The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-13
MR.. BURKI's EXPLANATION.


A Frank ana MANY nAuAD1tAOMs
At the regular session of the Council o
Tuesday petition was received from th
Mechanics and Workingmen's Association
asking that the Mayor furnish them wit
information as to the number of employees
in each Department, their occupation, salary
residence, etc.
In referring to this request Administrato
Burke made the following remarks, whic
are certainly frank and manly:
sonal statement with regard to that matter
So far as my department is concerned, Their
seems to have been considerable interest il
certain sections OF the community tor informa
ton upon those points, and more particularly
with regard to the Department OF Improve
ments, though see that the communication
has no special reference to that Department Of
Improvements.
Ihave to say with regard to my department,
that, when l took charge of it, one OF the first
notices I issued was for each superintendent
to make q report after the 9Th OF that month
Of all employees, giving their names, ages,
residences and occupation.
The object of this was to provide record,
dS I6pOItS uhu UccA CiICuAheOu INV Al 10Y .
gone by persons had been carried upon the
rolls without performing any service. and my
object was to make record that would show
for itself the name, age, occupation and resi-
dence of every employ in that department; and
l have simply to say, that whilst am not by
temperament much given to acceeding to
demand, yet do sensibly feel my obligations
to the com munity at large, and with regard to
my department every paper, record, docu-
ment or book concerning the public business
is open to tthe inspection Of every citizen Of
this community.
There is nothing hidden. There is not q
gentleman in this community, whether he be
rich or poor, official or otherwise, but can
have all the information he desires that is to
be got from my department. Any member of
the public press can procure it, and not only
those records, but q copy of every account,
every purchase of property that is made. I
am responsible to the people, and have en-
deavored to discharge my duties consistently
with the peoples interest
It has been rather o large undertaking,
confess. / started off in this period of de-
preston to administrate department that
covers 535 miles of streets; cutters to clean,
streets to grade and keep clean, and about ten
miles Of wharves to keep up and repair; four
draining machines to run, provide with coal.
men and material, and all this on the small
sum of 1914, 600 per year.
Last year was allowed the Office $715. COO
from the budget. l think there was expended
by the records of the Office some $780, 900 in
bonds, making million of dollars to do the |
work that am required to do for 1914 ,OO0 |
/ am met on the other hand by several |
thousand citizens out Of employment, anxious |
for work, hungering for bread, and all feeling |
that the Department of Improvements ought |
to put them to work on $314, 600 per year.
According to the budget I am allowed |
probably two hundred and fifty men, with |
The old rates of pay. In the latter part of
March, when the distress of the people was |
to the officers in my department, |
they promptly assembled and offered reduc- |
lion in their pay. That reduction amounted |
10 $4l00 per month. which was applied to |
The employment of additional men, so that |
my department now has over three hundred |
and fifty men all told.
I understand that in periods Of distress, |
when q man is out of work and cannot get it, |
be is apt to feel that he has cause for COM |
plant against others, as we all do when we |
got into trouble; but / think it is little un-
air that it should all be put upon my shout
iers.
have borne good deal Of abuse and mis-
representation, but believe that, when the
statement of work that has been done with
,ur limited means is prepared, it will at least
meet the approval of q majority of the citi-
ems of this community; and, with regard to
his communication, would say that every
,aper, document and record Of this depart
nent is open to the inspection of every citi-
en-, and always has been.