The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1917-10-06

would be to demand that the channel b
| abandonded, rs far as local and publ,
| interest is concerned, AMI from thl:
standpoint it must be kept in mind tina
| he hanncl Company has been a mos
| XceIenl investment to this community
| ihey invested first of all in q ii it
| channel. 100 feet wide. They hav,
| transferred same to the United State
| Government, and 1t is officially "A 20 it
/ channel 200 feet wide at bottom Nean
| Tlm' til" investors have been paid bach
| ami HE Company has distributed anG
mas IN hand - per cent Of the origina
| investment. Not q bad business deal
1t gives st Wary incidentally the see
III. port in the State of Louisiana aus
has undoubtedly been the means of Sc.
cuclng for ting Parish The ouly Gove,n-
menf ship Yard between New Orleans
and Lake Charles.
Now, # We view this from a bus ness
standpoint. the Parish IS destined to get
further most handsome returns in as
sessmrnt in pay rolls and in citizenship.
Id concluding this statement, We de
sire to say that some parties who have
Deen ayitatlig this question seem TO
think that there is some great legal
usht lii favor OF the public or the Police
Jury OF the Parish and against the
Channel company 10 recover the $40, :
oJo.nO, or the difference, be,wecn S45, -
600 90 and SO 900 90 Admitting for
the SAKE OF argument that such legal
Obligation did exist, then that obliga
ton has been long since discharged
The matter of returning any portion Of
The Sl3 900 90 was purely all optional
donation of this Company to the Olce
Iury Of the Parish, which we are ad-
vlsed could have been resisted by any
stochhoider, and tor that reason a stock
holders meeting was called to pass upon
II. So, It u Iega! obligation existed to
return the $40 900 90, the Company has
donated 93y,Uo0 %, almost four times
the amount said to have been overpaid
Ii does seem that this should be satisfac
tory. 1T IL be not satisfactory to the
nj nds OF them who a:e urging the qucs-
ton, We feel perfectly sure that no court
Of equity would for IA moment hesitate
to say that their demand has been salts
lied aim, st four-fold.
Finally. II mast now appear perfect
iy clear that the Parish, as we'll rs pri-
va'e individuals and Corporations,
have acted most generously and patri-
pIical. IN itnjlng support to an eutei-
prise thatyour public officials at Wash
ingt'n have characterized as unique in
the antia's of American progress: and,
on lis part, 1T il be said by all fair
minded men that the Atchafaiava Bay
snip Channel Comp any mas uiSch arged
every litigation, Il .anciai, legal euu-
table anu mpral; and has set high
standard of public achievement, and
has estab tlshru u new record for the
voluntary refund OF public moneys
voted To a Corp ,ration.
Respectfully.
ATCHARALAYA BAY SHIP CHANNEL
COMPANY,
By E. A. PHARR,
Secretary Treasurer and Manager.
Mr.. w N. Gouch theu off I'D
the following resolution and u we'd
lis adoption, seconded by L. b
kimorougr:
RESOLVED: That the Police Ju-
ry having considered the report
made by the Grand Jury of this
Parish in last Spring, the statement
made by the Atcha1alaya Bay Ship
Channel Company and the records
of this Body, including the ordi-
nance levying the tax in favor of
the Atchafalaya Bay Ship Channel
Company, and petition for such
election, and proceedings taken by|
the preceding Police Jury, now find
that there is no just claim against
the Atchafalaya Bay Ship Channel
by the Parish of st. Mary for
a return of any sum of money
or further payment to it, on &C
count of the one mill tax voted for
the benefit of this Company from
the year 1908 to 1914, inclusive.
That, irrespective of whether this
tax was limited to $45,5OO.OO. or
was a tax for one mill for seven
years, it was, as fact, collected by
the Officials of the Parish without
protest, paid over to the ChannelI
Company without protest and in
good faith upon the part of both the
officials and Company, and has been
by the Channel Co. expended for
the benefit of public improve
ment, and this body should not now
attempt to change the construction
placed upon the tax at that time by
the action of the parties concerned.
That Channel Company has car
RED out its moral obligation TO The
Parish of st. Mary to consider it as
a stakeholder for the full amount of
taxes paid, and that distribution
Of the assets Of the Company hay
ing been effected upon that basis.
and the Parish having been paid its
Droport'onate amount upon the full
s35, 100000 collected and paid over,
and having leceived that amount.
thereby agreed to the construetior,
placed upon this tax ordinance by
he officials and the Companv and