The Opelousas courier., 1886-04-03
a Comparison. z


of our town administration will not be
entirely overlooked BIZ aHf readers.
We have neither time nor space this
week to devote to the subject the at
tention which it deserves nor should
it be necessary for MS to dwell III length
upon matter i'm reference TO which
every intelligent citizen ought to be
sufficiently enlightened We will,
however, cali attention to the statement
of the town treasurer, handed in last
week, in which we are told, ni the
space of fire lines, wint the total reven
ues OF the town have been for the space
of two years, and in FIVE more lines
] how these revenues have been dishurs-
ed Such statement therefore gives
MS only q general resume of the present
Boards administration, and comparing
| that with the results achieved by their
Immediate predecessors, it will be found
that they have failed to perform their.
plain duties in another important par
| ticular, viz: collecting the towns rev-
enues. From 1882 to 1884 the total
revenues collected amounted to 1914;
/ from 1884 to 1886 they amount to only
| $7060 difference of nearly 5000.
And yet neither taxes nor licenses have
| been redueea-nn the contrary, the
latter shave III some cases been in
creased and more taxable property, it
1 is fair to assume, has been added to the
/ tax rolls. In 1924 the collector made
I two annual reports-none has yet been
i made for 16S4-6--and from the first we
I find that the tax levied for 1882 was
! SI901, of which ss439 we're not collected /;
from the second that the tax for 1883
/ was $I974, of which 1920 were unpaid.
S248 of these uncollected taxes were
collected IN 1853, leaving to the present
Board i delinquent list for those two
+ years OF $4ll. to say nothing OF preced-
/ ing years. This amount, added to the
regular tax levy of 1884 S, made the
amount of exigible taxes over $4400 !;
and the treasurer tells us that only
! $31I4 have beeu collected Aud the
Board of 1884 (wlose champion w,-
en,phaticaIly disclaim TO be, for we
s think that more business like admin
istration would have yielded much bet
ter results) tile Boatd preceding this
collected of taxes ovet $4,000
I'll 1924, $2773 were collected fel
! licenses; i'll 1876, oiliy 92447i In
+ 1852 Il, $l466 were collected for market
dues !; in 1886, only $I262
Now, we ask, If derelicriuns such rs
these are made apparent by IA mere
+ comparison of this omnibus statement
4 for two years witilsthr general results
|sof the last administration tby nomeaas
d ,Dfllei oisel, what shameful abuses,
4 Eefinintll neglrct and HAhnsiHess like
ftiansactio,is could not br Detected Il |,
more detailed statement, such as tie
i tax paying people aTe entitled % see,
we're made ont and published twice
ii year
The taxpayers can lose nothing aud
ought to gain il great deal BY Il change.
Let us have oas, aud let ii tss sweep
ing
At meeting ef the Board III PaH I
j Of OpeIossas, held last Tuesday. pat.
sunrta 10 i petition of numerous ciiizetIs
au ordinance was ;ads,psed submitting
to the people tile question ot raising ts
! special FAX on the property illsslid town
d sum sufficient to pay about hall liz
cost aE 4 new Conrt Hense, III ae blllli
q here T.sdo this will require levy g
sE two and i half per cent % nIlis ~, tlss
4 dollar1 on | lie taxable property af chs
y tpwn--.. rate almost double HE r.t,l,.
I lined STATE. town and l,arisl, taxes l.ssH
maid sy uur citizvus. Our people csai
then sax so our eaimtrs friends Hit
gebaillina of the Court House III Opel.
stlsas will motse you nIisA CRIT t9sH
eantribntiarl will make II possible fai
The Poliea j ary, b. an tceneaaical nj
s,inistraEis,n Of its regular feveiiiirs, s
lsebufld fIle Canrt House without lrts
inn 4 ss5eciai INK for lle purpose, mt
yoii viii lave III. more faxes tu pay 1iiIs
year. next year. or Id succeeding scar,
fhan yar paid last year, the scar befafs
or ia preceding years and tie Cssisrl
Il House will be built where II belongs
and where most Of yon wonld prefer td
have if.'' Our people are now thor,
a ougilIv aroused on the subject, an,
propose til leave mo stone niitnriied 4
order 70 retain the seat Of paroeliia
government. We possess all the ele
Iae,,ts of success iii this fight which Ils,!
I. been forced upon us, and re have full
and deliberately resolved 10 make tn
best use we cs1n of every one Of flletil
IN other words, age are going 90 to acan
Our Washington friends may as vel
], this fact first Us last, aud spar
themselves any further trouble and 81
I. pense about the matter.
Cant. I, Sumter TAILOR, conlnaandIni
she Cpeiousas Guards, informs Ils flla
IonIy seventeen of tile company 9 mus
kets were destroyed hy the burning g
thc Court House, ns the majority of tli
members had their arms and acco,lfFs'
n,el,ts ! at home where they could Zee
i tl.pn, cleaned and in good order H
ESQ states that there were oiiI s'O
metallic cartridges lost not 5lls,s as ~ = =
af first errnneously stated,
The Company IL really ail aa filteF,
organizati ID, md as SUCH viii rsesIv
] ] 4 ilice field piece in j JuIy, when the fs'ss'
1 silaF aFtillery drill will be inan gnratec
! iii llls meantime tile infantry tactic
4 will be taught, but the present Spring
/ dieid n4nskets will he SENT back stii
smaller cafbinos will l,e forwarded
. The command
Can't Taylnr informs us that for q
fafuTa; rigid military discipline will y
enforced III tIle Company, and thai q
! members must attend drill regularly
/, unless sufficient excuse ~ sent lf-s
tI,eir names viii be sIropped frain sl
rolls. This Is light and proper 3
cauas i military oraa izatl1n Wislos