The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1901-06-08
POLICE JURY.
Regular Meeting Of the Police Jury OF
the Parish of st. Martin, held June
3rd A. d. 1901.

At 10 O'Clock a. NJ. to order the Meet
ing is called. All the Members answer
ed Roll Call. The Min utes of last Meet
ing read and approved.
The monthly Statement Of the Account
tant shows. that he has issued since last
Meeting, as authorized, $1613 20 Of You
cheers against various items Of the Sche-
dule of 1901. Said Statement further
shows total amount Of Vouchers issued
to date against said Schedule to aggre-
gate $3806 IS. y
The Clerk reports having issued to the
Sheriff, Tax Collector, $464 Is Of Vehicle
License Plates .or the year 1904 as
shown by receipt to Of 9th and 18th ult.
At the request Of Mr.. Il. Martin. a
Committee composed Of Police Juror
Resweber and Messrs ]. ]. Burdin. A. A..
Morrow, Adelmar Berard and (Tica9
Chataignier Is appointed to lay out and
trace public road from Bayou Portage
to st. Msrtinville.
The Clerk was directed to notify Mr..
Octave Chsmpa gne to remoye at once
obstruction by him erected on public
road, his place.
The Assessor was allowed half Of his
expenses, not to exceed 500 to DO in
CURED for taking assessments in GER
tain sections of 2nd Ward to be reached
with difficulty and at great expense.
Mr.. r. Martin now calls on this Body
on behalf Of tho Farmers Institute to 30
licit an assistance in favor OF said Insti-
tute which is to meet in this place on
the 10th inst. On motion Of Mr.. Reswe-
Der seconded by Mr.. Pell6rin 500 Is
hereby appropriated to this purpose.
The following Report Of the Grand Ju-
~ is handed by the District Attorney
and after being read was ordered spread
on the Minutes:
To the Honorable the Judge Of the
18th Judicial District Of the State Of
louisiana, holding sessions In and for
the Parish Of St. Misunderstanding:
We, your Grand Jurors, inpanneiled
and sworn to inquire in and for the pa
IRISH Of st. Martin. beg leave to make
this our final report:
We have examined and inquired into
all matters brought to our notice and
before us. and have during the time Of
our deliberations found true bills
against divers viOlators Of the law.
During our sessions we have inquired
into the financial standing Of our Pa
IRISH, and End that 1t is very heavily in
volved, with no sufficient revenue to
meet its indebtedness. There is at pre-
sent land the same has been for many
years. a system whereby vouchers are
taken and received in payment Of taxes;
and. in his settlement with the Treasu-
rer of the Parish the Tax Collector sim
ply turns over his vouchers to the Trea-
surer instead Of turning the cash re-
ceived and collected by him. We con-
dem this system, because the different
appropriation budgeted by the Police
Jury are confused and the money bud
geted for one purpose Is used and dis
posed Of for purposes other than that for
which is was budgeted. We recommend
that hereafter all taxes be paid in cash
and all monies turned over to the Pa
IRISH Treasurer who shall handle same
in accordance with law.
We have also examined the books of
the Treasurer Of the Parish and find that
it is not kept accordihg~to the budget
fixed by the Police Jury Of this Parish.
The only monies separated by him are
those collected for road and bridge pur-
poses. ALI other funds. whenever he
has any. are kept without being placed
to the credit Of the different amounts
budgeted.
There has, 50 far, been no steps taken
for the enforcement Of the payment OF
the per capita" tax and the vehicle tax.
We recommend that this law be rigidly
observed. for We regard the money ac-
quired BY these means to be most abso-
lutely necessary for the building up and
the proper repairs Of our public roads.
The public roads Of this Parish are in
fairly good condition. except in some
localities Of the First, Second, Fourth,
and Fifth Wards. and hereby call the at
tention Of the Police Jury to the same.
Following the Recommendation of our