The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-31
THE BUDGET AND TAXES.

President of the late mass meetin8 ~ ~
Patrick's Hall held an interview with the
Mayor and Administrators on Tuesday, the
result of which has not been officially made
known l. is stated, however, on valid
authority, that the members OF the council
informed the m EN- bers Of the committee that as
sworn Administrators they felt bound to form
a budget and assess taxes in compliance with
the charter and other statutes by which their
functions are prescribed, regulated and lin
tied.
We can not, for sufi cient reasons, state the
conversation that took place, nor the terms IN
which the request or demand OF the mass
meeting was conveyed to the Council, nor
the form and language in which the answer OF
the latter was communicated. The reply was
in substance about what we expected 1t to
be- The Administrators consider it to be
their duty to obey the charter and the laws,
and in this decision (Which is in no respect
new one), they will be sustained by the great
| majority of their constituents, or at least
as many of such majority as take an active
and intelligent interest in municipal affairs
The visiting committee Of the mass meeting
were treated with every possible courtesy and
respect, such as are due to their intelligence
and their high standing as citizens. No i'm
putations were cast upon the committee nor
upon the organizers of the st. Patrick's Hall
assembly. Statements and arguments were
heard with due and courteous Difference, and
when the committee closed the long interview
by retiring, they left without any new prejudice
against the members of the Council. but per-
haps with more correct notions as to the en-
barrassments which surround the Mayor and
Administrators.
Without further considering here what the
| Council can not do under the existing char
ter and statutes, it becomes of very great i'm
portance to consider what they can do. 1t
behooves them, as we believe, to razee every
item of expenditure, their own salaries, and
those OF their several bureaus, not excepted
to the lowest practicable figures, SO that the
total of expenditures may be brought so low
as to reduce the rate of tax to the low
est figures. Not only the current city
expenses tax, but each of the other four
large tax items, should be narrowed
down TO a minimum, so as barely to
keep within the letter of the law, barely to
| avoid the notification of their subsequent
off ,ial acts, and barely to escape the for
fixture Of their offices in favor Of the appoint
ees whom the usurping Governor is always
ready and more than willing to put in their
r T,r in fho 10
wards retrenchment as the directory and man
datory provisions of the charter and statutes
will permit, giving always the "benetit Of the
doubt" to the oppressed taxpayers. We can
| not ask them to so act as to render their Sc
curities liable for their malfeasance in Office.
We could not nationally request them to do
| this. and then take such course as will
inevitably vacate their positions in favor OF
such corrupt and greedy satellites as Kellogg
might see fit to nominate in their stead. Yet
the closer the administrators can skirt the
danger without damage to their bondsmen and
without transferring the control Of municipal
affairs to the hands of Radical enemies, hun
CRY for spoils and altogether INSCRIPTIONS,
the better Will it be for our tax-ridden people.
Nor is this all. After reduction Of taxes
and expenses to the extreme of the limits per-
missble under an extremely broad construc-
ton of the State laws it will still be the duty
of the Mayor and Administrators to strive with
all their might to obtain repeal OF those
most obnoxious and oppressive statutes. They
can bring no direct force to bear, but they
can operate upon the General Assembly
through the agency and influence of numer-
GUS friends. The Mayor, in his message. for
chilly called attention to the evils under which
the city suffers Hundreds of citizens assem-
bled in mass meeting to give their indorse-
ment to the objects presented, and all Of these
ought to join his Honor in the effort to secure
such repeats and changes as will most speed
lily and completely secure those objects. Every
Administrator and friend of the adminstra-
ton should combine in an effort to obtain just
and fair legislation.
Every citizen who can WELD any influence
ought to exert it in bringing about the repeal
Of the abominable Park tax, the restoration Of
the control of public schools to the Mayor
ana COUNCIL, Icpoai VI tuc lhosAoPohI"u
police laws, the adoption of such legislation
as will authorize the Council to arrange with
the bonded creditors OF the city, with their
consent,) according to the best interests of all
concerned, the release OF the city from an op-
pressive drainage contract, and any other
specific reform that will restore the privilege
of self-government to the citizens Of New
Orleans.
Thorough municipal reform and adequate
relief to property-holders and citizens must
be extorted from the General Assembly. The
friends of reform and justice have this reme-
dy in their power, and it is their sacred duty
to employ it.
A WORTHY CANDIDATE.
The Legislature of Mississippi, shortly to