be enforced if possible.
When he comes to the tax for the main
tenance of the police and the public
schools, however, his intent is not am
biguous. He thinks the tax ought to be
suspended or withheld until both the
police and the schools are placed under
the control of the city authorities. The
constitution places the public schools spe-
cially in charge of the Legislature and
the State Superintendent Education of
the youth is no more a municipal func-
ton than is administering justice in the
courts. 1t is separate science of gov
eminent, for which the average mayor or
alderman is untitled by education and
habits. Mayor Leeds shows his unftness
to take charge of school matters when he
seeks to turn off four hundred and fifty
teachers, representing nearly that many
city families, with two hundred thousand
dollars a year, that the foreign cred
ors--absentees-may receive their pay
more promptly. He deems it "unjust to
the public creditor, whose claims are
postponed on account of the public neces-
sity," to provide for schools, but has not,
kind suggestion for the half-paid en-
ployes of the schools who are to-day I'M
certain whether they can buy Christ
mas dinner. These faithful, hard work.
ing ladies are our own people; many of
them are raising up children, others sup
porting aged parents, and all are needy
and deserving. The law that compels the
enemies of education to contribute to the
support of schools is believed by the
Mayor to be unconstitutional because he
has not been charged with its administra-
tion-because, perhaps, the fund is so
fixed that be can not divert any part of it
to run his tombola.
The platitudes of the Mayor about rep
resentation and taxation have no sort of
application to the business in hand. The
people of the city, through their proper
representatives, have established the
present system, and there is no more
sense in turning over the duties of the
Police Board or School Board to the City
Council than there would be in abolishing
the Mayor and Administrators and letting
the Police Board transact their business.
The duties of the Mayor are defined by
law. He has quite as much to do as he is
qualified for, and his department is by no
means the best administered one in the
city. 1t may be the most expensive, but
falls far short of success. The limited
powers conferred on the Council do not
justify those who fill the position for the
moment in yearning for more. At all
events, they should show their capacity to
do well those things which have been
committed to them before Boosting that
they could do more and better than it is
done now.
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