Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-04-24
For the GIAKDINS.


ture. The smoke and dust of that con.
hict has not sufficiently cleared up" or if
80 have not gone upon the field to see the
result nor pass upon the merits of that
body. But why not invite criticism upon
the general policy of the Police Jury,
They are surely not al Insignificant. uni,n-
portant body, unworthy OF public notice
neither deserving praise nor ccnsurc-a sort
of necessary evil"
With your permission, will proceed to
examine the claims of that body 10 public
approval. Early in the year of l-,7. "A body
OF five men, recently chosen by the people,
met IN the town Of Homer, wrrr recor.
nizcd and sworn in rs the Police jury of
Claiborne parish. They began at once
anNiously Ia consider the situatNkS They
found upon careful aud as correct all ex-
animation ms the imperfec'ly kept records
OF six or seven years before would enable
them to do, that there was an outstanding
floating parish debt of from fifteen to TWEEN.
III Office had, by strict economy and re-
trenchment, paid the current expenses and
reduced the floating debt near NE thou.
sand dollars during the two previous wears
The Police jury saw that, with the present
policy and rate Of taxation and still greater
REINFORCEMENT, it would require ten, and
pcuscs and iiquidatc the large parish debt
SIX thousand five hundred dollars of that
debt was already in the form of judgments
The greater part of the outstanding parish
scrip was in the hands of parties who had
obtained it At from p 10 30 cents currency
on the dollar, aud were seeking to get their
claims against the parish in the form of
judgments, causing assessments to he made
and tablcaus extended at great cos; To the
parish and in short period collect direct
ly from the taxpayers one dollar in currcn-
cy for each dollar in parish scrip obtained
at from % to 80 cents. And. without "a
new departure they had no difficulty in
getting their claim, in that form.
The Police Jury resolved upon a cash
basis, and, think. wisely declined the fur
Their issue Of parish scrip. The scrip pol
icy" was found 10 be- the dead Nv in the
ointment that had marrcd all the plans
and all the schemes of retrcnchmcnt iusti-
tntcd by their predecessors. After mature
dcliberatlon and getting the best legal adj
vice they could obtain. aud having the hear
ty cooperation ot the leading officials aud a
number of our most intelligent citizens.
the Police Jury resolved to mcmoriali1c
the Legislature for authority 10 fund the
parish debt. They secured This by legisla.
tive enactment March -, 1877. The bill
funding the debt contained more ma hincry
than seemed necessary, hut whether only
seeming or real defect, it was promptly
adopted. 1t WIS their only hope of early
relief To the parish. Its practical result
has been more satisfactory than its most
sanguine friends anticipated. The cash
system" has been successfully inauguratcd
pcn-rs are promptly paid in currency
BY rctrrnchmrnt Of parish expenses and
state fees. aud the legitimate WORKINGS of
this funding scheme. the current expenses
of the parish have been reduced about one
half; the taxes tn the meantime reduced
4! mills Provision j. also made for the
unpaid judgments and the interest and one
fifth of the bonded debt annually The
taxes for these purposes are lighter each
year. The parish bonds are worth 7dc. on
the dollar which is about par when we
consider the worth of money invested until
the installmcnts on the bonds all fall due.
Let us >cc: Parish scrip was worth, Jan
uary I. 1-7., anywhr from - to 20 cents
on the dollar. Certified accounts drawn
upon the parish, January |, l-7-. were
worth about l7p cents on the dollar. This
shows gratifying cOntrast-a legitimate
Police Jury in the administration of parish
affairs.
fave presented few thoughts upon
the general policy and some of its results,
having neither time nor inclination at pres
rnt to enter more into details If any one
chooses To controvcrt the points assumed
IN this article, or question the soundn"Ss of
the late parish policy, they are cordially
invited" to do 50. c.
BIBLICAL ekiGMAS.