New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-06

Assessments have. according r. the Times
offered to do all the work of assessing
taxable property both for the city ant
State for five thousand dollars, which ",
understand to be in addition to what il
paid them by the city for the same ser
vice. The same authority (Which, by tn,
way, is not very good on any subject ex
cept the quarrels of very young lovers
states that the acceptance of this offe,
would save the State at least half q mil
lion of dollars.
The proposal has rather a suspicious
look to one who is familiar with the pc
culiar morals Of the City Hall. We ut
terly refuse to believe that so large sum
can be netted to the State by any such an
arrangement. The experiences of the
past year, and especially of Mr.. jackson,
president Of the gas company, show us
that there is way by which almost any
reduction in the compensation of city
employees in the assessors Office can be
retrieved. The ingenuity of man is equal
to much greater emergency-a more Sc
rious difficulty. But the city of New Or
leans became loser in some manner not
clearly explained. The assessed value of
property was reduced ten or eleven mill
ions Of dollars, and it was not done in
such an impartial and uniform manner
as to be attributable to a natural depre-
citation of values. Some lots were put up
pretty high, while others were admitted
to very low estimate. This showed, at
least, lack of judgment. The cheapness
of the services, even if they were offered
gratis, would not compensate for such
imperfect work.
As the city is already burdened with
more than sixty-two and half per cent
of the expenses of the State, we think it
would be no more than just to relieve it of
any cost for assessing. If the duty were
RENTED to the State board Of furnishing
duplicate rolls to the Administrators of
Accounts and Finance without any adj
ditional expense, the whole cost of keep
ing up the Department of Assessments
could be dispensed with, and Mr.. jackson
and other representatives of large assess
able properties be relieved of the impor-
tunities and temptations of brokers.
One assessment for both city and State
is admitted to be sufficient. Before de-
Gliding which board of assessors shall
be intrusted with the duty, and per-
mitted to take the pay, we should inquire
which is likely to do it the more eff
GENTLY. A fair price should be paid, and
established A low bidder
would he tempted to make up his losses
put of the owners, which is custom that
would produce very low valuation. To
turn it over to the city might effect
saving to the State, but we think it would
De very small one-perhaps, none at all.
The organ of all the moonstruck lovers
las turned its attention to q subject |
which it seems to know nothing at all
Ibout-that of text books. It claims to |
AVE ventilated what it calls a job in such |
! lively manner that the school board |
,acked square down and restored the old |
eaders.
We are not in the confidence of the
directors who favored the introduction of
new series of readers in place of the old,
which has been in use for four years, and
therefore, know no more Of the reasons
7hich influenced them than the Times
oes of the merits of the rival books.
'either of the gentlemen who voted
'r the Independent readers is an
and we do not know
nat either is a candidate. Neither of
lem is in any manner connected with
lther the Customhouse or the Senate,
nd We suppose the .imputation that
ny of the directors is in any manner
with ring or job in this book
uestion is about as true as that other
'stimony of the same witness, that the
alter was five feet deep in Carondelet
rect on Tuesday night, and the steamer
atchez passed the corner Of that street
I'd Julia.
It takes some time for people from the
untry to get used to New Orleans, but
2 hope the Times men will learn some
ing at last. The public will, we hope,
axe due allowance for the difficulties
cident to ignorance, and bear with
thence the blunders of these new corners ,
It'll they get ssbroke in"