The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-04-06
REDUCTION or TAXES.


The running expenses OF the parish
has been for several years $40, 900
and reduction is demanded by the
stringent times. It is true the bud
get committee has made splendid
step in this direction by cutting the
estimates for the current year some
$4,000, yet The Gazette would sug-
gest that the good work be carried
s'n still further. The keeping and
feeding of criminals in the parish Jail
is one of the heaviest burdens i'm
posed upon the people, and if pos
sible, steps should be taken to cur
tail expenses along this line. The
jailer's fees sometimes amount to
over $zoo per month-a1ways in
the neighborhood of 500. Pris-
~ - must be cared for, the jailer
must be paid, but the people must
protect themselves in the admins
tration of their affairs. To this
end let the Grand Jury consult the
district attorney next week and if
legal, call every justice of the peace
in the parish, and instruct them,
that whenever person accused of
breach of contract, carrying con-
cealed weapons, or any other minor
offense, shall fail to furnish bond
for appearance before the district
court it shall be the duty of the
justice to allow the prisoner the
privilege accorded by law, of sign
ing his own recognizance. 1t
does not seem reasonable or fair
that man should be cast into
prison on some trivial charge
oftentimes upon mere suspicion,
and kept there for months, at the
expense of the parish not to say
anything of the generalization to
the prisoner himself. Instances are
too common of prisoners kept for
months on petty charges only to be
discharged by the Grand Jury. or
some light sentence imposed for
trivial offense. The writer has in
mind, case where Judge Allen
very properly SO passed sentence
upon prisoner as to provide for
his immediate discharge. Should
the proposed method of dealing
with prisoners be inaugurated and
there can be no doubt
as to its efficacy in reducing ex-
penses, probably to the extent of
$1,000 per annum. No harm can
result from the possible escape of a
few petty criminals who might
evade punishment. The matter is
submitted to the serious considera-
ton of the Grand Jury.
With an approximate reduction
of expenses say of $1,000, plus $4,000
revenue from licenses, the total
taxes on property would be reduced
from $I8, 600 to about $4,000.
Assuming that the total assessment
at So, 900, 900 it is very
plain that the rate of taxation may |
be safely reduced to seven mills on
the dollar-a reduction of three |
mills. Some complaint has been
lAddS dS 10 TIC assessment Oclng TO |
high, but a careful examination will |
prove otherwise. There may be a
few instances of excessive assess
ment but very few indeed. The
trouble is that large property owners
do not give in all they possess.
is of far greater i'm
portance. Almost the entire re-
sponsibility rests upon the assessor,
who, as State Officer, should be
above dictation. He should fix
valuation and include everything
from the records, and if there be
any disagreement the owner may
appear before the Board of Re
viewers (Police jury and have
rectified any injustice inflicted
Let this be done and the property
valuation instead of being two
millions will shortly be double that
amount, thus enabling the author
tiles to reduce the rate of taxation
to a minimum.
Fine Eazors at Biossat's iewelry
af0,e