The Opelousas courier., 1904-05-14
'OF ST. LANDRY. La. MAY Il. 1904.
AUseless Offices.

9iH resH AOseiess Omces'
Il iucefIfA hasg been asserted that the
- ,S1nd for the abolition of use
JI IN lfces in Louisiana was mere
lie in'fibm clap-trap, and that shere
= tnsN nNr steacta ofsees. 70
shefSss attenist Ahe new General AS
, Dol: so: been tt hgork of looping off
'turs ars copmpeIAKREes which are not
the they fesSMAbut are devoted
;;te.. areEstlpor@eN political leaders
,ver. m923 ForKHAwe shall point
1rout sonef tEg Ssaces that we
now havaSminssiisV
Leading nais csse$pry are the
seven State tax coz, eAors in New
Orleans, whoseGunes ls consist
in collecting the State& ,eenses on
trades and occuIlAtionsAand the
State tax of sevNA AmillA which
includes the one Tsl leRse tax
for Orleans. ForSAis THY re-
ceive commissions Aggregasing
some $5O,O00 annuallMThey also
get perquisites for lssrhg certif-
Gates Of the payment & taxes re-
Squired on all transfers veal es-
Atate, and possibly for So. r; other
"A things. 3IA
h The city of New OrleaEA has
Aply one Office, at the city hai to
!, Meet tax of twenty-five mr. rs,
tAh poll tax, the city licenses, w
ricps permits, ETC., largely e1
ceed ding the total amount for the
col, ection of which the State sup
por:s seven tax collecting Offices.
No argument is needed to demon
strate that one of these offices
would suffice to make these col
lections, and that the State could
easily save from $50, ,OGO to $40, 900
annually by the abolition of the
other six. These extra Offices
were incorporated in the Consti-
tuition of 1898, and the General
Assembly should prescribe for the
submission of the requisite amend
ment at the ensuing November
election.
1t is quite probable that another
large slice of expense could be
Topped off by reorganization OF
the Board of Assessors in New
Orleans, which consists also of
seven assessors and as many
clerks. AS this board was like
wise incorporated in the Consti-
tuition, another amendment should
also be formulated.
The requirement of the regis
tration laws for new registrations
periodically should be repealed
1t serves to annoy and confuse
the voters, the great mass OF
whom are permanent residents
Obviously there is no need fo,
more than one registration fol
this class of voters. New regis
trations would then be confined
to new voters, and in cases Of
change of residence. Simple re
visions before the elections ant
the timely publication in pamph
let form of these revisions woul.
suffice. They would enable th'
residents of each ward, and par
ties in interest, to detect all at
tempted frauds and to induce th'
unregistered to register. Thi
system would soon ensure a NOR
general participation in the elec
tions, and it would thereby lesser
the power and influence of tn
professional politicians who thriv
best when the fewest number tax
part in the voting.
Under the present vicious sys
tenn the State appropriated $500
for extra clerks Of registration i
New Orleans for the Congression
, al election in 1902, and $1,000 fo
: the State election in 1904. Total
$4,000.
In the country parishes the ez
pense for So clerks of registratio
: in 1902 was 1920, and in 19O4
3 $10,440. Total, $15,660. Gran
! total for two years, $27, $50.