The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-15
THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL
It's Interpretation and Logic.

It was the current resolve with Conserva-
tive members that they would not grant pro-
vision for the State Government unless the
Radical Senate would consent to the abolish
ment of the Returning Board. The General
Appropriation bill passed in each House by
large majority, and the Returning Board re-
mains untouched. Putting things together,
the meaning of it all is that declarations
made by members when party spirit blazes
brightly are no sure signs and promises of
what they will say, how they will think, OF
how they will vote after a few days Of refec-
ton.
The salaries voted for the usurping Execu-
tive Department amount with their contingent
expenses to $97,360. of which no Democrat
receives q dime. The salaries are ample in
all cases and in not few they are much too
large, but they were conceded with very little
debate. Democrats in the House were
sensible of the unworthiness of many of these
officers and their general lack Of the faithful
spirit which is essential to good public
servant. The press has been for years COM
menting on the shortcomings of Radical
State and local officials, and few members of
the Conservative Caucus have any respect or
consideration for them, or any notable amount
of confidence in them. They agree, however,
to pay full wages to men whom they do not
like, whom they distrust and who are gen.
orally their personal opponents.
The logic of all this seems to be that hard
words are not always to be understood as in.
dicating permanent hard feeling; that friends
of reform respect Offices when they have but
little respect for their incumbents and that
the necessity Of keeping the machinery OF
State government in motion is paramount,
even in the estimate Of ardent friends of re-
form, to the duty of treating public servants
according to their deserts by Withholding the
wages which they do not earn.
For the judiciary department the allowance
is $3l8,OOO This includes $685. 500 for the
Judges Of the Supreme Court, who have for
years past quietly put in their pockets $4,000
a year each more than the Constitution ailow VS..
1t includes $122.O for salaries Of parish
Judges, declared by q very large majority of
the House to be an abnormal, gangrenous
and unsighly outgrowth upon our judiciary
department The Interpretation from these
lavish judicial grants is, again, that legisla-
tive disgust, aversion and enmity ooze out in
preliminary debate and do not lead to ex-
tremes in legislative action.
Miscellaneous appropriations by the same
generous bill amount to $206. 500, which in
cludes SIS 400 for the State Engineer Depart
ment, $500 for Adjutant General, his clerk,
armory and keepers, 500. 900 for charitable
institutions, $4,000 for State Printer, for
work which could by contract be as well done
for $4,000 or less, 900 for assessment OF
taxes, etc. Out of q special fund about $780,
600 was appropriated to the Charity Hospital.
the warrants from the general fund being
made receivable for State licenses. All this
indicates liberal and pacific spirit, quite in
contrast with what had baen previously said.
We all remember what was said about the
State Superintendent Of Public Schools, the
division superinten dents, the character Of
country schools, the stealing of school tax
money, ETC., yet the current scnool lund
is magnanimously distributed to the
amount of s576. 500, Of which Brown
gets $4,000, his secretary $500. Booth
by $4,000, his assistant $1,000, and
the five other division superintendents out
aide of New Orleans $500 each. This is as
much as to say that the managers Of the State
schools are usurpers, their pay extrsvagant.
their acts productive Of little good and much
evil, the embezzlements OF treasures gross
and palpable, and the schools Of
many parishes . disgraceful mockery,
vet Won are ell to continue in your useless and
damaging career, and here are ample funds to
Be again abused.
OF 81 IL interest and levee funds, asses
| - ma their boa.ds 1--we 466, 900, the last
lSrno 11 - = ~ HI