St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-12-06
Boosting Loeb for Another Term
La, Dec. 3, 1918.

Boosting Loeb for Another Term
Our present Mayor being a candidate
for reelection, he should receive the sup.
port of the business men and taxpayers fol
the reason he has made good" When
elected, he found the affairs of this city in
a deplorable condition. No money, nc
lights, a power plant which was a veritable
rats hole, with the city's inability to Dor.
row money to tide over it's difficulties.
The Light and Power plant was not only
self-sustaining, but it was losing money
from five to seven hundred dollars monthly.
Mr.. Jones had been discharged as the cause
and MIR. Armas Durio selected to arrest this
expenditure. This was to no purpose. The
Mayor ascertained the plant was insufficient,
but to procure a new one was a Hurculean
task.
The city had nc money. It's credit was
gone. The Mayor finally prevailed upon
Captain Sam Haas to come to the rescue
when he las a personal favor to Mr.. Loeb,
let the town have the O whereby to
purchase a new plant.
The result was and is, that instead Of
losing from five to seven hundred dollars,
there is now from this n source, a reve-
nue. a%ggregating from six hundred to. six
hundred and seventy-fve dollars per month.
The outcome of this is, that employees
of this city who were obliged heretofore to
sell their salaries to the banks at a discount,
are now paid in cash and have also been re-
imbursed the amounts they had paid in dis
counting their warrants.
It was no easy job to obtain this money,
secure the plant, have it installed, ETC.. etc.
This occupied the first five months of the
Mayors time, when he visited the plant
daily. NowEa weekly inspection s~ufices.
AS above stated, the city's finances
were in a deplorable condition. Itcould not
borrow monev. The banks were finally pre-
vailed upon by personal appeals from the
Mayor to help the city out upon his repre-
sentation they would be paid. Now the city
has paid all of its old debts, save about
hundred dollars. There are some
new debts, but these were incurred for i'm
provements made within the past twelve
months, most of which will be paid in Jan
lary, 1914, and the balance will not ma
ture for one and two years.
AS evidence of the depleted condition of
he City Treasury at the time Mayor Loeb
vent into office, it had no money to buy fuel
to run the power plant. Ithad no credit.
banks would not lend it any money.
Here again the Mayors personal appeals.
With assurance he would see the amounts
'aid, secured the necessary funds to run
he plant.
AS evidence of the load that was had
from off the city's shoulders and in ]
rateful remembrance of the feat accom-
lishdd by the Mayor in obtaining the !
honey from Captain Sam Haas to rehabili-
the Light and Water Plant, the Board I
I Aldermen by a unanimouf vote, thanked {
he Mayor for his efforts in that direction. !
The Mayors friends point with pride to
he fact he is the best Mayor Opelousas had !
ad in years, and they asserth he has done (
lanyithings4which establish the'fact. s
He has restored the City's credit. .
US a frst-class Light and Power !
ant. Attends to his duties. In fact, has t
} other occupation. Sees to it the en- a
loyees of the city perform their duties. !
e has done many other things worthy Of +
'mmendation and these I am going to re- a
r to in subsequent communications in this c
aper. He has made good. The business ?
en- say this; the tax payers know this: =
ID for this reason, | am going to boost him :
r another term. And ! am doing this p
it'll an eye single to the public good. n
Yours truly, q
TAXPAYER. +
81
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