New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-21
Reform in Parish Government.

EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
Let us abolish the present system of
police jurors, and elect instead a parish
council, to be composed of the following
officers, viz:
Parish recorder, parish clerk or auditor.
who shall be ex officio clerk of court, or
vice versa, parish treasurer, parish superin
tendent of schools, parish superintendent
of public works and buildings, parish col.
lector, and parish assessor.
Let each member of the council furnish
bond in the sum of $4,000 for the faithful
perfO rmance of his duties, and let the coun-
Gil, as body corporate, have and possess
all the powers now conferred upon police
jurors, with the following additional indi-
vidual powers and responsibilities, viz:
The parish recorder should perform all
the duties now prescribed by law, and, as
member of the council, keep full and COM
plete record of the acts of that body, which
should be published monthly under his sig
nature and seal.
The clerk should perform the duties of
auditor of the parish, and the collector
should settle with him, on the same prin
ciple OF our State Auditor, before paying
over to or settling with the treasurer. No
money should be drawn from the treasury
except upon an ordinance of the council.
signed by the president and duly promul
gated By the recorder, and after this pro-
mitigation only upon the warrant of the
auditor,
The parish treasurer should be responsible
for the safe keeping and disbursing of the
public money, and the council should be
competent to increase the amount of his
surety at discretion.
The superintendent OF public schools
should have charge of the administration
of parish school matters. and all collections
of school funds and expenditure of the
same should be made upon the acquiescence
Of the council in his reports and sugges-
tions. He should act outside of the council
in conjunction with parish school commit.
tee, to be elected by the voters of the par.
sb, and who should serve without pay.
This committee should visit the schools.
examine teachers and, with the superin.
have general supervision of the |
conduct, wants, morals, etc., of the schools.
Teachers accepted by the COMMITTEES sbould |
be commissioned and assigned by the super
lntsndent. The committee should make |
quarterly reports direct to the State Super. |
lntendent OF Education. The parish super- |
ntendent should make monthly, ouarterIv
and yearly reports to the State Superin.
tendent of the condition of the achools
number OF scholars attending, amount of |
money collected, paid out, etc. The school |
money collected in the parish should be I
paid INTO the parish treasury and used only /
LOT echoof purposes, except 80 muoh as
might be found necessary to form a
State school fund, to be paid out by |
the State Superinten dent for the main
tenance of high or normal schools. The |
work now done by the district superinten-
dents should be confined to the psrishes.
md the parish superintendents and the
'fhoe OF district superintendent be abol-
shed, and let the parish superintendent he
paid out OF the parish school fund in ac-
,ordance with the value and amount of
lervice performed; the sslsry to bh reun-
ated BY the State Board Of Education, based
np0n the reports and Recommendation of /
the parish school committee, such allot-
ment or regulation of salary to have effect
lor Two years when approved or ratified by
! majority of the voters of the parish, which
approval should only take place every two
7ears at g general election; but the Leeisls.
,ure should, as early as practicable, estab.
lsh minimum and maximum salary for |
zach parish superintendent. The State
'oard should be composed of the State and
'arish superintendents, and have such
'owers as are now conferred by law consist
mt with the contemplated change.
The superintendent of public works and
buildings shOuld have charge of the public
vorks and buildings in his parish, and be
for their care and condition,
md report to the council, at each meeting,
UGH Information ss might be necessary,
nd all moneys raised or collected for this
urpose should be paid out or disbursed
pom his certificate. The parish assessor
hould assess all parish and States taxes,
nder the instruction of the council and
he general law. His lists should be made
quadruplieate; ono for the parish, and
ne for the State; one for the State Super.
1tendent OF Education, and one 70 be- re-
Ained by himself. q forming part Of the
ecofds Of the office. The assessment shouId
. - complete - possible. It should state
he whole number OF acres of land; tho
umber of acres cultivated and unculti-
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