The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-24
NEW ORLEANS MUST BE MADE A
FREE CITY,


The commission engaged In the inves.
tigation Of the subject OF licenses and
port charges is prosecuting its investi.
cations with industry and thorough
research into the laws and regulations
of other States and cities touching these
interesting subjects, and 1t has proceeded
far enough to lay bare the enormous
obstructions which burden our COM
merce and prosperity. Enough has been
exhibited to the members of the
committee to satisfy them that
without great and material changes
| In the system, inherited from the Span
| ish governors Of this State, of burden
ing industry and trade with innumer-
able exactions and fees, all the other
| various enterprises, like railroads. and
deepening the bar of the Mississippi.
and constructing canals, will prove in
effective. to revive and promote our
prosperity as q great commercial mart.
The abolition Of such restrictions is the
first step towards these objects. In
stead Of being as nearly as possible q
free city for the landing and exchange
of the great products of the Mississippi
Valley, OF which 1t is the depot, and the
controller of the mouth Of the river, 1t
has been converted through this old
Spanish policy into close port. where
rings, monopolies and local govern
m ents are nourished and supported by
q taxation which would be rejected even
In Oriental ports, and which has long
since been abandoned In all prosperous
and progressive cities. Indeed, the old
Spanish system has been improved In
this respect by their American success
sors. Their old charge for deposit on
all products landed on the levee. which.
before the cession provoked the fill
buster movements in the upper country,
and threatened to bring down upon the
Spaniards the whole fighting population
OF Kentucky and Tennessee, was a mere
trifle to the aggregate charges now
heaped upon every product landed and
manipulated in this city.
Here we have wharfage rates now
graduated so as to liquidate an old debt
of the city, incurred with vast amount
Of fraud by previous government,
for wharves now long since swept
away, though the Supreme Court of the
United States has determined that no
charge for wharfage can be made, ex-
cept for the repair and keeping in good
order the wharves.
Then we have or permit heavy
charges for towage, for pilotage, quar-
antine charges, harbormasters' fees,
| portwardens' fees, whartingers' fees,
and for inspection Of all commodities,
and heavy licenses for the sale Of all
articles from blackberries to beeves.
Suppose the city were to abolish all
these charges which are within its con-
fine, and the Legislature should enact
laws to restrict the overcharges OF
licensed monopolies, what enormous
relief would it bring to commerce. and
what encouragement it would give
to enterprise, and capital? What
other reform would go so far to
make this free port and city,
and attract population, trade and
capital ? And even IL such policy
should necessitate an increase Of the
burdens on property and income, would
it not in the end prove benefit and re-
lief to the taxpayers in the increase OF
the profits of their trade and of the
value OF their real estate.
| Can we expect such an increase as
long as we persist in system Of gov.
| eminent exactions and restrictions oil
trade that repels trade and industry
Other communities have offered boun.
ties to encourage people to engage in
productive industries and enterprises,
Here the first thing that Is done is to
tax them. Before you can sell single
article, even the product Of your own
brain and skill, you must pay license
and the rates are very high, to both city
and State; and this is justified on the
policy and pretext Of protecting estab.
lishments which have paid licenses and
thereby required sort Of monopoly. As
If it were the policy Of a city whose pop.
ulation has declined, and consequently
employments and occupations, to pre-.
vent any addition to the number OF our
population and to the amount Of CAPT
tai and enterprise employed in trade
and industry. And as il the abolition
of this license system would not place
resident traders and all new corners on
a basis Of equality and thereby secure
to the people the benefits Of free trade
and competition.
We fervently hope that the able com.
mission engaged on this subject, com
posed OF some Of our ablest Legislators
and our most intelligent merchants, will
sift these questions to the bottom, and
present some practical plan for com
plete change and revolution of the toe
long Endorsed old Spanish, or rather
Chinese. system that has prevailed In