The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-12

THE REsOURCEg or THx CfTT. and
nov A|PIfED.


Pacts ana opinions C~mcsrniss the Ais
Askse sy the tity - Meet Expe"ses'
The subject Of the city finances. al
though 1T FIRST sight apparently compli-
Gated, Ii si1npls sindtsi when 1t is
investigated; but It must not be under
stood tast this simplicity can be rs
readily applied to brihging the corpora
tlon out Of debt ~ to thorough under
standing Of the question. n ~
The matter caf, be resumed as foI.
lows URdsr tho amended budget
will be enabled TO balance their ac-
counts when they 60 out OF office.
8H9 THE oREAT DIFFICULTY
lies In keeping the streets and markets
clean aud In repair. the running Oh .ps
the employees In the Department OF
Impruvements, on o6000 . month Tor the
remaining mouths Of the year u 10
true that ft ID proposed TO add t30,OVo 70
ths budget OF this department. the
amount 70 be taken from similar sum
set apart as contingent 70 SATISFY
iudQni ents against the city This woula
give twelve thousand dollars per meilth
70 the department; but unfortunately,
A9COfOl0R 10 MT. DuEho - u1.'s
ten thousand dollars monthly is needed
to remove the garbage from tho fefuse.
boxes placed every morning In 'front.' ol
each household; to keepsthe lnarkets
clean to pay the bridRe-keepers ana
garbage -dumpers, and run the dfa.n i..:.
eVA rnachtfies AL absolute necessities.
Then where Ia the money TO come from
to meet the expenses which Mr., burke
also claims are absolutely necessary W
prepare the commercial thor0ugh!Ares
Of the city for the approaching business ss
requisite TO olcau the CUTTERS and sew,
ers, flll up the ruts In tho streets any
r. is also clairned that the current ex.
pcnses Of the other departments % ast
be paid as they are incurred, and, there
fore, the
THE ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
which It Ia proposed to obtain as an nd.
vance from private citizens, would have
u twofold purpose. :. !.
hut to begin at the beginning. II Il
we'll 10 1eArfl the exact state OF the city
financial condition, that 10. SO Tar as the
r0cesSity ok sthese one hundred thou'
snnd doilare IL concerned.
The books at the City Hall, beyond
question, show deliRqusncy Ia the tAx
receipts OF Ave millions dollars Or more
an extraordinary amount u Is true, bu'
which In dwindled down considerably
according to the fOllowing fUures ob
tained from Mr.. Pilsbury, our Admins
traitor OF Finance: a at I'LL
On the 3oth June, 1875, the estimatet
value OF the tax bills then outstanding
Including the year 1876, was $2,b2b,ooo
Since then, the taxes OF 1876. amountlns
to d. 100, 600, became due, and which
added to the above, make $4.225,0O0
Since June, 1875, there have been col
lectcd on all years, up TO and including
1876. el. sol 900, and on the tax Of. 1877
a .2A3y 400. q total OF 2,634, 900, leaving
balance OF ti ,59t, 900 still due on to tn
estimate or collectable taxes. $5OO, 900 .
which are still due on the taxes of 1876
The estimate mentioned, which 1gure
on the budget, Is based on the Tact tina
that sum only can be reaiized on In
camsas !. " large, amount II Is claimed !
due on personal| property, slaves
capital and 30 on, debtors havin
passed away. either physically o
pecuniarily; another portion is pre-
scribed BY irregularity OF charges
the mortgage Office tax imbroglit
and the differences existing between th
present owners of the Opelousas an
jackson Railroads lsay about $eO, 900 u
the latter cases. anu ..s lu..nes uev' ~.
occurs through the operaelon OF u
legislative epactmePt authorizing "
receipt BY the city 0f one dollar OF scIi
for two dtlerg ~ taxes lor the yeal
1850 to 1885 inclusive.
The next Questl0n wnicn arises 70
WY TIE TAXES ARE NOT gooLLBfTED
,,aar ths estimate. This is answere
~ ~. statemcnt that one. third OF th
.,yo,,Srtv ~ la IN tina "itv RI not occupied. an
pp,thertSa nrnuertv owners are unable I
U..1s NV - asa mi fSarent ~ TO whether the
M their taYss or not. Indifferent, b,
cause they don't oArs u their propert
s.s"irad and advertised for sale. coni
a.~t - thav ara that there are 4
ss1S.rs Ss -
~ sscA saah ,,rcpcrtv alone In ofYert
for saic ~ tne khsrtfr 6 he thinks wi