The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-07

III nOpeIHl anticipation OF still fHfth9r re1lG-t
tions in @ few years, Where are our efforts In
this direction2
| say that unless our Legislature drop aIl
special bills and address themselves honestly
end zealously tQ redressing real grievances
the death knel Of Our party will soon be rlliig,
and with the death OF our party dies all hope
of our political and financial regeneration.
DEMOCRAT.
INsP EETION or COAL OIL AND PAR.
MENT OF FEES THEREFOR,
Ii 1t Necessary for the safety of the Cess..
sumers Of Coal OH
That is question now pending before the
Legislature. We propose to adduee the
reasons why ii should be answered In the neg
ative Promising that some legislation ID ne
eessary In order TO protect the community as
far as possible from being the victim Of It's
own oarelessness, 1t is evident that such an
end can only be attained by preventing the
sale or use OF all coal oil that is below GER
tain grade and as q consequence Is danger
GUS TO handle In order to accom- plish this
result IT Is apparent, that the sale
OF oils below the grade established by
law must carry with it some punish
ment, Or the law will be imperative. This
Of New York and Ohio, where the sale OF coal
oil below q certain grade h made misde-
meanor punishable with fine and imprison-
nent and to this extent 1T is unquestfonable
laws d Ohio and New York might Be- Be- i'm M
proved upon by giving half the fine imposed
for any infraetiOn OF the law to the informer;
| by making the fine large one, q stimuant is
thus given to the detection OF offenses. But
| In addition to such measure the Legislaa
ture proposes to continue in force the present
| inspection system OF coal oil and to double
| the fees which the coal oil merchants Of
New Orleans s are % now compelled to pay.
| such inspeeti0n give tn tha rn,h.3
| lic2 II It is made crime to sell coal oil be-
low a certain grade, 1t would not be more OF q
crime to sell oil OF the same grade that had
not been inspected II the coal oil merchant
lis disposed to violate the law by selling oil OF
| prohibited quality, his infraetion Of the law
would be rendered no more difficult by the
fact that the oil Is required to be inspected.
| Nothing is easier than to change mark On A
after all, inspection can only be enforced by
| the inflietion OF q penalty for selling non-iTl-
| speeted oil 1; SO we come back to the original
point, and find that we must ultimately en-
| force the law In the criminal court. But, on
| the other hand, the evils OF the inspee-
| tion system, or rather, the evils of the.
system Of forced payment OF fees for inspee-
ton, are great and manifest, for the cost Of
the inspection must be added to the price oil
the article to be paid by the consumer. Coal
oil is staple article A difference Of d quar-
ter of o cent gallon tthe present inspection
feel will la many cases, and In oil cases Of
|
sale. Under the present law that fee Is paid
only In the parish OF Orleans; the result has
been that for the past year, since the system
has been In operation, Memphis and st Louis
81 points which had hitherto bodglt from New
Orleans 1t will hardly be urged that va
are go prosperous in New Orleans as to-
ignore any branch OF trade particularly a
daa taas Which ths ndst, has T. tas = tasa last ter
and made of q fourth rate town splendid
city. 1t is proposed to amend this law now
in existence, and to double the present In
spection fees. The present law Is In one re-
inspection law, and it's advocates justify the
tax which, under the name of an inspection
i Zee, Is afsesea upon cs,a1 oil, by The state
ment that such tax Is necessary to pay the
expenses Of inspection But it is to be noticed
that these fees are not paid TO the inspector,
but to the Board OF Health; it appoints tie
inspector, pays him what salary 1t pleases,
and takes all the fees. During last year the
Board OF Health claims that the expenses OF
inspection were s27o over It's receipts. Grant
ing such to be the fact we have an estimate
made by the Board OF Health itself, that Its
receipts for this year ct the present rate will
be $500. To double the fees will give them
$500 more with which to cover a possible de-
fieit of S27O, the surplus going to the Board of
Health. The justice OF thus taxing one arti-
Gle to pay the general expenses OF the Board
Of Health 10 not very apparent. We in this
l
question OF legislation necessary as to coal
oil, might learn something from the experi-
ence Of other States. For ten years, from
1862 to 1872, Ohio had an inspection law sinai
siana In 1872 she abolished all inspection,
and simply made it q crime, punishable with
| fine and imprisonment, to sell coal oil
below certain grade; apd also made all per-
ssponsb ssns sf1s ssyy RI dr pS5shissa pSssa q aaa Ht
cause. In these respects she but adopted the
| law of New York, where there never was an.
inspection law, but where in 1865, 1t was made
a crime to sell or keep coal oil below q certain
grade we're made liable .civilly for all dam
ages caused thereby, and In case OF death en-
| suing from the explosion of oils OF q aprohib-
tied grade, the seller was declared to be
guilty OF maDslaughter and to be punishable
| by imprisonment and fine OF not less than
| $1,000. If these laws work well In Ohio and
| New York. they will work equally well here.
Inspection has been tried here with no result
whatever, except to drive off trade ID coal Gil.
| be well now, therefore, to abolish
that incubus on trade, and adopt the
sensible laws Of New York and Ohio. There
is but one other forced inspection In this State,
| and that is the inspection Of hay; that law
was made by q Radical Legislature, and has
been freely denounced as an uniustihable jra-3
terference with trade for the benefit of few
offieeholders. Certainly our legislators should
method capable OF protecting the people from
the sale Of dangerous oils before they levy s
| tribute, under the name Of an inspection fee,
upon an important branch OF trade. In view
will be hard for them to reach any such con-
clusion. Let them prohibit under the se-:
verest penalties the sale OF oil below d
certain grade. Let them make the seller
Of prohibited oils responsible, civilly and
cr1minally, Tor any damages that such
| oils NAV do. lot them atirdtftafa the finkpn-