The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-12-05

Loekpost, Nav. 25sh, 1896


Loekpost, Nav. 25sh, 1896.
Editor THIDODAux e1KrInRL.
Desr Sir :-Though the passsh oi
Lafonrche has bad In appearance .
perfect financial syatem, the veil beiua
q the masses Of hsr psople has sulSsr.
Cd by the lack IT American tact in the
management Of the public iustitutiona
And enterprises, by the administrator
Ut her af1hirs.
In this regard, - indicates the
Introduction Of my humble et-
efforts, / will sndsavor, with - little
csiticism ~ mv good nature will per-
NIT, to stake or direction in which
better r@snlta might he attained.
A very few years ago our schMpla
were IL ut open ak and AOnsetimse
sov~n months IN tho year. This wms
effected by y sp~cial tax If n mills,
and hy appropriations ot surplus
funds, THAT the Police Jury conld make
from the general fund. Under thOae
conditions It was yet treating tho
schools aomN~hat unfairly: "a ths
public eystsm was created for school
tho purpose Of providing = practical
education to the children Ut tho poor
and not 1t oil to feed them with that
hope only. A child derives no benefit
from, . short session each year; be
lo~es thereby precious time both to
himaelf, whom there 10 no school, and
to HE parents who would need HE
little help, whom attending = short sss-
nsns. .~ -k.s~k h. I'LL >>~e>tl. n-~--
nothing material.
But now, things ara getting frons
bad to worse. This year We have had
. school session Of ave l,onths. In.
decd, should this parish continue to
make % inefficient progress with her
schools, the time 10 not very distant
when it will be di6acnlt to have pub
lie spirited men willing 70 become
members Of the school board ; to have
efficient teachers to take charge Of the
schools; and I've children to attend
such short and inednctaal sessions.
Conscientiously apeaking, it 10 be-
coming doubtful whether or not it
would IN saving time and money to
have no schools at Ill.
will not attempt to break the
promise / made in the beginning, to
criticise lightly, but . 81 mill tax on
tho present assessment would DO none
t0o great 10 meet tho crying need Of
the schehOls.
Since about . year our parish legis-
lat0ss have undertaken . new plan to
drain the lands. Il has necessitated,
for that purpose, tho building Of 4
dredgeboas and the working At It. /
will not try to enameraee all the costs
that it has incurred, bat / know, that
it 10 way up in tho thousands-s0 much
20 that there 10 no more surplus land
hardly anything elae) in the general
fund and that our schools have felt Ia
effect, the very 6rst year. However,
10 il reasonable 70 expect this parish
to properly carry out this now enter
prise with no more revenues than thore
were levied previous to this underta.
kingf l favor the draining of our par
ieh should It be advantageously teasi-
BILE, but I zee no possibility 10 doing
% out Ut our present revenues. The
wisess plan would be 10 borrow u
once. . sufficient sun Of money to keep
tho dredge working; work and i'm.
! prove the lands 20 the extent OF in
creasing their assessed vsluos sum.
| GENTLY 90 that the revenues derived
/ thcrefrom would meet tho necessary
outlay. But, it for any IeAsou il could
not be demonstrated that the increase
of revenues from tho proposed i'm.
pr0vements would b sufficiently large
-A4A----