The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-25

Mn. HHHkES PROPOSITTON BEFORE
THH COMMITTEE or THE WHOLE.
fbs tO0vaMaus ewlndle Of the Radicals
M the wharf item Alone.


~ the wharf Item Alone.
Mf. BtHke's proposition, now or about
u be brought before the committee OF
the whole ef tho City Council, Is a far
mors important and interesting matter
than the nere outlines given heretofore
IN the DrModHAr would show. Whether
adopted by the Council or not, 1t will
serve 10 dispel the impression, so gen.
sfal, by The way, that the cost OF builc-
jnp the wbafves and OF their main
tenanes Ia enormous. and prove that
Under an honest and intelligent admin
lstration they cnn be- made to be
self fsusiaiping, even by reducing the
wharfage dues
ONE HALF
This statement Is the more surprising
at this moment when Messrs. Ellermann
10 Go. are ready to abandon their lease
OF the wharf revenues but 1t is ex-
planned 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 tho Radical
rogues, when the Department OF I'm
proyements 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 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 whafves ; the
revenues collected to be thrown into a
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. 4
According to this plan, it is proposed
not only to show that under the present
system the wharves are self-sustaining,
but that the
AREA OF WHARFAGE.
can be reduced nearly one half, lessen
ing the expenses OF reconstruction and
repairs to that extent, by the following
process:
The wharves with the exception of
the steamboat landing) measure eighty
feet front by one hundred deep, or an
area of eight thousand square feet, or
in wharf building parIance 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 (or equal area along the
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-
Der removed from the other half of |
the wharf shall be reserved. This fill |
ing up, Mr.. Burke asserts, can be done |
at his figures, owing to the possession |
by 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
SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SQUARES,
and even though the entire work we're
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 1925 squares leach square is
ten feet square,; this would leave only |
7O26 squares to be kept in order. Ac-
cording to the statement Of Eager, Ell |
lermann & Co, these wharves can be
at $22 per square, and Mr..
Carvin said it could be done for even
less. According, also, to these gel tie
mems statements le whars, are good
for five years. The total cost, heretor'
at $22 would be $154, 4,572, or an average OF
$50, ,914 year, to which, Tor more security
and to meet contingencies, $40, 900 should
be added, making the average SAC, ,914
the total cost Of keeping the wtarves 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
and last years figures for ex-
ample, the revenues Of the wharves of
the city amounted to
$215,OOO.
Which, even though the revenues
we're 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 leave q margin OF nearly fifty thou
sand dollars to be applied to the buying
in of the bonds. The item Of $45, 600 for
filling up is purposely not included in
The expenses, since it was not proposed
10 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
IF the Radical administration will be-
come apparent. Within three years :
md half they expended $1,93s, 200.
Now, admitting that to-day all ,
;he wharves of the city. were