St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-19
TAX COLLECTORS.
COLLECTION, STATE, LEvEE AND ACREAGE TAXES

1903 ..'...."".......:...: $34$7a437 1$4"25o85 oS5
19os.......-.."...,...:r.. S81S'294O2 137,55954 O6
The above figures show that, under the previous adminis7
tration, the tax collectors were paid about $40 to collect every
$4,000, while under this administration they received less than
$500 to collect every $4,000, or about 80 cents less under this
administration than under previous administrations. Now, my
friends, if they received so cents less for each $4,000, and the
average collection for the four years of this administration
amounted to So, %750,00000 per year for four years, the total
saving to the State and levee boards on these items alone ag-
gregate $%12O,O0O00. Of course, the saving to the State is much
larger because the tax collector also collects State licenses and
other items not included in the above, but the ratio of cost is
about the same. Besides this, the cost of collection of parish
taxes and licenses have reduced in the same proportion.
THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM.
There are but few Of our citizens who are familiar with the
workings of our penitentiary system. 1t is one of the most
important departments Of our government. I want to take a
few moments to tell you something about it and its workings.
You all know that the State owns several large farms or planta-
lions, on which most of the convicts are employed.
The care of the convcts, under the present system, is con-
sldered, by those who have made a study of penal system, is ideal.
In other words, our system is thought to be the best known way
to care for and control criminals. .---..-
The entire management and control Of the convicts is in
the hands of the Board of Control. The Board was created by
Act No. 70 Of 1900, under Governor Heards administration,
and was organized October l, 1900, just eleven years ago. The
act creating the Board provides that, for the support and main
tenance Of the system: "AI amounts earned by convicts, in
building and maintaining levees, or stopping crevasses, con-
sructing roads, farming and other public works with convict
r my W WIN
to add here that the appropriations made for the penitentiary
system are merely authorization to use it's own earnings in the
maintenance and development of the system.
AT the beginning of my administration | appointed former
Governor William Wright Heard President Of the Board of
Control He qualified on May 9th, 1908. At that time there
was a debt of $4,000 due on Oakley and Monticello Plantations,
and not enough money on ha - the pay rolls for May
and the bills for that month. CALI is or earnings are now
in excess of the expenditures s1 como, stem is therefore self
sustaining. Hope Y
/ reCeivea
L find, by reference to the l$E. Bar -al report of the Board,
for the years 10000, that the receipts of earnings, aggre-
gated E$827, 1865
The appropriations for said years aggregated. 49,. .$8O0,OOo00
Excess earnings over appropriations. ..........$ 27,12655
l find, also, that the operating expenses for the years 1908
1909 aggregated 1856, 1886, which, deducted from the earn
lngs, $827,126.55, shows a profit of $780, O669 for the years
19O8-l9O9. On January LIST, 1911, the Board paid all debts and
had a cash balance approximating $%160O0OOO.
The State is developing the system and is now erecting a
large sugar refinery on the Angola farm, which will be COM
pleted this year. The first payment of $~72,30OO0 on the sugar
refinery now being erected on Angola, was paid out of the
surplus funds on hand. With the completion of the sugar re-
fnery the Board will be able to handle the cane crop on Angola
to great advantage and a handsome profit is expected there
from. In addition to the increased receipts, or earnings, the
decrease IN expenditures, as shown by the report of the Board