New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1915-07-03

with the result that at least one lara
circus exhibited just outside the Cit
limits, thus defeating the object of ii
business men and the City losing snu
! license fee.
OFFICE ASSISTANCE IN DEPART
5 MENT OF FINANCE.
The charge having been made that
am employing office help contrary t
| promises made during my pre- -electio
campaign, l desire to submit in connec
ton Herewith, in order to afford full in
formation in this matter, extracts of tn
minutes of the City Board of Trustee.
held on June Oath, 1913, as follows:
"Mr. Villermin submitted the nam
of C. M. Compton as Assistant Clerk /;
this Board, in view of the fact that tn
services of Clerk were required.
"Mr. Suberbielle stated that the du,
les of his Department could be per
formed by himself, as he had previousl,
stated.
"Mr. Fontelieu stated that the dut;e
of his office and that of Mr. Vi',ermir
required the assistance of a Clerk. {
being decided that C'o~k should be en-
poved. Mr.. Suberhieln 'hn- er~roete-
The applications were then read from
the following: L. V. Jennaro, Charles
A. Dupuy and C. M. Compton.
"Mr. Villermin moved that the syster,
of collection of the revenues of the
Electric Light & Water Works Plant be
continued as heretofore. until further
change; that bills shall be presented to
the patrons on the first of the month
and if not settled at once that parties
would be rerri~ed m rahn -avmer+ ~
bills TO the office of the Collector. The
motion being seconded bv Mr.. Suber-
belle, was carried. 1t having been de-
c;ded that Clerk be emr'oved NJ
Suberbiele moved that the salary of said
The motion being without second
failed.
"Mr villermin moved that the salarv
of the Clerk be fixed at seventy five dol
lars per month. The motion being sec
onded by Mr.. Fontelieu, was carried. e..
M. Compton being elected Clerk to the
Council at salary of seventy-five dol
lars per month"
I do not believe that many people have
any conception of the enormous amount
Of work attached to my Department, and
when it is considered that of the three
City Trustees, am the only one who
maintains regular office hours I might
mention that much of my time is taken
up by inquiries coming over the tele-
phone and by callers not only with ref
erencc to my department but also with
reference to matters concerning the
other City Departments, I trust that
few, at least, may appreciate that my
manifold duties preclude the impression
being formed that my office is sin
ecure.
With reference to other office help in
my Department, l desire to state that,
owing to Mr.. Fontelieu's illness and to
the revision of assessments undertaken
by my Department, it became necessary
to employ, temporarily, an additional
Clerk. While the revision of assess
ments will not be brought to finalitv,
on account of adverse action by the
Board of Reviewers, nevertheless, the
work thus far accomplished will cause
the placing of taxable property on the
assessment rolls that will yield the CITY.
based on the collection of one years
taxes only more than the cost of this ex-
ira help.
As the Parish of iberia is paying Mr..
W. Y. Kempsr one-half of back taxes
that will be collected on property that he
will ferret out and place upon the tax
rolls, can it be said that the City has
paid too great an amount for the ser
vices rendered in this matter.
Whenever the Board of Trustees will
adopt plan of having bills and accounts
lue the Light, Power and Water Plant
payable at my office, will not require
assistance for my department in partic-
1lar, unless. of course, such assistance
should be required on account of special
work. or made pecessaru bv exigen-ee be- |
7ond my control, in which event I shall
employ whatever help is necessary as is
lone under similar circumstances by the
Trustees of the other City departments
t might be we'll to inform you that the
Trustee or Commissioner of Finance in
lake Charles. where the City does not
wn the Eelctric Light and Water Works
liant, there are no market rents to COL
ect. remains at his own place of busi-
less most of the time, and Clerk, en-
'loyed at public expense, performs the
york of his office. In Lafayette, the
'rustee of Finance has a Clerk to COL
sct taxes, and performs other office
vork at a salary of seventy-five dollars
er month, paid by the City.
l submit below memorandum showing
hat the work of my Department is be-
ng operated at cost of five hundred
nd ten dollars less per annum than was
he cost for similar work under the
,rmer system, namely:
alary of Trustee of Finance $180OOO
[alf of City Clerks salary -. 10000
$4,000
JuUiH SlffU.UD
lThis is the compensation Mr.. Jubin
ould have received on the collections of
ia. at two per cent. commission) had
Lnec L. r.l1 =