St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-10-21
COMMUNICATION
Mr. President and Members OF
The Police Jury:

Mr. President and Members OF
the Police Jury:
Being a member of the commit
tee submitting the budget of ex-
penses for the year 1917 for your
approval. I wish to make a few re-
marks on the subject. My reasons
for writing this is because | can
write better than ] can talk,
hence have written down a few
thoughts. To begin WITH u is the
most unsatisfactory budeet sub
mitted to this body during the IL
years / have been q member.
Just think S50O0.00 for roads when
we have had Si800000 and s3S54.85
contingent fund when we have had
sif000.00 and the demands on those
two funds increasing. 1t is plain
to me, Gentlemen. that something
is wrong: either there have been
mistakes in the managemenf OF. the
Parish affairs or the taxpayer is at
fault. In my opinion it is bottl... |
think the Assessors have = the
mistake of appointing as don'lfitF
ward politicians. to take up as
sessment. A politician may be
ever so honest. but he will he easy
with the voter. This I think has
aused a considerable fall in the
assessment of Improvement and
personal property. And in /
am reliably informed that the own
ers of large tract of timber in the
north and eastern part of the par
ish have appealed to the state
board and made representations in
one way or another and have had
most of their holdings nut down
as stump land when they really
are timbered.
This. Mr.. President. could. |
think. be corrected by EMPLOYING a
timber expert to go er these
lands and if his report showed that
these charges are correct and the
matter was put to the state board
properly certified to, I think we
would have no trouble in Getting,
these lands assessed at their full
value. In other words. Gentlemen
with anything like a fair assess
ment the revenues of the parish
could be increased, well. it is queer,
but | have no doubt. as much as
p1oUUUsUU. NOW. AdppCu " hliOW
the incoming Assessor Mr.. Andrns
from childhood. He is honest and
capable and am sure will make
good but | would suggest. Mr.. Pres
ident. that YOU appoint a standing
committee of three to be known as
the committee on assessment, tax
alton and collection of taxes. They
could no doubt give some assistance
to the Assessor and Tax Collector.
What I have mentioned. Mr..
President. I consider the primary
cause of our trouble. now come
to the real or immediate cause.
Dredge boat. dipping watts and sew
eral other things that I will not
mention at this time an the item OF
5.225.00 annual payment On gray
ell roads. Now, Gentlemen. I want
to say right here that | am not op-
posed to gravel roads. | am sure
the time has come when every
town of any size should on ac-
count of increased traffic have
gravel on the main roads leading
into them. But let it be done by
local taxpayers. 1t is impossible
to meet Bond Issue out of the or
dinary revenues of this or anv par
isll without making trouble.
Some of you may have in mind the
large bond issue in the parish of
That it easy for them.
It is on account of the assessment
on oil and sulphur. 1t is about as
if this body should buy enough tax i
on the court house square to meet
our bond issue and have the rev.
enues Of this Parish untouched.
Just think $i5,225.00 as one years
payment on the few miles of gray
el road and S5000.00 to assist in the
of about 800 or 1000 miles
and keep up about 1000 bridges,
why Gentlemen. it don't take a
grown man to see that this is not
only wrong but unfair. Now to this
for the gravel you will
add the 0.00-eancel existing
debts for the gravel is the cause of
that. In Justice to the new mem
hers o. tlis b1iy | want fo say
that they are not responsible for
conditions wet, tie best
way to express it is that They have
them. Well, we have The
gravel and we have to pay for
It. But where we are to find the
money to workroad s is the trou-
BILE. Nearly every ward owes
something or has had work done
thinking they would be able to
pay later and something left to
work roads when in reality they
will have about enough to pay
what they owe and keep for
bridges lin other words we talk
good roads but put ourselves in a
position where we have no money
to do even ordinary work.
| will admit. Gentlemen. that |
can see no remedy for our trouble
at this time. In conclusion, Mr..
President. | will say that if any
thing | have said appears in the na-
tllre of criticism it is because con-
ditions and the occasion iustifies.
j. e. DALEY,