New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-02-15
AN ATTEMPTED RAID ON THE
MUNICIPAL TREASURY.
Editor Enterprise:

Editor Enterprise:
No town, to my KNOWLEDGE III
the State Of Louisiana is beng
periodically harrassed and hound.
ed andthreatened by its Board OF
Health but New Iberia. Since
the birth of the Health Board, uE
to the present time, the sinister
influence that seems to dominate
it's proceedings has been direct
ed, first to discredit the City adj
ministration, and second, to BRING
odium and disrespect on It's own
heads. Why, in the face of a de-
pleted public treasury and the
insisting demands Of public ne
cessities, the Board of Health
should insist on saddling an adj
ditional expense on the taxpayers
for what is an apparent sInecure
most of the time and for services
that could be and will be per-
formed by puIblic spirited citizens
imbued with a high sense of civic
pride and loyalty is a subject
tainted with so much self interest
that it amounts to reckless alb
surdity, when properly presented
and considered by the electorate
and public opinion of the City OF
New iberia. When the health
matters of the cities of Monroe,
Lake Charles, Alexandria and Ba-
ton Rouge are being presided owe:
and receive the active attention
of the citizens and the membesr OF
the medical fraternity for
normal compensation and these
communities receive services more
as a matter of individual civic
virtue than the commercial itch
of profit and wealth. | can see
no reason why New Iberia should
submit and tamely accept the
senseless resolutions of our auto
cratic Board Of Health.
It was moved by Mr.. 1ndest,
seconded by Mr.. Delahoussaye
and carried that the President be
authorized to institute suit against
the Mayor and Board Of Trustees
of the City Of New Iberia by
mandamus to force the turning
over a payment of amount due
DR.. w. G. Young by this Board
on vouchers issued to him,
amounting to $4,000 and also
amount due II. O. Indest on
vouchers issued amounting to
1880, these vouchers represent
ing the balance due these parties
On salaries as Health Officers and
Inspector respectively for the
months of April, May, June, July,
August, September and October,
1911. 1t was moved Ibv Mr.. In
dest, seconded by Mr.. Erath at
their last session and carried
unanimously that the salary OF
President DR.. l. T. Rand be fixed
at $4,000 per month and In
spector II. O. Indest at $500 per
month.
DR.. J. w. X. Shaw, one of the
most efficient chairman of the
Board, the City received
$4,000 per month. Under the
stress Of circumstances he would
have rendered the service for less.
Then in the face Of the principles
of economy and efficiency advo-
Gated by those responsible for the
administration Of public affairs,
it appears the height of impu-
dence and effontry for some OF the
Health Board members to insist
on spending the City's money and
appear logical, when the only OBJ
iect is to raise the salary of the
Inspector, the son of the member
responsible for the adoption of
the new salary bill and friend
of the man that seconded the pro-
ceedings. The creation of Health
Boards all over the State, was
and is now at best merely the pol
iticians attempt to increase the
number Of officeholders and his
political inference. The necessity
for the organization and the value
of it's performances is not as vital
and as important as the educa-
ton of the farmers in the cultiva-
tion Of the land to the best adj
vantage and in the acquisition OF
the experience to make a success
of the Investigation of crops and
the sane and scientific conserva-
ton of resources. With a COro-
ner and Parish Health Officer,
every parish and town in Louis