The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-23
Police Expenditures,

ment that d bill has been presented to. me
the cost Of the city police from $3.50 per an
rum TO- ! believe. si7b,ooo. What object Mi ~;
Fitzpatrek expec to accomplish by ms OH u
the passage OF this ILL dsised me.snre there 10
no fund to draw fro to meet the increased ex-
The school fund. by the school board. is pro-
nouneed To b. altogether Inadequate to. defray
the expenses Of public education on me most
economical scale. So glaring Is The tnsuiHc,en-
oy of the amount set aside for the SCHOOLS that
a. attorney has been employed by tn school g
INV N I'M ireass s aon to tie extreme
limit assigned BY the Legislature Hence the
fund appropria ed to. public education cannot
Be touched upon for the purpose OF meeting an
increased expenditure for DO Ice or other pur-
could euutaby be drawn from. as 1t is excessive.
but undert tand their arrangement with the
city IL regarded in the light Of a contract, and
na Th SoP n.srsst p will be held
sapF Es \, rrent o,nense. Of The various city de-
spartmsnts cannot well be curtai led. without
serious disadvantages. and as taxation fs limited
by law to I3s per cent. and az assessments are
property, where MIR. r. il to draw the funds to
supply the increased expenditure contemplated
by this bill. is d problem oil seemingly 1mpossi-
But, suppose the increased expense could be
drawn, from some. nov, unknown source. the
y lshy 81 itse ns L
taxation. substantial grievance, against which
we have been contending for years. as an evil
which justified change OF government. even
maintain that ss25, 900 is not only amply suf-
hcientto police The city OF New Orleans but
that 320D, 900. under proper management, would
Give US as good. and perhaps q nstter police than
the, present one; the city OF Miiwaukee. wi, IN b
half the population Of New Orleans. or about
100 900 Ia poced at an expense of t4s o2o, as per
report of the year en,i,Dg In the spring OF 1874.
Three hundred patrolmen at $500 ,per annum,
Ynl han
meet all other expenses. 1t Is asserted that 800
men are not sufficient to D., lice this large city.
can say. as judgments will differ; but have no
hesitation In saying hat 900 men who are en-
ployed to perfo m their duties, and the per
fnanence OF whose places depends on their eff
cheney will police the city much better than 500,
whose only title to place is their fanoied ser
s q ne 6e S s
which should utterly dsaualfy them from fill
i Ing any position OF trust whatever.
But Ii ID said that not $50 per month, but ST5
are required to secure the services OF good men
on the police. lwouid ask from what class are
the police mainly urawn2 Do they have to serve
men of advanced education and OF O high order
Of intellect. to entitle hem. in our impoverish-
A 9 Rs ag9 rom me
classes of the community. Health, strength.
sobriety aud common intelligence are all that
course, we would like to have integrity and
many other good qualities. but we al Just as
likely to obtain them for $40 per month as for
The most reliable and trustworty laborng
men are. and have been for years. employed for
when employment is variable aud inconstant.
With that constant employment which men
could obtain on the police, the very best could
be procured for $500 yer annum. But whether
on the police. or n any other employment ne men
shs eese z ans is owe by @eh
from employment. nine times In ten he Is an
efficient employe. and u he Is not $500 per
But why OK by law the price at which the city
must pay tts employees? Is not thls forcing
ne - vl Il ps s at Re prie
that which might be bou sht more cheaply? LIS
1t not the duty OF the Council to purchase at the
iii Th i. s 4 feature - Radical government
was its compelling the city to do certain things
Vt fixed price, Instead Of permitting the ,un.
to perpetuate this. Of oil enormities the worst?
Az to the number of the police force which
as there is no fixed standard. q great discrep-
ancy OF opinion must exist but o few facts. we'll
considered. will enable US, think. to arrive at
son and common sense have be-n consulted In
liking the number Of the police ut its present
d Il ts pooe IS the %
that crime would be- thus prevented. When
robbery. murder. or other acts ct wrong have
police?s. The answer Invariably is. They are
too few In number 10 guard the city efreetualy'
And thus the people ate gradually taught to be-
that is requisite to insur'. its Efficiency.
But the records of crime show that an In,
very little, ii anything, to it's tffi ency In the
back room OF ZONE cuGee- house. two men quar-
rel over cards aud one or both are killed; two
roustabou's quarrel on steamboat and one
stabs the other two men quarrel over q BUSH
ness matter and one shoots the other down.
such y the daily history q crime me- and eyefy
number OF policemen, even up to thousands.
would in any appreciate egree prevent these
saye very te eet IN ces
against persons, and Sd 1t can be said with
equal truth OF offenses aga INST property. What
suburbs OF q city beyond the police limits?
40 the country good bolts and bars. strong
arms ana double barreled shoguns are their
well suggest itself that ii the whole polio sys-
tenn were abolished us far as its projecting du-
Der OF men retained to make arrests and exc
cute civil process. whether prison and proper,
y would a net be sas whilst the and
certainly be greatly decreased.
Why should government attemps that which
sfYortS Witbouta protecting police, each man
would guard bis own residence. or join with
his neighbors Ia employing private watch
be was efficielt i,r the purpose for which he
| was employed. would not only better perform
MS duties. put eould never De USED as an In
strument OF oppression by unprincipled parti-
sans or INSCRIPTIONS asplFants for office to
control primary and other elections. On this
point will quote one of the most profou nd
thinkers and Logical reaso ners of his country
Herbert Spencer. In speaking of men doing
spontaneously for themselves. instead of de-
Epending upon the agency Of government. he
says:
4 How invariably offical'sm becomes corrupt
L every one knows. Exuosed to no such antisep-
4 Tic as free competion-not dependent for en-
Y istenca. as private. unendowed organiza ions
ARE. upon the maintenance of a vigorous vital
8aty, al law made agencies fall into an inert,
#pver-fed state. Salaries flow in irrespective Of
|3he activity with which duty is performed,
again. he says: Given a race OF men having
certain proclivitv to misconduct. and the aues-
s5tlon Is, whether society of these men shall be
ESQ organized that ill-conduct dire tly brings
Bapunishment. OF. whether it shall be so organ
lied tha., punishment is but remotely contn-
aren't on i'll conduct"
HI A cheap police is more likely to be efficient
Than an overpad one. Aud indnit ly less likely