The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-06-16
Parish Reform and the Polio
jury.

manner OF cuuunCilnT our laloCl''ai
affairs by the several Police Jnr'es
since the days of recon tr"ctlon,
we lave every assurance, from the
standing, capacity and character OF
the gentlemen lately appointed, Will
now be stopped, and system, rs well
as honesty, will be the rule.
We can mention several measures
of needed reform, but before doing
80, we beg our members to abandon
the okl time policy of attending the
cry of the taxpayer for cnltailmcnt
of expenses, by "throw;ng overheard
four hundred dollar clerk.' Here,
toforc, WREN popular clamor demand
cd rctlenchmcnt, it has been the habit
to curtail the salaries Of the gcspon-
sible officers of the Polic" Jury, such
as their Chlk, Attorney, President
and Treasurer, as an appcaslnS balt
to the threatening horde. Hereafter
we have every reason to hope that
the demand for a reduction of cx-
pcnses will he met by Topping OFT
harnacles, such as panpers, and redn-
cling to the minimum required by the
law tho outrageous Jail fees and
sheriff. charges in criminal expenses.
We do not propose t" recommend
that the fees of parish officials be cnt
down to starvation allowances, but
will insist, along with all taxpayers.
that exhorbitant criminal fees will
not he allowed as heretofore.
AS all taxes aud licenses due the
parish in future, must be collected in
United States currency, We have at
once an incentive to retTrnch, and a
good reason fol reducing fees, which
were placed at cxholbitant figures in
tho past in order to meet the market
decline in worthless parish scrip
BaSing our estimate upon tins law
1cuui,lng the non. issuance of papt,
by parochial authorities unless there
be cash in hands of Treasurer tt
| meet such paper on demand, we con-
slider that $1,000 is more than sufficient
for the entire criminal expenses ("
this parish. This includes pay tt
Sheriff, Clerk, Jurors, Witnesses ant
Jall expenses. Five Thousand dol
lars in addition to this will cover al
disbursements for other purposes
such as salaries, repair Of parish pro
perry, collector, 5 fees, printing. pay
to legitimate Ianpels (uot p"lltlca
meu,licants as have in time past sub
sisted upon the public Treasury
schools, loads and bridges.
This revenue Of ten thousand dol.
lars can be produced in this parish by
a tax levy of y mills on the dollar
Il reduction from the rate of the Re.
publican lrvy's of 1873 and 1876, OF
7 mills, and saving in the amount
of taxation over those years of Re
publican rule of $1,000 per year. Be.
sides this reduction of expenses, we
conduct the affairs Of the parish in a
more satisfactory manner, not only
to the public servants, but to the
pnblic's taxpayer.
We consider that in order to secure
tho services of competent men as
public officers, it is not only our duty
but it is economy to pay them fair
and legitimate wages for those seryi,
ces. This parish has suffered the
loss of tens of thousands of dollars,
from not only venal officials, but from
idiotic, incompetent Clerks and Trea-
surers. Let our new Police Jury
make it tho rule to pay competent
men fair salaries, and then exact of
them a strict observance of their du-
ties under the law. No man who is
competent will do work for nothing.
Let us pay bid to intelligence in all
our minor positions.
| The Shreveport Telegram (radical|