The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-24
THE WHARF PROBLEM.
MIR. 8URKEs PROPOSITION BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
The Enormous swindle ef the Radicals
ON the Wharf Item Alone.


Mr. Burke's proposition, now or about
to be brought before the committee of
the whole of the City Council, is far
more important and interesting matter
than the mere outlines given heretofore
in the DEMOCRAT would show. Whether
adopted by the Council or not, it will
serve to dispel the impression, 80 gen.
eral, by the way, not only that the cost
of building the wharves and OF their
maintenance is enormous, but that
under an honest and intelligent admin
istration they can be made to be
self-sustaining, even by reducing the
wharfage duas
FuNE-H HALF!
This statemtnt is the more surprising
at this moment when Messrs. Ellermann
IL Co. are ready to abandon their lease
of the wharf revenues; but it is ex-
plained in the course OF this review OF
Mr.. Burke's plan. There is another
reason which makes the proposition in
comprehensive ut first sight; the fact
that during three years and half OF
the administration of the Radical
rogues. when the Department of I'm
provements was controlled by West, for
this item alone eight hundred and
ninety-six thousand dollars in cash were
expended on the wharves, and the city
was saddled besides with q bonded debt
for the same purpose OF one million and
forty-two thousand dollars, making the
stupendous total Of nearly
TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
fully two-thirds of which must have
found their way into the pockets OF the
Radical thieves and their accomplices.
Mr., Burke's plan, in general terms,
provides: That the city shall annul the
contract entered into with Ellermann,
and take possession OF the wharves , the
revenues collected to be thrown into
special fund to be applied, first, to FILL
ing the batture, the maintenance and
repairing of the wharves, and the neces-
sary expense Of collection; the balance
to be applied to the purchase OF the
wharf bonds from the lowest bidder on
the 1st of January, 1877, the wharf dues
to be reduced to one half OF the present
rates.
According to this plan, it is proposed
not only to show that under the present
system the wharves are self-sustaiDing,
but that the
AREA OF WHARFAdE.
can be reduced nearly one half, lessen
ing the expenses OF reconstruction re-
pairs to that extent, by the following
process.
The wharves with the exception of
the steamboat landingl measure eighty
feet front by one hundred deep, or an
area of eight thousand square feet, or
i'm wharf building parlance eighty
squares" 1t Is proposed to fill the
batture up to within fifty feet OF the
water front of the wharves, at an esti-
mated cost Of three hundred dollars for
each wharf Tor equal area along the
steamboat landing). including bulk
head, grading and ballasting; thereby
leaving only forty squares OF each
wharf TO be kept in repair, and for
which purpose the timber and lum-
ber removed from the other half Of
the wharf shall be reserved. This
filling up, Mr.. Burke asserts. can be
done at his figures, owing to possession
bv the city OF the five dredging machines
recently purchased from the Drainage
Company. and which are now lying
idle. The area to be reclaimed does not
exceed
stx THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SQUARES,
and even though the entire work were
performed within the first year, would
cost $45, 900 to be completed.
The total area Of our wharves, accord
ing to the measurements OF the City Sur
veyor, is 1926 squares leach square is
ten feet squared this would leave only
7O26 squares to be kept in order. Ac-
cordinp to the statement OF Eager, Ell
hermann 70 Co., these wharves can be
constructed at $22 per square, and Mr..
Caryin said it could be done for even
less. According to these gentlemen's
statements the wharves are good for
five wears. The total cost, therefore, at
$22 would be $154,572, or an average OF
$3O. .s14 q year, to which, for more security
and to meet contingencies SIG, 900 should
be added, making the average $40, ,914
the total cost Of keeping the wharves in
constant and perfect repair. without
taking into consideration the almost
new timber and lumber reclaimed by
the filling in and extension of the levee
into the river.
Taking even these dull times as a
criterion and last years figures for ex-
ample. the revenues OF the wh6rveS OF
the city amounted to
$2l5,OOO.
Which. even though the revenues
were reduced one half, after deducting
the cost OF keeping the wharves in re-
pair and the payment OF salaries for the
collection Of the revenues, say fifteen
| thousand dollars at the outside, would
still have margin of nearly fifty thou
sand dollars TO Be applied to the buying
| in of the bonds. The item OF $45 900 for
filling up is purposely not included in
| the expenses, since 1T was not proposed
to perform the entire work at once.
| But even should that be the case
it would only be applying the revenues
OF the wharves to their legitimate pur..
poses in accordance with the decree OF
the Supreme Court In the Cannon case.
By simple calculation, the robberies
Of the Radical administration will be-
come apparent. Within three years
and a half they expended 1888, 900;
Now, admitting that to-day all
the ,wharves Of the city were
washed away, and not avestige left
of them, the 1926 squares, at $25 9
square (Which Is greatly in excess ol
what they can be built for, according te
Mr.. Carvin and Ellermann q Coz, could