New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-19
City a Administration.

Nty aufniuistFutiOn.
The following interesting article, from
the pen of Hon. j. S. Whitaker appears il
the Orleani0,l. 1t is valuable compilation
of statistics, and will doubtless be very us ?
municipal system which the Legislature
will be called upon to correct,
The administration of The affairs of New
Orleans is too complex, the vice of the sys
tenn being in the multiplicity OF hands that
work the machine, requiring, while sim
pucty is Cisregarded, an extraordinary out.
lay of means for the payment of chiefs OF
departments and their numerous employees.
In 1872, when the First, Second and Thud
Munlclpalit .es were consolidated into one
and the city of Lafayette was annexed,
forming the rst, Second Third and
Fourth Districts Of New Orleans the city
started On career OF prosperity which
promlsa sd to continue uninterrupted and
permanent Her credit at home and abroad
was on secure and firm footing Her
bonds- when issued commanded Ready
sait, and held respectable position in the
monetary world. She was tiourishing
and wealthy corporation.
Boundless in resources. with a future
before her that was not uncertain, the war
came, ana with it the lavish expenditure
which involved her means and put an end
for time to her rapid march. She was
twice drained. First, by her own people
who EN- parked in the struggle. and the sec
Ond time by corps of strangers.
Her energies for resuscitation were. how
ever. great, her position is sueh that she
could not be utterly ruined.
We can not within the limits of an article
like th!-, follow in detail the steps of pro-
gress OF this great city, and the trials
through which she has been passing. our
hnalp4sa ia with hap
object, brief exposition of the defects of
her administration, with a view to their
amendment.
1t is necessary that our whole system be
radically changed. 1t is too unwieldy, and
with all it's defects, too expensive There
Is a want OF harmony in the arrangements;
want ot simplicity IN the means employed
for the objects proposed. We are, in short,
governed too mueh.
We have sought in the corps of admins.
traitors of departments seven in number, to
bring about division of labor; to create
othcial responsibility; to secure great re-
suits in finance, in accounts, in improve
ments and in police. 1t has been a signal
failure.
In 1874, we find the administration of
city atfairs, in its seven department, to
have cost on an average S35 900 a month
or, in twelve months, $4,000. In the careful
economy preserved the present year, the
ououut udo UbtH Ttuuctu 10 ABOUT vi, UUU a
month, or, in twelve mon hs, to S252 600
The above is simply the xp.pditure of the
city administration, including the salaries
OF the Mayor and his clerks,
The whole expenditure for administrative
purposes, in Boston, tor the year 1871, little
changed since) was $50, $40 so, as follows;
mayor and clerks, $6770 so; treasurer and
clerks, $500; auditor and clerks, sl2 500.
city clerk and clerk hire, $l4,60G; clerk
Common Council, ETC., $780, clerk COM
mittee of City Council, etc., $4,000; mes.
sengers, etc., $500,
In Boston, We find a mayor. a treasurer,
an auditor, with board OF alderman and
common council, and few intelligent
clerks, carrying on all the complex and
multifarious affairs of great city; eon,roll-
ing their police, their public schools their
immense works for water, light and gas,
and the hundred other departments Of a |
fourishing municipality. All is done with |
harmony, and works with simplicity and |
order that renders it worthy of imitation. |
The intelligent city council receives no |
pay; the public veal being to them sutfi. |
Gent reward.
In my last article on the Metropolitan |
Police, l demons trated that we paid too |
much for the prosecution of crime and the |
protection of oar citizens and that there |
controlled her own police, $500, 900. Now
again. we see that were less complex ad-
ministration of affairs employed, there
would be saving, annually, OF Sl5O,0OO
Under the head of Justice for the six
months ending December 81, 1872, Mr..
Shaw, then Administrator OF Accounts, es-
timated the expenditure at $2O5, 800 Ii the |
pehsive, this would have made for one
years "iustice" 10 the city, SAIL 800. But
let us take the year 1875 and see what these
items OF justice are; Clerk Of First District |
Court Criminal Court, $4,000; clerk Su- |
perior Criminal Court, $4,000; clerk Supe-
rior Court lciyiil, 1852; criminal sheritfs
fees, $50 600; district attorneys fees, $40 900;
Superior Criminal Court salaries, SIS, 600; |
municipal police courts, fifth and seventh |
justice courts. and special police in their
courts, $4,000; city attorneys office, $1l,
500; pablo pounds, $500; workhouse, 3d.
600; coroners, $4,000; parish prison, $780,
GOO; house of refuge, $4,000. Total, $685.
Three hundred and forty eight thousand
five hundred and forty two dollars for
Justice" for the year 1875!
The expenditures for thelcounty of Suf
folk, Massachusetts, for 1871, including the
city of Boston, for salaries of sheriffs, jail
ore, Judges, witnesses and constAbles' tees,
for salaries of clerks of Supreme judicial
Court, of Superior Court, civil aud Grim.
nal, of probate, and of all their municipal
courts, stenographic reporters, subsistence
Of prisoners IN county jail, bedding, fuel,
ciothing, ETC.. gas, ice, janitOrs of court
house and court buildings, printing, sta
ionery, carriage hire, etc, and all expendi-
;ares under the head of Justice" were
)71 ,94l 80. -
These are credited by fines, costs, and |
urplus fees Of clerks In excess Of their sal
ries, by elAl ,607 81; leaving . balance |
gsinst the county Of $3.50, 334 "a for the
ntise expense Of 'jlstiee" in tho city Of
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