The Donaldsonville chief., 1922-05-27
DEFENDS POLICE JURIES.
Parish Solons Not to Blame for
Burden of Taxation

The following interesting letter,
explaining the position Of the police
juries, as regards the subject of tax
ation,. written by Hon. W. E. Stuart,
president of the Ascension parish
police jury, appeared in last Sun
days issue of the New Orleans
Times-Picayune:
'Donaldsonville. La, May 1G, 1929
"To the Editor Of The Times-Pica-
Yune:
quite a number of the members
Of Of the Legisaltur@s is usual when
that body is cony ID in the last ses-
sion of an adnABHstration} are at
tempting to fix the responsibility for
the burdens placed upon the people
At the present session the cry is
"The burden of taxation,' and a
mastery effort is being made to
place the responsibility upon the
police juries and other governin4 :
authorities Of the different subdivi-
sions of the state.
"The burdens of taxation in Lou
isiana today are the special taxes vo-
ted by the people upon themselves
for progressive development. Some
thing the people want and will have.
"The prayer of the same member
Of the Legislature, who are SO ai'-
parently anxious to get from under
Is Save us from ourselves Still we
are the very same people who elect
ed the honorable gentlemen to the
legislature where they made the laws
that say what we shall and shall not
do. Under such laws every subdi-
vision of the state has created an in
debtedness, and in most cases has
iscued negotiable bonds to secure
same.
The reduction Of the value
placed on porperty for taxation in
this case will certainly make it neces-
sary for the governing authorities of
the different subdivisions to levy a
greater millage n take care of the
bonds as they mi lure. Hence from
where comes the saving to the tax
payer.
at is vitality iArtant that we
be saved from on ives the same
gentlemen of the egislature have
the authority to @ke such laws as
will prevent ting qfPeople from drain
ig their farms, ,@from building good
roads and from educating their chill
dren.
1.-The reduction of assessed values
will only affect local government and
education over the entire state, and
will be of no appreciable relief to the
taxpayers.
"The maximum alimony tax to
meet the expense of parOchial gov
ernment is fixed in the constitution
of the state. The Legislature makes
the laws that govern the police jul
ries in spending the avails of the ali
mony tax, and the Legislature is
largely responsible for the increased
expense of parochial government.
"Why the boost of the per diem
for police jurorsssand school board
members from three to five dollars
per day? Why the boost of the pay fo1
jurors and witnesses 100 per cent?
Why the mothers pension law re-
curing all police juries to appropri-
ate $4,000 per year, which was never
done because cattle come first? Why
the compulsory cattle-dipping law
which put Ascension parish $780,,
900 in debt, or would have pu1
the police jury in jail? Why the
boost of the salary of every public
official in the state from rs to 100
per cent, and the many other laws
| too numerous to mention that make
| the spending of public funds COM
pulsory?
"If all of the laws made by the
Legislature making compulsory the
spending Of puby funds are good
| ia,,,c that r,oLn iAcnccarv to 1avy
the maximum milla authorized tc
| comply with such law : why are some
members Of the Lei kture striving
so intensely to impress upon the peo
pie the incompetency Of the police
juries? The saneV electorate select
ed the police juriesY and in the same
manner as they do the Legislators
If the people have made a seriou
mistake in selecting the police jurie
it is also possible that they hav
made two mistakes.
"The prayer of the taxpayer is
| Our Exalted and Supreme Ruler OF
| public finances, the Legislature, VIZ
implorc that in your great wisdom
you will see it proper to merge pub
lie offices to the fullest extent thai
is consistent with practical busines:
methods; cut out all superf1uous pa,
envelopes; cut the salaries of highly
paid public officials to such as vii
be consistent with the work perform
ed; wipe out the laws making the
expensive spending Of public fund
compulsory, and corresponding,
lower the maximum millage to bt
! levied But let assessments stant
| al actual yajl1a
"W. B. STUART,
"President Ascension Parish Polio;
;,