The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-25
THE WHARF LEASE.

/ LII W AA04 ooA00s
Hon. j. o. Landry, Administrator Of Com
MERGE, who introduced the existing ordinance
for leasing the wharves, levees and landing
constituting the river 'front.' writes lette
upon the subject to the New Orleans Times o
May "a, in which he gives a summary OF th'
reasons for the course pursued, in answer tt
what he calls "adverse comment on the par
of some Of our papers" He imputes these
structures to "meagre and defective informa
tion," which he proceeds to supply in boiled
down shape. He begins by saying:
On entering upon the duties of my Office,
found, upon an examination Of all the &C
counts rendered, that there had been great
falling off in the amount of the revenues de.
rived from the wharves, and in some instances
it appeared that portion Of these revenues
had been applied to other purposes than the
repair and building of the wharves and the
extinction of the debts due thereon.
That being SO, it was plainly his duty to
find out the cause Of the falling off and to ap-
ply the proper remedy. Since wharf dues
are imposed, it is just and proper that they
should be uniformly collected by faithful men
and turned into the city treasury to the
proper account. If the revenues had been
collected and misapplied, to the neglect OF
repairs and to the detriment of the holders OF
wharf bonds, then should the Administrator
have shown his sagacity and well-known
energy in having the collections applied to
repairs of wharves and to the payment of the
wharf debt and interest, according to laws
ordinances and contracts.
These difficulties might have melted away
before the active and intelligent e1ertions of
the Administrator. Col. Landry was made
the special guardian of the commerce of this
great port in order that shippers and mer-
chants might have the full benefit of his
administrative talent, and in the lines above
quoted field is indicated wherein his talents
might have been employed benefcially to
commerce, to the city treasury, and to the
holders OF the bonds which constitute some
thing less than thirtieth part of the bonded
debt of the city. He says further:
The wharves were in a dilapidated condi-
ton, and there were outstan 1standing eighty
two thousand dollars of bonds past due,
which should have been redeemed out of the
wharf revenues of 1874. These bonds past
due, and one hundred thousand falling due in
December next, with interest at $40 per
cent on six hundred and eighty.two thousand
dollars, (the whole amount of outstanding
bonds) and all the heavy expense of putting
The wharves in order, had to be provided for.
These are still further reasons for holding
control Of the wharves, showing still more
he fine chance the Administrator had for
loing good and winning laurels. He could
,ot well take all the affairs of the city under
he shelter of his protection, but he could
nave gone with vigor into the work of carry
ng out the ordinances of the city and of full |
illing the contract with the wharf bond |
,olders.
The non redemption of S82, 900 out Of the |
evenues of 1874 cannot be urged very con-
istently by the rulers of city which is now
pjoying the benefit of q legislative suspen-
ion on her bonds to the amount of 5000, 600
yer annum. A Radical Legislature gave this
elief without asking the consent of the
Iolders Of city bonds which matured in 1874,
r which will mature in 1875 and the sue
eeding years. If the suspension was right
4 ONE case because an absolute necessity,
lay it not be as fair in the case of the hold
rs Of another and specially favored class of
onds?
A tenth of the wharf bonds are redeemable
ach year out of the revenues of the wharves
Il that year. This year the tenth will be
S.. 900 and the interest about $50, 900 more.
y the contract these sums ought to be paid
ut of the wharf collections Of 1875. But the
harves must first be kept in proper order !
1t Of such revenues as prime necessity
hich the Council has recently recognized /,
I'd applied in the cases Of their salaries and
ose of their employees. "Muzzle not the !
that treadeth out the corn"
Let the labor, lumber, care and skill re- .
tired for repairs of wharves be first consid- f
ed, because the wharves earn the means 9
itch must pay the wharf debt. Having '
arded the source of the wharf revenues by i
oper repairs, then let the city meet her Il
ntract, as far as able, with those who built G
d repaired the wharves in former years at -,
uble cost. Here opens the field still wider :;
administrative energy and capacity. G
We quote further: Ia
Experience has demonstrated that i'm ~
Dvements made under the direction of pub y
authorities are always more costly than =, 70
ose made under the management of private -
erests. In this connection invite q COM -
rison between the cost and character Of the &C
ferent wharves constructed under the man /.
,ment of private interests, and like work M
,cuted under the direct control and super ~
ion of the city authorities. pa
Z the necessary repairing and building of ap
arves were to be carried on by the CITY. an
xever faithful and honest the effort, feel oe
ured they would cost immensely more than pe
same work would cost in the hands of in TN
iduals specially interested. In fact, SO 90
ensive we're the necessary repairs and build an
of the wharves. was convinced that -. Ia
Ter the management of the city, they IRA
lid consume every dollar Of the revenues ye'
ived therefrom, leaving unpaid the bonds Nv
other debts for which these revenues -,
Q pledged. 1u'
bis deficit would, necessarily have to be ~