The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-07-22
GRAND JURY REPORT.
To the Honorable, the Judge of the
BIRD. Judicial District Court:

23rd. Judicial District Court:
We, your Grand Jury, duly en-
, panelled and sworn within and for tt
Parish of st. Mary, beg to subm
this. our report of our present Sitting
We have examined into all the vic
Iations of the criminal statutes tn;
have come to our knowledge. and n
turn herewith our action in all Grim
nal matters submitted to us in tn
shape of true bills and no bills.
In pursuance OF your Honor
charge and instructions, we have es
pecially examined the condition Of tn
court house of the Parish. and willis
there is. nor can be, any blame al
tached to the public officials Of tn
Parish, vet We find the court house
both from age and decay, in mos
deDlorable condition.
We consider the court house danger
Gus to the life and the limb of the Cit
izenship of ST. Mary, and especial.
irksome to and dangerous TO the Off
Ger, who, under the law. have to oc
cupy the building.
It is no stretch Of imagination tx
state that the building in it present
condition is at any moment liable t
give way beneath the strain and col
lapse. carrying with it death to those
who are so unfortunate as to be in i
when it falls.
In our opinion it is utterly impos.
sible. and would be unwise, for the
authorities of this parish to attempt
any repair of this building.
There is only one thing to do. and
that duty is clear: the Police Jury OF
the Parish of ST. Mary must provide
new court house.
After careful consideration Of the
finances of the parish. past and pre-
sent, and in view Of the fourishing
condition of the parish, we unhesita-
tingly recommend that the Police Jury
can build modern. up-to-date court
house for the convenience and safety
of the people of the parish, without
in any way raising the taxes upon the
property owners of the parish.
We, therefore, have come to the con-
clusiOn and so recommend in this our
report that the Police Jury of the
Parish of st. Mary Immediately take
steps looking toward the erection of
a new court house, and in this con-
nection we wish to impress our views
upon the Jury, that when this court
house is contracted for, that it be one
which will reflect credit upon the Parish
Of st. Mary. and one commensurate
with her standing and her wealth in
the State, and which will endure as a
monument to the enterprise and pa
triotism of the Jury and the people of
the parish for many years to come.
Your Grand Jury likewise recon-
mends to the earnest consideration of
the Police Jury the ACCESSIBILITY of
raising the license for retailing liquor
consideration of this subject we have
come to the conclusion that the liquor
license should be raised in this par
ish to, at least, minimum Of $4,000
This we recommend not only for the
reason that it will raise large re-
venue, but for the additional reason
that it will in our opinion materially
decrease the criminal expense of the
Parish Of St. Mary by etfectually
closing that class of saloons in our
parish from which eminate large
proportion of the crimes of violence
within our borders.
Therefore we feel and believe that an
increase of the liquor license to the
sum mentioned will not only raise a
large additional revenue for public
but at the same time will
10 great deal towards stamping out
.rime in our midst.
We further desire to call the atten- !
ion Of our senator's and member Of |
congress to the vast benefits that will !
nure to this and neighboring parishes
Ind the entire portion of Louisiana
~ the deepening of the mouth of the
River, SO as to make
fOrgap City deep water port.
BY the deepening of the mouth of
he Atchafayla River, it will give to
his and neighboring parishes deep
alter communications with the world.
nd thereby save our people enormous
ums yearly in freight rates, and will
i've to the United Seates one Of the
lost magnificent harbors in the world.
With deep water Berwick's Bay
onld accommodate the fleets of the
orld, and it would be possible for
II of this section of the State to ship
} and receive goods from the rest of
le world.
We likewise desire to call the at
ntion Of our senator's and congress-
en- to the uncOmpleted condition of
e Plaquemine Locks. This is a gov
'nment work contracted for many ,
ears ago, and as far as our informa-
on and judgment goes, there is moth
g that should have prevented the :
,mpletion of this work by this time.
With the completion of these locks
e valley of the Teche will have {
lter communication with New Or {
ans and the Mississippi valley. and Z
eight rates will then be regulated by 9
iter competition.
We therefore earnestly request that =
n senator's and members of congress
use their utmost endeavors to see l
1t this work is pushed to final S
mpletiOn without further delays. Up
In pursuance of this we ask YOUR u
nor to see to it that a copy of this n
bort is mailed by the Clerk Of your q
norable court to each United States -
natOr and member of Congress from :;
uisiana and his attention directed .
this report. 9
We find the school buildings in the II
rish, and especially the high school re
Franklin in bad condition. We, in p
opinion. think the principals of k,
schools are grossly negligent in "a
lr duties in this respect. The al
DOL rooms, books and furniture are q
most deplorable condition, show ~
q 1ox ,<x,~> 81 |