The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1902-06-21

S39l SO see cash book, folio I2 J, which
Is due the school fund from October
and February collection of fines Be-
sides this is the amounts shown later
as fines imposed and uncollected, less
any for criminals who might have
served sentence in default of payment
OF fines. Upon the PRONUNCIATION of
this report, we recommend that the
School Board appoint some member
or urge its uperintendent, to call upon
the Sheriff and further examine into
these fines and where due the Parish
payment be requested. The Treasurer
is bonded to the extent of IS 900.
SHERIFF's OFFICE.
The books, blanks and Parish ac
counts Of the Sheriff Office were deli
vereC us upon application. We find
that the stationary furnished this
office anything but in keeping With
its importance. The license blanks
furnished by the State are poorly
padded and the stubs are not properly
| numbered, thus making it impossible
to correctly check the office up. The
| Parish license books are no improve
ment over those of the States but on
the contrary are less Business like.
| The Parish licenses are not numbered
or limited and the receipts due the
Parish depends altogether upon the
honesty of the collector and the
thoroughness of his duty. In order to
correctly check up this office 1t would
require personal vi it on the part of
your committee to every place Of
| business in the Parish and there to
| n~& IL
| cense blanks, unnumbered and in 1r-
regular quantities, are sometimes
found in the same book, when they
should be kept separately. The book
provided for applications for licenses
is Improperly kept. This book exhi-
bits statements on the part of license
applicants that are glaringly untrue,
and the practice Of making these un-
truthful affidavits of the amount of
business done in order to secure a
properly grade license is almost uni
versal, and those who truthfully pre-
sent their business receipts are rare
exceptions. The law requires that
all parties so applying be sworn before
signing the application, but this is
not done. The applications are not
even correctly filled out in other re-
spects, Some show the stub only
filled in, others being signed in blank,
many filled in unsigned and many
partially completed, and the effort of
business men and firms to paw the
minimum license regardless of their
annual receipts is rule rather than
an exception.
| The number of licenses due are ex-
tremely large and the receipts of the
Parish would be materially increased
If an effort was made to enforce the
delinquents, We find that no delin-
quent list has yet been handed the
attorney whose duty it is to enforce
collection, Mr.. J. r. Davis, hence he
has not been able to file suits agains
delinquents. This list should have
been furnished him by the collector
after March 4th, 1902. We recon.
mend that this list be furnished him
and that he be requested to file suits
In checking the license stubs against
the cash book we find that licenses
have beenSfurnsihed to the following
parties and no entries made, but We
do not infer that they are unacconnt
ed for.
1902, January 2e, H B Jewell, Re
tail Merchant, VS.,
| 1902, March I, A c Dubion, State
62l4, IS.
1902, February rs, F Berticini, State
66l18, SIS.
1892, January 29, H Jewell Stat,
63l2, IS.
/ 1909. January p, F J Degravill,
issued $40. license and cash bool
shows but S. entry apparently .
mere clerical error. We also find tha
the cash book shows the payments o
licenses in several instances but tha
the certificates have not been issue,
the parties. We find that in some in
. stances parties are doing busines
without any license whatever, State
, Parish, liquor or merchandise. Som
have paid their State but no Parisl
, license, others their merchandise an,
. omitting to pay their liquor licenses
| In fact there is no uniformity OF pay
ments and the leniency of the Sheriff
, office is clearly imposed upon an
custom has obscured the law.
The limited time allowed your CON
. mittee does not permit our going int
8 the examination of the collection {
, taxes, but in ageneral way We repol
, that the road and vehicles taxes az
| not efficiently collected and that
complete list Of those owing thes
q taxes difficult to obtain,
4 We find considerable irregu1arity i
4 the method used in the collection I
' fines and costs. They are not pal
promptly. An imperfect record
y kept of these collections and we fin
3 no list of fines imposed in the Sheriff
!. office, your committee being competlt
d to stc1re list from the minutes of Il
J. Court from the Clerk thereof. Checl
,r ing this list against collections we fiji
a the omissions shown below. No <
"a cord is kept in the Sherif7s Office
- those who served in default of pa
h ments of fines, hence we are unable
n. say how many served their sentence
N We report that where costs are j
" cluded in the fines that no cost a
,e collected. IF they are the entries a
b. not made upon the books furnish
l. us. Siuce the Sheriff is paid. und
ID an annual contract. to perform
ee criminal work of the Parish, it see
to to us that any criminal costs collect
ii. by him from parties convicted a
H. belonging to his office under the
ne system should properly become
ey money Of the Parish.
he LIST OF FINES IMPOSED BY JUDI
'or FOSTER, 10TH JUDICIAL DIS
IA, TRICT COURT, UNACCOUNTEL
'er FOR BY sHERFF's OFFICE TO
~ SCHOOL TREASURER, OR
SENTENCE SERVED IN