The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-07
PORT CHARGES.

| The Chamber of Commerce has considered
few questions Of greater importance than tina
involved in the petition of the owners of ths
steamship City Of Havana and other steamers
complaining of annoyances and exactions suf
fered at the port of New Orleans A commit
tee raised to consider the petition and inquire
into the subject matter Of the complaint re.
ported Monday evening, stating that the
exactions of the longshoremen were without
warrant in law. the Act No. 70, Of 1874. being
declared unconstitutional by our First Dis
trict Court; that the levee dues at the rate Of
fifteen cents per ton, exacted under an ordi-
nance of the City Council Of January 10. 1875,
being for the expense of building and repair
ing Whayves, were not Illegally imposed, as
the ordinance conforms to decision in Can
mons case, and that the Governor should be
appealed to in order to prevent the Illegal acts
of harbor masters and portwardens, and if he is
unwilling or unable to remedy the abuse that
an appeal should be made TO the courts.
Respecting the charge of fifteen cents per
ton wharfage, the committee say:
II the amount be unreasonable, IL seems
that the Common Council should be appealed
to.
The true way to encourage the steamship
line with Mexico is to assign them q perma-
nent place for wharf, in convenient loca-
ton, and make the rates very low. Trade
and travel by this route are OF great impor.
lance to New Orleans, and should be en-
couraged in every way.
But it happens that the Council have put
this matter out of their hands by the recent
transfer of wharfage collections. The trans
ferees undertook the contract to pay the
wharf debt and repair the wharves upon the
express condition that the wharf rates should
remain unchanged. For four years and
eleven months, therefore, wharfage can not
be reduced unless the transferees and lessees
see ft to reduce them of their own free will.
These gentlemen, taking into view the great
importance of this new and growing trade,
and the necessity Of encouraging it in order
to increase it. and with it the wharf receipts,
might be willing to make an equitable con-
cession; but they can not be forced to make
it, and the city has not the power to make it.
The assignment of q separate wharf to the
steamers Of the Mexican line, as suggested by
the committee, at low rate Of charges, is in
like manner power which the Council has
farmed out in the late wharf lease. This is q
practical illustration of the objections urged
by the BULLETIN against putting the wharves
Dut Of the control of the city government
leaving itself powerless to make changes de-
handed by equity and the welfare of the port.
Although the control of the wharves has fallen
INTO the hands Of thorough men of business,
Who will readily see when it becomes their
interest to abate the heavy charges i'm
posed by the City Council, it would |
nave been far better that the city should
nave retained the power to meet such cases
Is this in spirit of equity and in further
lnce of the welfare of commerce. Before |
June, 1880, many similar or even more meri-
orious cases may be presented requiring |
udicions interference and wisely liberal con-
sessions. II is no small matter to have the
wharf bonds and Cannon judgment paid off |
md the wharves in good condition; bat those
rho are most interested in the commerce of
Jew Orleans may have frequent occasions to
hink before 1880 that our Council have "paid |
90 dear for the whistle"