The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-01-25

Sunday law had been violated, some admit
that they know Of its violation, but did not
know that it was their duty to report it
and arrest q viOlator, and some knew no.
thing. We have done al in our power TO
impress upon these gentlemen just what
your Honor charged this Grand Juyr: that
it was AZ much the duty of any Peace
Officer OF the Parish or Town, to arrest, or
inform against any person violating this
law as much so rs any other law upon the
statute books. And we would ask tnat
YOUR Honor use the full power Of your
Court to compel these officers, drawing
their salaries from the public fund. TO
perform the duties required Of them under
their oath of office.
we have had the President and Secre-
tary of the Police Jury before US ana re-
grct that we are compelled to report that
we find this branch of our Parish govern.
ment in a terrible condition and is con-
Quoted with total disregard OF the laws
governing this action. For instance, we
find that while the law prohibits this body
from drawing any warrants unless there
is money in the Treasury to meet it that
this body has adopted system OF ofhclal
certificates by which the intent offthe law
is totally evaded. AS an example: "a"
has bill against the Parish, and the
Treasury is empty he can have his bill an
diteu by the finance committee and mine.
diatcIy his warrant is written up in the war
rant book the President ana secretary VIII
then upon his application, give him certi-
ticatc signed by the President and Secretary,
which he can have discounted The result Of
this system is, that as soon as the Tax Col
lcctor turns in any money to the Treasury,
these certificates are presented to the Secrc-
tary and he dcliv ers the warrant to the hold
er OF the certificate, and, before it is genor-
ally known that there Is any money in the,
persons holding these discounted certif-
Gates. And We find that bills contracted in
December and January are paid, while per
sons holding claims against the parish for
many months standing are unable to get their
money for the reason that the Secretary will
not deliver their warrants unless there is
money on hand to meet them. We believe
that the intent Of the law that prohibits the
issuance of parish warrants unless there is
money on hand to meet Them is. that there
should be no evidence of indebtedness ISSUED
by the Police jury and this system IL nothing
more nor less than an evasion of the law.
We also find that the Police Jury has been
most eXtravagant in the expenditure OF pub
lie funds, especially In this the case where
some OF the Police Jurors present their own
bills for road work as can be seen by any
citizen who will take the trouble to look at
the itcmized bills on file with the Secretary OF
the Police Jury. We notice that the budget
adopted by the Police Jury at its last meeting
contained an item of Five Hundred Dollars
for salary of Parish attorney. We believe
that Act 81 of the Acts of 1850 liked the com
| gal adviser of the Police Jury, and that they
nave no right to pay him additional salary
for his services and we would recoinmend
that the Police jury get the opinion Of the
before paying him any further salary.
PUBLIC ROADS.
We find that while the public roads of the
parish are in good condition, owing largely
| to the unusual fine winter We have had, that
the Police jury has spent the following
amounts on the roads in the several wards
from June, 1900 to June, 1901 LIST ward, ssiJ.56
End ward $7l6.sO 3rd ward 81 ,34S. 46; 9Th ward
eth ward, 81 ,26l.s) making total OF s., $50 10
When we take into consideration that under
the Jules Mequet contract how public roads
in the parish were kept in excellent condi-
ton and he received only $1,000 for three
years work that IS an uneXcusable waste OF
public money and We earnestly recommend
cd of working thespublic roads for we have
ascertained that the Police Jury can con
tract with a perfectly competent and relia.
bic man to work the roads of this parish and
for the salary OF Five Thousand Dollars PEI
year, which would save about Four Thous-
and Dollars per year based upon our present
rate of expenditure and give us equally as
good roads.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
We have carefully examined into the con-
dition of the court house and its surround
ings and exceedingly regret to have to say
we u1u the STOuHuS Ill IL very DaO state ana
seemingly without care or attention paid to
the court house square; and VIC recommend
that the Court Instruct the the proper officers
to look after this, as the grounds can easily
be- taken care OF and made quite attractive.
The court house is ina very dcplorable con
dition; some energetic steps should De taken
by the proper officers devising ways and
means looking towards the construction of a
new edifice such a one as our parish requires
and justly deserves and which would be Il
pride to the Court and citizens of the parish.
And we believe that, with the present re-
venues. that if the proper steps are taken to
cut down the expenses, this can be done
without imposing any additional taxes upon
the property of the parish.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
We have carefully examined into the con
t15ition of the public schools. We find thai
underline al,1atas management. T. K M
er, Superintendent of Public Education, that
a strong and healthy Improvement exists all
along the line. There are no school houses
auckland plantation and the buildings now
being used for school purposes are owned by
private individuals and that they are en-
tirely inadequate and unfit for the purposes
for which they are being used. Owing to the
rapid growth of Belle Isle, which has no
school, we recommend that some action be
taken towards the establishment of school,
as the Island is certainly in need of one. We
find the financial affairs in a healthy cOndi-
tiOn and learn that the schools will be kept
open for the full period of nine months. Ow-
ing 10 the rapidly increasing etTOIlucnt VI
the children throughout the parish proper
means will have to be devised to provide for
the comfort and needs of the children in the
construction and equipments of the proper
buildings etc, and we strongly recommend
that the Police Jury give this matter their
attention.
WATERWAYS.
We have made careful inquiry into thu
condition OF the waterways OF our Parish
and find that nothing has been done to i'm
nj hnnr,
to exist by all of our predecessors for mum
Der OF years and we feel that it Is useless for
us to make any further Recommendation.
It has come to our attention that there is
being run in this Parish several establish
vents, that while they are under license
I'd sell liquor from the State and Parish or
town, are constant menace TO society in
general and especially to the young men
and boys OF both cOlors in our parish. These
are the saloon where lewd women and
drunken men are allowed to cOngregate and
violate all the laws of dccency. While We
have reaeonable grounds to believe that
these establishments exist in Morgan City,
Patterson and perhaps in other parts of the
parish, our special attention has been called
to the saloons of VIM. Brandt, corner Willow
and First streets, Taylor Moore, corner Of
Hamilton OH Wilson street in the town of
Franklin; Frank Young, situated just out.
side of the corporate limits Of the town of
Franklin and L0ckley Bros. at Baldwin. We
have also found by careful inquiry that it is
the custom ut the saloon OF Franklin Char.
plat, corner Main and jackson streets, to
allow young boys to cOngregate. gamble and