The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-31
MUNICIPAL. MATrERs.
The River Front-The sugar shed Guess
-. tim.


ti0n.
The following petition IL being circulated and
receiving signatures, prior to being presented 70
the City Council. Wegiveit entire. asit treats Of
i very important question and touches on abstract
Subjects OF no less interest:
TO che Honorable Mayor and Administrators Of
the CITY Of New Orleans
We. the undersigned, citiSsns and property
holders Of the second and Third Districts OF the
city. respectfully and earnestly Call the special
attention on your honorable body to the condi-
tiAn OF the wharves and levees In our districts,
and pray THAI you will take some action to pre-
vent the caving 10 of the landings.
For the last three years the cRving has been
unprecedented; In many placesslt has extended
mp TO the streets, and greater extent OF the
ievee and landings has cayed and disappeared in
the river than has occurred In forty years pre-
vious. While sucb has been the disastrous con-
dono OF our part Of the CITY, the whole river front
in the First, Fourth and Fifth Di tricts 10 con-
stantly making out into the river whereby the city,
from the extension OF wharves aud filling in of the
batture, lie steadily accommodating a large amount
OF valuable property, We are Of the opinion, az
ter careful consideration of the subject and con-
AultAtton with scientific engineers, that system
OF distractions to the current Of the river, which
is now constantly undermining and carrying
away the levees In our districts, should be
adopted. Fascines or willow mattresses sunk in
front Of the leveee would have the desired effect
and give permanent front for wharves and
landings.
We are fully aware that to carry out this extern
sive and expensive work would require large
outlay OF money, perhaps more than the city
could undertake at the present moment, but the
revenues OF the wharves If applied solely to their
legitimate purpose would, we believe, be ade-
quate to accomplish it. We understand that the
contract with the present lessees OF the wharves
requires them to redeem five or six hundred
thousand dollars of wharf bonds, issued for the
construction of the wharves some six or seven
years aRo-wharves which have long since de-
cayed or sunk into the river, We also learn that
the Supreme Court OF the United States has de-
sctded that the city of New Orleans cannot legally
charge more wharfage than is necessary to keep
the WRarves and landings in good order and con-
dition. SIhe legality of the wharf bonds has been
seriously Questioned, and certainly they have no
better status than the other bonds issued by the
city. Why then cannot the redemption Of the
wharf bonds be postponed, or why should they
not be funded in premium bonds, and then let the
revenues of the wharves be app led to such per-
manent improvement of the wharves and land
ings as we have in part suggested, but which is
net possible while the larger portion of the reve
nues is taken to pay bonds which are given
preference, not legal or equitable, but detrimen-
tai to the best inter ats OF the city and especially
hurtful to that part of the city where your petit
TONERS reside2
We trust that the foregoing facts will convince
your honorable body that radical change is
tricts, and some new methed must be pursued
IN protecting our BINDINGS and leyees The plan
which has been followed for several years is any
thing but satisfactory. New wharves are built
on unstable foundations and coon slide into the
river, the abrasion of the banks ia increasing.
and for nearly the entire year our levee, instead
OF being lined with vessels whioh give employ
ment and bring business to go many of our peo-
pie, presents only long line of wrecked wharves
and caving banks. We foolishly build on
sand instead OF foundation as durable as rock
We have all eady suggested system which, we
beiieve, will be Effective, and we have indicated
where the means could be found to carry it out
Our districts have right to demand that the
wharf revenues shall be used in keeping the
wharves and levees in the most permanent man
ner, and we submit to your honorable body that
the city should not hesitate to apply them, and
leave bondholders to take their chance with
other creditors of the city, who merit, at least,
equal consideration.
Hoping for favorable action, your petitioners
pray that this memorial will receive your prompt
attention.
In this connection we may say that the wharf
contractors are sinking the piles for one of the
wharves in the Third District, and expect to
complete all the wharves in that district, eight in
number. between the LIST and 18th October.
THE SUGAR SHEDS.
DIR. Warren Brickell visited Mayor Pilsbury
and Administrator Denis on Thursday morning,
TO urge upon them the necessity of taking some
action against the Sugar Shed Company, which
the Doctor charged in unmessured terms with
having violated their obligations beyond the
right to ask for compromise. He gave it as his