The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-22
TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.

|
! Editor Democrat am not much in
favor Of newspaper controversies, but an
article in Wednesdays Bulletin prompts
me to show certain figures which the
writer thereof seems to ignore. We have
| in this city, subject to public charity,
| twenty asylums besides the Charity
Hospital, City Insane Asylum ard House
of Refuge, which contain in the aggre-
gate 1877 inmates. The aggregate value
of these institutions, as per estimate
below, Is $63O,OOO. Putting the tax on
same at three per cent and we have
SIS, 300 to feed and clothe 1877 persons,
and to repair the buildings, should the
properties be taxed, and the city provide
FOR the asylums. The property, inde-
pendent OF the asylums' and bringing in
incomes, is worth about $4,000 and /
venture to say that IL all the asylum
properties in the city were put up under
the hammer, it would not sell for
$500, 900.
The two richest institutions we have,
the Cathedral and the Poydras Asylum,
cannot, l believe, be taxed BY the very
act OF donation from Don Almonaster
and Julien Poydras, the properties are
free from tax, and the conditions. / un-
derstand, we're accepted by the Legis-
lature. There can be no distinction be-
tween our charitable institutions some
cannot be exempted whilst others are
taxed. Most OF the asyluns receive
little or nothing from the city or State,
and are to-day heavily In debt for the
building, food and clothing.
Any one knowing the different pro-
perties will easily see that in most cases
the estimate below is very high for the
times.
Do we want to force our charitable in
stitutions to do rs in Europe, invest the
money given them in Government
bonds, thereby paying no tax whatever,
or else allow them to invest them in real
estate, thereby improving our. city. Mr..
Maenhaut left to several asylums what
was thought to be valuable property I;
now this same property would barely
pay the taxes Ii it were assessed. The
result to be obtained by taxing the rev.
enue property Of our charitable institu
tions would be to cause them to sell out
and invest in some security which would
be exempt from taxation, say United
States bonds, thereby diverting at least
$500, 900 from our city.
Respectfully yours,
W. 2. FRERET.
ESTIMATED VALUE OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
The st. Vincent Boys Home, No. 371
Bienville street, has 100 boys; $4,000.
The House of the Good Shepherd, cor
ner of Bienville and Broad, 270 girls
$4,000.
The Providence, corner of Esplanade
and Miro, 20 old people; S25O0.
The Louisiana Asylum for colored,
Tonti and Hospital, rs children; S2500.
The Little Sisters OF the Poor, La
$55,O0O.
Mount Carmel Asylum, No. So Piety
street, 81 girls; $4,000.
st. Mary's Asylum, Chartres and Ma
sange, 270 boys; $4,000.
Immaculate Conception, Rampant and
Elmira, 70 girls $40, 900.
Jewish Benevolent Touro Asylum,
Peters and Calliope, Is patients; $35, 900.
Female Orphan Asylum, Clio and Pry-
tania, 145 girls; $4,000.
st. Vincent Asylum, Race and Maga-
zine, 200 infants; $65, 900.
st. Anna's Widows Home. st. Mary
German Orphan Asylum, Josephine
and Laurel, 200 children; $4,000.
Jewish Home, Jackson and Chippewa,
SO inmates; $35, 900. I..f,...s4 $3.50 s
Protestant Episcopal Home, jackson
and Fulton, SO girls; $4,000. 4s
Protestant Episcopal Home, Seventh
and Constance, 100 children; $25, 900.
st. Alphonsus Asylum, Washington
and st. Patrick, just opened; $25, 900.
st. Elizabeth Home, Napoleon ave-
nue. and Prytania, $50 girls; $35,OO0.
Poydras Asylum, Magazine and Pc
ters, 1OS girls; $4,000.
German Protestant Home, State and
Camp, 1O2 children 1876, 200.
Louisiana Retreat Nashville and
Magazine, 80 insane; $4,000. This is
really not charitable institution.