The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-25
THE PROPOSED LEvEE SHEDS.

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Il is hardly necessary, We presume. 70 say
that the DEMOCRAT favors every enterprise
which promises to conduce to the welfare ana
prosperity Of the city or State. We are ear |
nest advocates Of Improvement 10 oil legit-
mate fields and for every useful purpose. We
are anxious to see New Orleans take the lead
In the great race for business and commercial
expansion, and to that end we would gladly
espouse and promote any fair and equitable
broject that could be devised. It la our belief
that there Is too little Of this feeling In New
Orleans at least. too little which manifests
Itself In deeds. Our city stands In sad need
Of organized energy, Of Intelligent effort, OF
wise liberality. We are letting distant rivals
undermine and draw of Our trade. We stand
still while st. Louis and Chicago reach out
their gaunt iron arms and seize upon the
traffic we had come to look upon as ours by
some right divine. Our port, the finest 10 the
world; our location, which seems to have een
vouchsafad III natures most indulgent mood;
our climate, which 10 simply peerless all
these natural advantages we have
and cannot be robbed or; yet oil
around us men are conquerlng obstacles
which we have been spared, and selxng
upon rewards which we could have appropri-
ated with half the effort. We have not only
a hundred things to do but az many TO undo.
We have errors Of commission to repair, we
must take OF the burdens which through
thoughtessnees, neglect, Indifference or other
motives we have suffered to be placed upon
our commerce. We must break the necklace
of monopolies which is slowly strangling us.
We must destroy the system Of charges and
exactions to which commerce at every TURNS
subjected break down this monstrous wrong
Of the wharf lease, cut through tho mountain
OF folly and Incidence which stands In the
path to prosperity. Far be 1t, therefore, from
any journal protesting to cherish the inter-
ests Of New Orleans to offer captlous obiec-
tions to d scheme which has In view the pro
motion Of those interests.
This proposition OF the levee sheds Is an
excellent one In Itself. Our facilities for the
receiving OF produce are exceptionally album
dant, but the methods In vogue for Its pro-
lection are absurdly primitive. Now Orleans
needs sheds. Our Ievees, from jackson to
Esplanade street, ought to be covered with a
great unbroken roof, under which the meal
culable freights that find their depot here
| could be handled In perfect safety. There Is
no sort Of doubt as to this-except In the mat
| ter OF the terms upon which 1t shall be done.
| Tho projects to which we have alluded is
made by a number OF our most prominent
citizens. They are gentlemen who unques-
tionably have at heart the progress and
welfare Of the city, and we may safely depend
that they will carry out In good faith any
undertaking they assume. We have looked
over the proposition with some care. and find
that 1t correctly realizes the necessities Of the
case and very satisfactorily provides for q
solution OF the problem. 80 far as concerns
the question Of supplying much needed &C
commodation. we are satisfied that the gen
tlemen referred to Will fulfill every reasona-
Bile expectation, and In strict accordance with
their agreement. We are not prepared to ex-
press an opinion % to the propriety OF the
tariff proposed by the projectors Of the levee
sheds. The comment we have to make refers
to much more serious feature, and weehould
insist upon that, even IL the charges were re-
duced rone-half What we object to lie
the clause comforting exclusive privi-
leges for period OF quarter
OF a century, and confirming q private cor
poration In the practical ownership OF the
wharves md leyees. We protest that this
would be wrong; that It would result In far
more injury to the commerce OF the city than
could possibly be Offset by any resultant ben
eft No matter how sorely needed the sheds
may be at present, no matter how favorable
the terms upon which these gentlemen would
furnish them, and no matter how moderate
the proposed tariff might seem under exist
at a
mistake to bind the city and the city's com
MERGE for 80 long time. We cannot take
the conditions Of to-day and undertake tc
make them fit twenty-five years hence. 1t Ii
impossible to project the present Into the fu
ture. 1t Is impolitlc to hamper the commerce
Of city like New Orleans with engagements
which. however favorable when they are
made, may become ruinous under the opera
ton and the changes Of time.
We presume, however, that the Council Will
not act precipltately In q matter OF such mag
nitude, where such terrible harm may be done
and where the chance Of reparation is cut Oh
by the same act. This question lies too close
to all the dearest interests-to the very COM
mercial life of New Orleans to be dealt with
hurriedly; and, assuming that the Council
will SO view 1t, we postpone further discus
sion, merely remarking for the present, that
Ii the proposed charter could be SO altered as
to leave the city free to recall the franchise
upon paying q fair price for the property, the
most Objectionable features OF the PROPOSE
ton would be removed. 1t may become
necessary-we are convinced that 1t will
perhaps within the next ten years
- Al h1I~c
OF every sort upon the commerce OF her port
to have free wharves, free levees, free sheds
In order to compete successfully with other
cities and keep pace with commercial pro
gress, and In anticipation OF such necessi=
ty It would be folly and Wickedness OF the
most objectionable description to resign our
rights and to place our destinles beyond our
reach. We do not believe the Council will dc
this thing and we expect to have an opportu.
nifty OF discussing the project In another