Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1910 — BURDEN TOO HEAVY FOR NEW ORLEANS [ARTICLE]

BURDEN TOO HEAVY FOR NEW ORLEANS

City Already Struggling Under an Indebtedness of $40,916,913.13. New Orleans is far from being a imit in favor of the proposed Gate tax to raise a fund of $6,300,000 in aid of the World’s Panama exposition. The New Orleans Taxpayers’ Protective association has adopted a strong resolution, which is being widely distributed in the form of a circular letter, advising its members to oppose the levy, principally on the ground that the city is already taxed and bonded to the limit of endurance and that the taxpayers are not able to bear the additional burden. The letter quotes the comptroller’s report of Dec. 31,. 1909, to prove that the present bonded debt of the city is $32;521,040, on which the annual interest amounts to $975,740. In addition to this the water and sewerage board is attempting to sell $7,000,000 of bonds, bearing interest at 4 per cent and the unpaid ordinances and unfinished contracts for paving amount to $343,168.33 and $852,709.80 respectively, bringing the total in debtedness of the city up to the enormous sum of $40,716,918.13. , To the above must be added more than $5,000,000, which must be paid by the city on state bonds now due; the courthouse commission carries a debt of $750,000, the dock board $3,000,000. and the levee board $3,4)00,000 Continuing, the letter says: "R*. member, also, that if the city of New Orleans succeeds in selling her $7,000,000 of bonds, the water and sewerage board will compel every property holder, to the number cf 66,000, to put in the sewerage and waterworks in their premises at a cost of not less than $250 per residence, thus making the enormous cam of $16,000,000. " "Where is all this money to come from ? “The taxpayers feet that the interest on the outstanding indebtedness is now over $1,400,000 and will &!>■ sorb all the revenue if the debt Is permitted to accumulate.**