The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-13
THE NEW CANAL.

chIses to corporations has been, perhaps, the
greatest burthen and oppression to which the
| taxpayers OF Louisiana have been, during the
last ten or twelve years, subjected. Corpora
| tions and monopolies have been nursed and
handled into power and opulence by our
| legislatures, while the people have been ruth
lessly subjected to the most outrageous tax
alton. Had these public franchises been dis
posed Of In the interest Of the State, those
who bought or secured them might have de-
| rived large revenues from them and the public
| treasury been at the same time enriched. But
! ID ell these later years every company, corpo-
| ration and monopoly has had abundance OF
friends III our legislatures, but poor Louisi-
ana has had none. 1t was the concentration OF
public franchises In the hands Of corporations
that forced the people OF California to call q
constitutional convention In self-protection,
and then prompted them In the organization
of constitution to go to such extremes
In their hostility to corporations that every
large public enterprise In that State Is likely
to be crippled. The evil has not yet reached
In Louisiana the point which provoked the
wrath of the Californians; but certainly the
public franchises must In future be leased or
disposed OF In the interest OF the taxpayers.
Very soon an opportunity will be presented
for the State to reclaim one of her most valu
able franchises, and redispose OF or exercise 1t
for the general good and In the promotion Of
trade OF large Importance to this city. We
refer to the New Canal. Originally, that i'm
portant avenue Of trade between New Orleaus
and all that large country lying beyond Lake
Pontchartrain and on the Gulf coast east OF
us was leased by the State to responsible
parties for what would amount during the
term of the lease to $3.50 OOO This would have
been handsome revenue to the State had 1t
been promptly and fully paid. But modifica-
lions OF the contract were made by subsequent
legislatures, which rendered the lease prac-
tically valueless, except for the future, to the
State. These notifications were that In con-
sideration OF certain improvements to be made
by the lessees they should be released from a
large portion Of the payments to the State; and
hence though the lease Is rapidly approach
ing Its termination. the State, instead Of
seuen hundred and fifty thousand dollars, has
| received for this lease just thirteen thousand
three hundred dollars and Hirty-nine cents.
| This, OF course, has been great relief and
benefit to the lessees; but we presume that
no one believes that the tolls on the trade Of
this canal have been In any measure released,
and certainly the State has received no ade-
uiate compensation 1t is not our purpose,
however, to quarrel with the lessees. They
have acted under the law, and the law
makers are chief parties to blame. But this
lease expires In 1880 and it ID time that Its
Importance was being brought before the
public. Henceforth the people should have
the full benefit Of this public work. The
| trade 1t subserves is OF no mean consequence,
though those engaged in 1t are chiefly men Of
small means whose industry 1t Is a cruelty
on the part OF the State to cripple or tax.
| Vast quantities OF wood, lumber, shingles,
brick, sand, lime, charcoal, vegetables and
other commodities reach New Orleans In the
little sailing vessels which traverse the lake
and coast along the shores OF the Gulf. The
tolls on the canal have for years been an
oppressive tax upon this trade, and under the
laws enacted subsequent to the lease the State
has secured none OF the benefit of the tax. 1t
has all gone to enrich the lessee5 and to
depress q trade important to our city and
carried on by men of small means.
At the expiration Of the present lease In
1880, the State should resume the admins
tration OF this property and make the trade
on the canal either entirely free or reduce the
tolls 50 that only sufficient revenue will be
derived to keep the work in good order.