The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-20

ited, and such limitation is made o. con-
tract, mot only with the holders OF saiu pre-,
| MUM bonds, but also with oil residents ana
taxpayers Of the said city, so as to authorize
any holder of said premium bonds, resldent
or taxpayer. to legally object to any. rate Of !,
| taxation in excess Of rate herein limited
| Act 81, section 6, 1876, page 81.
| Its also my duty to call to your attention
| the fact that bonds to the amount Of six hun
dred and eighty~three thousand four nun
dred dollars (SGs3, 400, the holders OF which
| having refused to fund into premium bonds
are past due, and that the question Of their
settlement is before the courts, Also, that ~
tho next thirteen years bonds to the amount
Of four or five millions will fall due, a1d no
premium bond plan Should the decision OF
| the courts be adverse to the city, what con be
done to provide for. their payment For
the reasons given above ! conclude that
rassments Of the city have reached such
q crisis as to demand an inmedal.Gi
adjustment Of the public debt" which will
afford 20 great measure Of relief to the over
the same time give to the creditors all that
| the utmost ability Of the city can afford. Can
such o remedy be devised? with. the consent
end cooperation Of the bondholders, think
| 1t con be- Can the present debt be paid, I'M
der conditions now prevailing? ! think not,
for the reason that the debt itself Is out OF all
proportion to the resources from which It is
to be paid. In proof of this quote from the
preface OF Etle premium Don pIhn
| at can be safely assumed that the rate OF
| taxation as fixed for the present year, say one
and half 40 of one per cent, on IN assessed
value at least thirty-three and one-thlrd
| (33ta9 per cent too high, is as much rs can be
collected from our exhausted taxpayers. In
fact Ii Is doubtful II even that rate Is not too
much to Justify the expectation Of realizing
| ree-fourths Of the tax"
/ would therefore suggest for discussion
and inquiry that the debt be sealed, sny to
fifty cents ON the dollar, which would reduce
the debt to $10,000,0 900. Interest to be paid at
the ratio OF five per cent per annum ID IT,
cent?, and that each year O certain number Of
bonds should be retired on the cumulative
given, the amount now given as such being
added to the amount for redemption. For ex-
ample. the debt being $10,00O.000, there would
be paid:
First year 100000 say $250,oDl $7J0,0Oo
/ iijjetof yteeeer 4e7 ZOO sny 2G2.5DO 100000
and 50 on for twenty two (22) years, when the
oebt will be extinguished. or If the initial
amount for redemption IS too great extend
the time and reduce the amount to say
distributed in prizes under the premium bond
plan; which, together with the interest.
would make the annual payments amount to
100000, about the Same which would have
| to be realized for the allotment under the
present plan for the year 1879, and the debt
would be extingushed in thirty-seven years.
1t strikes me that this or some other similar
scheme should be adopted. clause should
| that tho tax should not exceed one and one
half ga per cent, and limiting the debt to
the amount agreed upon, such limitation fol-
| lowing the reduced debt until the whole Is eX-
tingushed; and that the city shall never issue
any bonds or other evidence OF indebtedness
except upon d vote Of o majority Of the quail
| fled electors of the city. Failing this, or some
| kindred plan, I will advocate the insertion Of
clause In the constitution Of the state, that
the revenues of tho city, when collected by
the proper officers shall be deposited with tho
Fiscal Agent Of the State, and on his certili-
cate shall be passed to the credit Of the city
on the books Of the State, the money only to
be drawn therefrom by an appropriation act
ADMINISTRATION as It's budget for the ensuing
year, and that no State court shall have
power to mandamus the city to pay any
amount not included in said budget, or enjoin
them FROM paying any just and legal amount
therein contained,
take occasion on leaving this branch Of The
subject to say that desire to be understood
as neither criticzing nor rejecting upon pre-
ceding administrations since 1872. [ believe
the gentiemen who composed them to have
been persons of Intelligence. and integrity
and that in all they did they were animated by
an earnest and honest desire to benefit and
advance tho interests of the whole people OF
New Orleans.
L
your attention is that of improvements
most important one in view of it's bearing
upon the commercial and hygienic interests
Of the city. There is widespread complaint
Of the condition Of the streets, bridges and
CUTTERS Whether these complaints are just
or not [ cannot say. The drainage system ID
unquestionably imperfect. and invoke your
aid that the Administrator Of improvements
may be enabled to perform his duties to his
own satisfaction and to that Of the people
whom he represents.
All the other departments Of the city gov
eminent will need your combined advice and
assistance to carry out the duties OF their sew
eral Offices In effecting such reforms as may
be found to be necessary, and correcting
abuses. II any exist.
There are two questions which will demand
our earnest and constant attentOn-publlc
schools and police We have an admirable
board, with an able corps OF teachers. 1t Will
be our duty to encourage the one and support
the other. 1t Is or paramount necessity that,
If we require efficient service on the part OF
the teachers, they must be paid regularly and
promptly.
The police force was reorganized In 1876.
The system Is, | think, an efficient one, but as
in the case OF the school teachers, it's efficiency
must be necessarily impaired If the men and
officers are not paid for the services rem
dered by them.
They perform their share Of the contract;
the city Is bound to perform hers. In order
to do Justice to these and other employees OF
the city, and to pay it's other current and
necessary expenses, I am in favor Of a rigid
collection of the taxes, and opposed to the
power of granting q stay Of proceedings, after
Judgment being placed in the hands of any
one.
AS the efficiency Of the police depends In
very great measure upon its discipline, l do
not think that tho law makes adequate pro-
vision for its maintenance. In my Judgment
all promotions, from chief downwards, should
be- made from the body of the force, and no
officer or man should be overslaughed Il he ls
competent to I'LL the vacancy. The chief Of
police can, [ have no doubt, without the aid
of the Mayor and Administrators, bring the
force under his command to 9 high state OF
discipline and consequent efficiency, and |
have no doubt we will all aid him to the full
extent Of our ability.
There is one species of taxation which
should, in my Judgment, be abolished. Every
description Of property owned by the citizen
His house, his lots, his horses, COWS and
calves the watch In his pocket, the blankets
which warm him, the mattress on which he
| al hic ctooy nnfac and ipaoynn a II