New Orleans Republican., 1875-12-29

would require at least $I3O, ,OOO As to the
general condition of this woodwork any
citizen can verify the facts here stated by
mis- own observation, in any ward of the
CITY where the structures are of wood. The
Council has provided for about one. half of
the work necessary as per surveyors re-
port, and do not see how the amount could
be lowered, unless many of the principal
thoroughfares are to be abandoned.
FOR SHELL ROADS AND STREETS $4,000.
There are 81 miles of shell and ballast
streets, admitting that the city cannot
MAINTAIN all of them as shell streets, it
seems imperative that Canal, Broad, Wash.
ington, CarrolltOn Avenue and Laperouse
streets should be kept in repair with Shells
and that the balance of the shell streets
should hereafter be kept up with ballast
until more prosperous times, the four streets
named measure ten miles, four inches of
| shells placed thereon once during the year
would require $4,000 bbls, cost, including
carriage and labor of spreading would be
| $4U,O0U, the present appropriation requires
the abandonment of one half the shell roads
named, or Indifferent repairs to them.
For ballast streets $4,000 is appropriated
The Surveyor reports that the twenty two
miles ct ballast streets will require 10000
tons of ballast. costing, including carts,
labor, etc, $4,000,
| In the year 1867 the city paid 100000 per
year, by contrfict, for the repairs of the
shell and ballast streets of the First, Sec
ond, Third and Fourth Districts alone.
Since that tine over two-thirds of the shell
and ballast streets Rave Jeen made. viz:
| Foucher, between de 'oru sad Calliope;
Constance, Felicity road, Liberty, Locust,
Josephine. First, Magnolia, eighth, State
Nalence, Henry Clay avenue. Claiborne
Galvez, Craps, Dorgenois and Lspeyrouse
streets and the Sixth and Seventh Districts
have been added to the city.
| nvar OO DilO aF haI bor laa !
during the past year upon the be last End
shell streets, but excessive rains since De-
cember l and heavy travel over these streets
have rendered many of them almost impas-
sable, and the lack of funds or approprla-
tion during this.year renders it impossible
for this department TO meet the demands
! upon 1t for repairs. 1t would in nv opin.
ion, require at least 1000 tons of ballast to
repair properly the streets in the Fourth
District alone, and other districts require
| like attention.
| For repairs, stone crossings, curbs and
wings, $4,000. A detailed estimate, made
| by the City Surveyor. of work absolutely
necessary calls for s7Si4 so. 1t is only
| requisite to cite as an example the crossings
over Canal street, leading to the Postotfice,
ETC., now utterly unfit Tor the accommoda-
tion of lady pedestrians after every rain
| For repairs, cobble stone and square block
streets, $22, ,625. Permit me again to refer
to the reports of the City Surveyor. who
files detailed statement. showing 63 900
| feet of cobble stone requires patching, 1885,
| 600 square yards of cobble stone requires
relaying seven squares of square block to
| be repaired and 10000 square wards of
square block to be -elad.
The condition OF our finances will not ad.
NIT of the expenditure necessary to place
all of our streets in good order, but the
| necessities of commerce seem to demand
| that tho nripnipoi fhnrnun nh 70 oh bo
kept up. To do this would require at least
five times the amount appropriated. The
| condition of the 3obble stone streets is well
known and appreciated by every person
who may have had occasion to pass over
them for the past two years; Julia street :,
an example, broad street dividing two of
the most populous wards in the city, ex-
tending to the levee and along the New
basin, the natural passage way for a heavy
| traffic las been almost impossible for two
| years past.
Repairs to plank roads, $4,000, when at.
| tention is invited to the fact that there are
| five miles of plank roads to be kept in
order, and that CalliOpe and Liberty streets
alone will require 100000 feet of lamber,
| this estimate must appears low.
l have reviewed this subject at length for
double purpose. First, desire to place
upon record and before the public a correct
statement of the condition of the depart
ment; secondly, wish to correct a misap-
prehenson that seems to have gained
| ground with some citizens that the expendi-
lures of the past year should be criteria for
| the next.
When assumed charge of this depart
| meut careful examination was made of
the condition of the works. and it was be-
| lieved that many needed Improvements
could oe deferred at least year. The bur
| dens OF our people were 80 great that the
| propriety of deferring every possible ex.
pense, and OF conducting the administra.
| tion upon strictly economical basis was
| apparent. A budget was adopted for this
| year, about one-third of the amount ex-
| pended last year for the same bureaus, and
| 1925 900 less than the average expenses of
this department for the years 1870, 1871,
| 1872, 1873. No Administrator expected at
the time that it would be possible to limit
| the expenditures to the sum named
At the expiration of six months service,
the Board of Health, press and citizsns gen.
orally reported the streets in better condi.
tion than for several years. On the first of
December last the condition of this depart
ment was as good as when delivered to me,
except that she natural decay of wooden
structures renders it impossible to carry
many of them further by patching.
The recent rains and lack of material has
injuriously affected the streets generally,
and there is now no force for repairs.
III VI tHc cACtSs VI 6Sp6uul-
lures of about S25, 1000, can only refer to the
threatened overflow by high water from the
lake. The construction OF plank roads
rendered necessary for streets Leading to
the levee, and to an extraordinary CON
sumption of coal by reason of excessive
rains.
Daring the summer the public interests
demanded thorough cleansing of the city.
and the work was given to starving fellow
citizens who could not procure other labor
The average monthly expenses of the
bureau in this department for previors
years, viz:
1853 TO 1886. ...................s50 s50,i5l 80
$500 to !so9 (ine!usivel ........... 15,75O %
isl0 TO 1914. ...ll2,o.5 90
1872. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2S.ll6 90
If it be urgent that s5O,OOO of expenses
was taken OFF this Department by the lease
of the wharyes in the middle of the year,
it may be safely assumed that the expenses
of Algiers, Jefferson and Carrollton not in
cluded in the average of expenses prior to
their annexation, would more than offset
the amount of wharf expenses referred to-
In reducing the amounts necessary for
the administration of this Department,
know that the Administrators have been
urged by the imperative necessity of reduc-
ing taxation, to omit many necessary ap-
preparations, and this communication is not
made for the purpose of complaining at
their action, but with the object of inform
ing the Council and the public concerning
the Department. o
f. A. BURKE, Administrator.
The Council then adjourned.
j. H. HARDY, Secretary.