The Caucasian., 1913-08-07
"Are Public Servants and Our Per-
fectly Willing to Do the Will Of
The Voters of ShrevepOrt?'
Are They?
(To The Caucasian

10 Lie IduCdS1d1.}
The attitude of the commission
ers is really amusing to any one
who has taken the time to notice
the trend Of public events. They
Slate that they 'are public servants
and are perfectly willing to dr the
will of the voters of Shreveport"
They may be willing but It
seems that 'others Will'' take pre-
cedcnce over their will. N)t~long
since $25O,0O0 public improvement
bond money was placed in their
hands to be spent for paving streets
and building sewers as per schedule
filed n the city engineers office.
When this money was paid to them
there was a large surplus over and
above the amount necessary to pave
the streets and-build sewers as per
schedule. When this information
was obtained the commissioners
adopted an ordinance or resolution
stipulating which streets should
take the precedence after the regu-
lar scheduled streets were paved.
BY misappropriating large amount
CT this bond money (Which they had
no right to touch except for pur-
poses stipulated) all Of the $250,0O0
was spent by the commissioners
before the streets stipulated in the
regular schedule has been passed;
said streets are not paved to this
date. How long would you keep a
servant in your employ who han
died your finances in this manner?
An election was held several
months ago (this was only one Of
many in which some of the COM
missloners solicited votes for the
corporation against the city's inter
est. Had the city built it's light and
gas plant the revenue derived from
it in six years (the time of the con
tract) would more than paid the
cost Of said plant, the revenue de
rived from said plant after said date
would more than paid the running
expenses Of the city. How long
would you allow your servant to
make deals of this kind? Not long
since "the voters Of Shreveport in
structed the commissioners to allow
the Traction Company to take up
their track on Pierre avenue, pro-
vided the Traction Company paved
the space occupied by their tracks,
VIZ: 8 feet by 2,10O feet, original
cost amounting to $4,000, instead Of
obeying the instructions of those
who put them in office, they com
promised with the Traction Com
pany by allowing them to pay only
81 800 thereby making the Traction
Company a present Of $500 that is,
based on the original cost. After
making this 'shigh-flying'' deal, they
misappropriated the 1900 received
from the Traction Company and are
now assessing the property owners
for the, full amount that the Trac-
tion Company should have paid.
Whose servants were they in this
instance?
One Of the many elections, was
held a few months ago, in which
the people voted not to buy the
Schumpert property at the Fair
grounds, as the city had lease on
part Of it for IS years without cost,
and did not see why this amount Of
money should be tied up for 25
years. ignoring the will of the vot-
ers, they bought the property.
Whose servants were they in this
deal? It IS not necessary to mem
tion other gross acts to convince
any man who thinks for himself,
that the City Of Shreveport has no
representation in the city's munich
pality.
The evidence given in the case
relative to the enormous amount of
cement used in the construction of
the grand stand, that is, used for
other purposes, and charged to the
account Of the grand stand, in order
to try and stock the bond com
pany, is disgrace to any city. II
have been informed, that since this
crooked deal has taken place, the
bond company do not intend paying
any portion Of the cement work. II
this is the case, the taxpayers must
come across
The voters of Shreveport certain
" did the right thing in "turningl
down the proposition to issue 5 per
cent bonds in the election Of the
5th. For city to publish abroad
that it pays 5 per cent for money,
certainly puts a ''damper" on its |
credit. We must not forget the fact
that the city is going in debt about
$4,000 per annum, at this rate, the
commercial National Bank will own
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