The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-10-12

REPORT
OF the Grand Jury-Refer-
ence to Public Roads.

LAFAYETTE, La, Oct. 10, 1907.
To the Hon 6. De6azIIou, -/uIse
I6<h -/ud1eia/ District Court,
Lafayette Parish, La:
The Grand Jury impaneled for
the present term of this Honorable
Court having completed their inves-
legations, before asking your Honor
to discharge them, beg leave,
through their undersigned foreman.
to respectfully submit the following
report:
We have examined the parish
Jail and found the prisoners therein
confined properly and humanely
treated. The Jail building is in
good ondition with the exception
of some water and discharge pipes
which the jailer complains as not
being sufficiently large. The lights
were also reported by the jailer to
be out Of order and insufficient.
We found confined within the walls
Of the Jail three unfortunate de-
mented persons. We deem these
helpless creatures should not be
treated as criminals and confined
among them, and we therefore rec
ommend that the Police Jury have
separate place to keep them until
they can be received at the asylum.
We have visited the sheriff's office
and found everything therein we'll
kept and correct. The clerks Of
fee was also visited and found to
be also we'll kept and in good order.
The clerk suggested to the Grand
Jury the same Improvements in the
shelves and cracks in the building
as already suggested by previous
Grand Juries, and we think the
matter should be attended to.
We have examined the treasurer's
books and found them all correct.
The assessors office was also Wis
tied and found to be nicely and
systematically carried on.
We have called before US the
superintendent of public education,
Prof. Alleman, whose report we
submit with ours. Besides Prof.
Alleman's report we have found out
from him that the school buildings
generally are too small. The
school lands, he also informs US,
are rented for less than current
prices, and we therefore call the
attention Of the School Board to
this matter, and we also recommend
that more facilities be extended the
superintendent of public education
IN the way of accommodation for the
Of the records of his
Office.
Without any intention to go be-
yond the bounds of it's legitimate
attributions, but as representative
of the people, actuated by sense
of duty and consideration of reform
and of economy, this Grand Jury
deem to insist upon a subject which
has been treated by former Grand
Juries and frequently by the parish
papers, but to no avail. Several
methods have been suggested for
the improvement of the public roads
of the parish, and especially by the
Grand Jury making its report on
March IS, 1899, but in spite Of all
the suggestions and of general pub
lie complaint the same old state of
affairs exists, and there has been
little if any improvement.
If all the methods proposed have
been found imprac,icable why
don't the Police Jury, whose duty it
is to study the subject and attend to
the matter, adopt some system by
which the desired end would be
reached. Having failed in our re-
searches to place the blame upon
any public official we have arrived
at the conclusion that there must be
something wrong in the prevailing
system.
And we now join our voices to
those Of others before us in demand
ing that the Police Jury come to an
understanding and adopt some
<Je ;~> iva r;ch of