New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-18
u! HksS 1k 1876

E!'E I i : 4 ! J R 1876.
lshuwuuskmrspsar in .sfth w6gk, JlunbS
Or other work, have been done BY tho On
panyf When, where, on what levees an
In what parishes, tho names of tho Col
J tractors on these respective contraots. m
the various amOunts in money, warrants Q
vouchers received, ii any, from the State l
said period, since October /, 1874. =
In answer to which was received the to
loving reply with document d.
NEW ORLEANS, July l9, 1875.
G. L. Walker. Chairman Committee:
| Your letter of the tenth of July, GOVERN
interrogstories addressed to ms as pres
dent Of the Louisiana Levee Company, ha
been received and contents noted.
shall answer the interrogat0ries full
and explicitly. This company has Away
courted inquiry and investigation on tn
part of the State authorities, either execu
tive or legislative, on all matter or point
tending to show whether our company ha'
faithfully performed it's contract with tn
State. ! would, however, respectfully cal
| your attention to the character OF the sec
| Ond question, which seems to assume tn
| right on your part to inquire into matter
relating to private management, which be
longs only properly to the stockholders o
our company, and which are proper sui
jects only for q report to the directors ant
officers of the company itself, concerning
which the State has nothing to do.
MY sense of duty to the stockholders o
the Ievee Company and q due regard 70
the interests committed to my hands, com
pels me to protest against this line Of in
| quiry. The answer, however, shall be a
| explicit as though the inquiry were, in m.
mind, fully within the legitimate purposes
| of the Investigations.
Amounts received from the State from
October l. 1874. to July TO- 1875, for wOrl
done in 1874, $l0l 900; for work done il
1871, 1872 and 1873, $2l5, 6OO-total $3l6, 600
see tabulated statement; average price pei
cubic yard, 80 54-lO0 cents.
In connection with this subject, although
your question does not include previous
years, would state that the price paid tt
sub-cOntractOrs for previous yea has beer
on an average of 35% cents per cubic yard
showing "a 72-l00 cents per cubic yard AZ
the average paid to sub-cOntractors for all
the levees built from first to last, exclusive
Of all incidental expenses of engineers, etc
and interest for advances.
The Hickey levee was originally let at
twenty-seven cents, but the sub-cOntractOr
finding that he was losing money, solicited
agreed to pay thirty.fve cents; and the
company was subsequently compelled, in
order to have it completed in time tor high
water, to relet the larger portion of the
work at forty cents.
The DR.. Head levee was completed in the
previous fiscal year, but was omitted from
the returns, and hence appears IN the pres
ent statement.
The Hard Times levee ESTIMATED at
rAei mil h. 81. Lal l.:
week, and is the last Of the levees ordered
to be build this year. This work was con-
tracted tor to be finished on the irst IF
January, 1875, bat owing to the fault of the
sub-contractOrs, has been delayed until this
time.
Levees built from October /. 1874, to July
10, 1875, out of the quota Of 1875 and 1876,
l55, 653 cubic yards; see tabulated state
ment.
In addition to which the company is
building the Bayou Vidal lsvee. Tensas
parish, let at iorty-twO cents per cubic
yard, and estimated Vt IS 900 cubic yards.
To enable you to arrive ut q just appreci-
alton of the above tables, showing work
done and prices paid, it is necessary that
call your attention to the fact that, under
no circumstances, even when the taxes are
promptly paid, does this company receive
payment otherwise than during the year
subsequent to the building of the levees.
The levees, in other words, to be built in
the working year of 1874. are to be paid for
and collectible only in 1875 and are COL
lected usually in the last six months of the
year when due; consequently, this company
has to wait twelve months for the repay.
ment of their advance and the outlay for
the building of the levees, under the most
favorable condition OF things. But every
one is we'll aware Of the fact that the paw
ment of the taxes is delayed one, two and
three years after they are due,
thus compelling the Levee Company to
garry their advances two, three and four
years, at high rates Of interest, awaiting
The payment of back taxes. If any interest
tor back taxes be charged az q penalty,
such interest inures exclusively to the ben
Tit of the general State fund, aud not to the
Levee Company, to whom il should be due.
l would call your attention also to this
fact, that the prices paid per cubic yard in
5he above table are the prices paid per Gu
bic yard, and are the prices actually paid
The sub contractor on q cash basis, and no
account is had, and nothing is added for
The incidental expenses of running the
,tice, and the experimenting the execu-
ion of work done, such - the compensa.
ion of engineers, clerks, rents, etc, all of
which necessarily increase considerably the
,ost of constructing the levees. These ad-
litiOnal disbursements are absolutely e.
'tructiOn Of levees, and the management of
The affairs of the company. We have
usually in the employ Of the company q
Of engineers, provided for by |
aw, chief engineer, with three or four as
'istants, whose special duties are to visit |
the localities where work is |
being done, to supervise the work, to see |
hat it is properly done, and that no i'm |
proper material is used in constructing the |
work, at least monthly, as the work pro- |
presses. During periods of high water we |
lave employed large number of inspec. |
Ors to look after the condition of the levees |
No account is taken of these incidental ex-
,enses.
l deem it my duty as president of the |
company to express my regret at the spirit |
which appears to animate many of our |
itizens to speak harshly and in terms of |
IF the Levee Company, and |
his. too, in most cases, by persons who |
ave never taken the trouble to examine |
ntO. and who are therefore ignorant of the |
lature and terms of the contract between
he State and the Levee Company, and |
whether the obligations Of that contract |
ave been as faithfully complied with by
he one as by the other party.
l beg leave to assure you that this COM
any is not and never has been defaulter |
o its contract, nor should it be considered !
criminal, to be adjudged before it is |
card. The history of the company, to say
Othing of the character of it's Stockholders |
nd directors associated with nue. in its man
cement, will prove conclusively that the |
abors Of the company, though not so fruit |
III of results as we could have desired, have |
cen far more onerous than profitable, and |
ave contributed, if not to the salvation,
ertainly largely to the protection of the |
gricultural interests of the State, and that |
hese labors deserve more praise than
lame.
JOHN HENDERSON, President.
On the twenty -sevonth Ot .Tulv vOur