The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-04-30
Fourth District Leyee Tax.
Meeting Of the Board of Commissioners =
A Tax Of IIaree and q Half Mills As
Bessod-RepOrt of the Eugineers.


Meeting Of the Board of Commissioners :
A Tax Of Three and q Half Mills As
sessed-Report of the Engineers.
At meeting of the Levee Commits
sioners of the Fourth Levee District
called by order of the Governor for April
20, at Port Allen, there were present: w
c. Gordon of st. Landry, Martin Glynn
Of Pointe Coup6e, John d. Hill Of West
Baton Rouge, A. H. Gay of Iberville, Hy
Mccall of Ascension, F. Pugh of AS
sumption, J. NJ. Howell! of Lafourche.
Edward McCollum of Terrebonne, L. J.
Foster Of St. Mary, Alex. DeClouet of St.
Martin, S. J. Norwood of Avoyelles, Dr.
Duperrier of Iberia, constituting the en-
tire membership of the Board.
The following report of the State En-
ginecrs was read and received:
OFFICE BOARD OF STATE ENGINFEKs, }
New Orleans April 49, 1881.
To the Hon. Board of Levee Commissioners
of the Fourth Levee District:
!! Gentlen,en-Having failed at your re-
cent meeting, on the Goth of March, to
make provision for the necessities OF
your district, under the requirements of
Act No. 33 of 1879, you are again called
together to levy the annual district tax
for the current year.
The Board Of State Engineers has pre-
sente,l a statement of the Ievee work
which will be required in yonr district
before the spring Of 1882, and an est-
mate Of its probable cost. They have
also shown that the full limit of tax per-
mitted by the fundamental law, viz five
mills on the dollar, together with the
amount of the General Engineer Fund
available for the district, will be reqnired
to cover the estimate of levee work pre-
sented.
Nothing has come to their knowledge
since the date of that report to warrant
Il reduction of the estimate then made of
the levee work required and it is again
submitted to your consideration, and the
recommendation renewed that you pro-
ceed to levy u district tax of five mills
upon the assessment rolls of 1881.
There is no reason to expect that the
amount Of the General Engineer Fund
heretofore reported to you as probably
available for the district, viz /: SIC, 600,
can he exceeded; and it is worthy of
consideration whether the provisu of
Sec. II Of Act q, session Of 1879, would
justify the Applicant Of this or any
other amount of this fund in your dis
trict in case yon fail in providing your
proportion Of district funds.
Every other district in the State has
taxed itself to the full constitutional
limit, in only ole of them is such "a rate
of taxation more needed than in yours
1t has been represented that portions
of the district oppose taxation, unless
Grand levee is to be rebuilt. An estimate
for this levee has only been omitted
from the list of works required as pre-
sentcd by the Board Of State Engineers
in Difference to the wishes of your honor
able body as expressed in the resolutions
passed at your meetings Of March 3, 1879,
and Feb. 4, 1880. 1t is submitted that
with a five-mill tax this year, and a sim
liar rate for one or two years more, it
may be possible to restore Grand levee :;
but that with a less rate it is not only
improbable that Grand leyce can be
built, but also probable that other Gre
vases iii addition to Grand leyer, equal
in size and destructive influence, may
have to remain wide open.
1t has also been suggested that a less
rate of taxation than that recommended
may be more surely collected. Be this as
it may, the Board Of State Engineers
have but this plain duty to perform,
namely: to present to you can estimate
Of the levee work required in the dis
trict," and to urge the necessity of pro-
vitling such means for it's execution as
the laws permit. The report and esti-
mate presen ted at your last meeting is
therefore again submitted, and your at
tention once more respectfully solicited
to the recommendations therein con-
tanned.
HENRY b. RICHARDSON,
Chief State Engineer.
SIDNEY +. LEWIS,
H. e. BROWN,
Assistant State Engineers,
Motion made by Mr.. Glynn. seconded
by Mr.. Hill, that Il tax Of five mills be
levied. An amendment WAS offered by
Mr.. Howell, seconded by Mr.. McColI.m,
that Il tax of three and one half mills be.
levied, on which the vote stood:
Yeas-Howell, Foster, McColIum, De-
Clouct, Duperrier.
Nays-Gorlpn, Norwood, Glynn, Hill,