The Opelousas courier., 1903-08-01
To b Public.

O~pelousas, La, July 26, 1908.
In my communication of the Goth,
did not give the dire consequences thai
would have eDsued had my deputies
been sent out to prosecute the road-taz
law ~vioIators to the fullest extent. In
proceeding to enforce the collections, ]
was mindful of the fact that | had to
look to two conflicting interests, the
public good on the one side and the in
terest of the farmers and merchants on
the other. It was the first attempt to
enforce it, and it was a physical impos-
slbllIty to do so last year, as the tax was
made delinquent on the 1st of October
last year and paper tags we're furnished
would apply at the office to pays and we
could not make ont the receipt, get the
number of tlIeSag and record it in the
books crediteGSp e~aclsOf the police jury
wards. | vas only allowed one receipt
book. Ii / could havs rad one from
each ward, making eight in all, | could
have forced collections in 1902. Ii each
ward had had enumerators in the months
OF January and February to &C to every
house In the parish and take the names
of all able bodied male inhabitants
from IS to 30 years of age, and also take
the number of vehicles, o gfeat deal of
trouble wonId have been obviated, be-
cause that list would have been handed
over to the collectors Office and due no.
tice would have been given to each tax
payer by cards from the collectors of
flee. This is what | asked the police
jury in 1909 when that body met to form
the budget for 1908. AS it is, I have to
be the eDumerator and the collector at
the same time.
Now, as to the cost that would have
entailed on the parish and the people as
we'll. Since | have commenced to en-
force the law l have found over 1000
who had failed to pay at the proper
time. Most of them were farm labor
erS, and out of such a great number |
would have had over 1000 under sen
tence on the courthouse square, because
the law directs that affidavits be made
before the nearest justice of the peace,
and he has to have defendants give
to be tried in the September term. The
district judge under the road ordinance
could fine them not to exceed $40 MOI
less than $5, and not a single one of
them convicted would or could have
gotten off for less than 800 or work on
the public works for 90 days. The far
mers and merchants would not have
paid that amount to keep them from
serving 30 days. This would have en-
tailed a cost on the parish of 45c per day
to feed the prisoners, and from 10c to
15c to guard them, making the parish
go to the expense of from $3.50 to $500
per day, OF over $1,000 to enforce the
law, which would hardly be a paying |
business. 1t would also take that num-
Der of people from the rice and cotton
fields in the latter part of Septemb Der
and the lat OF October. AS for myself,
would have made Csc per day clear,
making $3.50 per day, and for the time
Of 30 days at least $4,000, and that, cou-
pied with the SO for each arrest. would
be SO each. or $1,000. l do not make one
sent out of these collections save the 5
per cent allowed the collectors office,
md L have to keep a special collector
q good salary to receive and receipt
.Or this money.
Some fools assert that / made this
RW, but ignorance is no excuse. If the
did not know it was the duty
those who furnished them work to
lotify them and pay for them If they
their labor, and if they did not,
ny hotel would be the proper place for
hem, because there they might learn
o work, as We have an efficient corps
VI trainers. For those who have paid
% encourage INSTRUMENTATION is wrong
md should be avoided. The police Jury
only pay for work done under
Ipecifications and to stop bad holes, and
hen the people will be satisfied.
NJ. l.. SWORDS, Sheriff.