The Lake Charles echo., 1894-03-23
THE NEN gHARTER

As7 4ss ssAsstHtt& tfafat ttfk kttfH &sta4tS ant
provision of The Law had been over
looked bnt in addition to this we believ,
the couneiI recognized that there wa
much dissatisfaction with the aosunant
in certain particulars and what 4Ter,
considered By many, ifnot most Of ou1
citizens, serious defects.
AZ true Democrat we insist upon the
right Of tire people to choose their own
public servants and for this reason wonIl
enrtail the appointing power of the
mayor and eouneil in this instance. We
think that al thePrineipal officers of the
city shonld be elected by direct vote of
the people. No extra cost will DE in
rnrretl and the people will have chance
to express their choice. As lar as the
minor officers, such as policemen. chief oi
the FIRE department, fire wardcns etc,
they may well be left to the sound dis,
erection Of the mayer and coanefl.
Under the head Of Officers. We find the
following in the proposed charter:
That it shall be the duty of the council
at its first regular meeting after it,
induction into office OF as soon tIlersa ftet
as practicable, tn elect a comptroller. a
street commissioner. a city engineer &
city attorneysand q city physician, who
shall hold their respective offiees until
the expiration Of the term Of office Of tile
members Of tAe eonB6il by whom they
weRa elected or appointed, it being ths
trus meaning and intention of this section
that each incoming or new council shall
have theright Of selecting it, own offiees
and employees.
We think all the above named officer
should be elected instead Of appointed
unless ii might be the city physician,
whose selection might be left 10 the
council. We now come to the most seri,
ons defect i'll the proposed new charter
which reads as follows:
TAXES-wHEN ENIGiBLE AM, HOW vol-
LECTED.
That ali taxes and dues imposed by
the city OF Lake Charles. or dae the
same, and not paid Oh OF before the Isl
day ef January. shall be exigihle after
thirty (5B) days publication iu the 0ficia
journal OF the city, in anv court of cnlu-
peteRt Jurisdiction. and the only process
necessary for Judgment Hpou said claims.
bills or dues, shall be the said pgbBica-
tlOD. Upon the production and filing OF
said claims. bills OF dues 10 the apprUpTi-
ate court. and the production Of proof of
publication. judgment shall be ilnme-
dlately rendered In favor Of said city and
against the delinquent tax layer or
debtor. 1t shall be the duty Of the
comptroller to file said bills aud proof in
the appropriate CONT immediately after
said publication and 10 sUpeFlntend suCh
proceedings under the advice Of the city
attorney. and to collect the proceeds OF
the judgment and writ IN the hands Of
the clerk or sheriff. that the clerk nf
said court shall be allowed and permitted
tu charge one dollar and 40 more. for all
proceedings had. including Judgment
and execution in each ease filed. And
the sheriff shall br allowed sum not
exceeding one dollar for all processes
placed Ill has hands i'll seacL ease. the
same not 10 include the regular cUmTnis-
sion for collecting the same OF cust, fur
keeping or advertising: the sheriff shall
not appoint KEEPERS where real estate l.
seized. nor is an actual cVrporeaI seizure
OF such property Necessary, but 1t shall
be the duty Of the sheriff, after The aaic
Is made, 10 put the purchaser m posses
siou, a. AL other sales under execution
Justices Of the peace and COn6Gables shall
be allowed the same lees, aud no more.
a. are herein provided Ter clerk and
sheriff. The cost Of advertising property
Tor sale shall not exceed Two doliaI- IN
each case Whrrr execution issUes And
upon the prayer Of the city through ite
proper representatives, aUv CDurt of
competent jurisdiction shall eBiOiu the
sah person or persons 80 liable to Itay a
license tax, and who shall refuse OF
neglect 10 pay the same. iUT Cuulinuinu
to carry Oh such business or profession
until he or they shall have paid the same.
and ali costs and charges for The gecol try
and enforcement OF the claim therefore
tEhEH CEFGiOr ed h0r is aupoiuted Ia
represent All absentee he shall be-
allowed one dollar: provided judgments
50 rendered under the provisions OF this
section shall not l,e held conclusive
against any one who may eniOin the
execution Of the saline and that bv
injunction the plaintiff therein NAV
aLiege and Oh trial lie allowed 10 prove
amy facts OF circumstances showing that
no indebtedness to the city existed at
the time such Judgment was rendered
Our time and space is not sufficient 10
point ont the defects in this section OF
the proposed amendment to the city
charter, but there is not au attorney in
the city who will not discover its defects
immediately upon reading the same.
We now come to that proposed section
which consOlidates the offices of clerk,
assessor, tax collector, treasurer aud
auditor into one office to be known as
that OF comptroller. This is an unheard
of proceeding aud NE feel confident will
meet with little fayor fr0n the voters
who take time to consider the matter.
1t Is virtually putting the entire finances
of the city into the hands OF
one individual. and he not elected By
the people. There would he DO system
OF checks and balances whereby fraud
eoud be detected, and the WAY is left
clear for any amount Of pecnlation and
fraud. In oRr opinion the offices of clerk
and assessor might well be combined. as
well also the offices of treasurer and comb
tfoller. There is plenty Of work for two
good men and we Would think it neeeg-
sary 10 have this work divided in order
that the one office might be a check upon
the other, As far as the fiscal agency is
concerned That simply means thai the
caRneil shall select some one bank IN
aasa74 3 ~. r. q So - - & J Z 4 =