Omaha daily bee., 1882-12-02
THE TAX sHyRKEHs PIEA.

lioaa, . paper edited by impudent i'm
porters, who claim 10 have dotted the
brass collar since the pretended trans
fer of stock by the Union Pacific, and
attempts to sustain the Ubiquitous sys
tenn Of railroad assessments In thi,
state on the ground that the property
Of some wealthy tax .shirkers is as
secsed at less than one.third Of iti
value. The exposure made by the
BEE last spring of this fragrant
tax Sinking of heavy property
owners In Omaha, and Its demand
that all classes should beer their Just
proportion of the burdens Of taxation,
Ia now used by these fool friends Of
the railroads to excuse their own eva
sion of taxes through the state board
of equalization.
On this question, as upon all other
vital issues, THE BEE has been consis.
tent and impartial. We have de-
nounced tax Sinking by individuals
and firms just as vigorously as II II
was done by corporations. We went
to great expense last spring, at
tho risk of offending many patrons
and friends, to get the exact
and figures to show that the mid.
die class of property owners and the
men who regard the sscredness Of
their oath, are compelled to bear an
undue proportion Of the burdens of
in Omaha. We heve shown
further that the city by reason Of this
tax shirking, had to give up many
needed public improvements and fore.
60 proper police and other protection.
Az . result of our exposure the assess.
ors lists we're revised, the taxes were
made more equitable, and the total
was very materially increased.
The evil is by no means
entirely abated. There are still mil
lions Of personal and real property
that goes virtually untaxed, either be-
cause the assessors will not do their
duty or because of fraudulent returns.
The Republicans asks II local assessors
do not nsw do their duty in valuing
the property of individuals what can
be expected II they are to be trusted
the railroad asselsmentai We
can answer that now. A few years ago
when the state board only assessed the
roads and rolling stock, and left to
local ASSESSORS the valuation of local
improvements, furniture, machinery,
&C., our income from the railroad
tax was very considerable, but since
state board has Jumped all classes
Of property and assessedit by the mile,
a man might sell buttermilk by the
vard, we have been robbed
Of our proper share, and no.
body except the railroad com
have reaped the benefit.
Now can any honest journal that
has the public good at heart, instead
If being the hired tool or catspaw of
chartered highwaymen, defend the
Wholesale robbery Of the taxpayers Of
to fill the pockets of Wall
Itreet sharks and speculators7
"How dare you" say the railroad
'rgans at Omaha and Lincoln, "cAll In
question the honeaty of the state
BOARD, composed of the governor,
auditor and treasurer" Tho records
n the state house at Lincoln are
tanding witnesses to the Justice
Il our impeachment. Ten years ago
he Union Pacific was assessed 80 per
emit. higher than it 10 to-day. In
$40 the market value was less than
of what it is to-day. The
tub lines In Nebraska and some main
which are m~ortgaged at from
10000 to $4,000 per mile, are as.
essed at from $500 to $4,000 per
nile. There are fully five hundred
niles of switches and side tracks in
1ebraaka, and not y dollar of taxes
been collected for them. Does
his show that the State board a be
The scoundrels who justify these
odd evaAions of taxes ask us why we
o not attack Van Wyok, who made
he lawi Our answer is In the first
lace Van Wyck did not make the
He voted for the revised stat.
ties gotten up by q board of revisors
ppointed by the governor. He had
o vote for the statute as q whole or
gainst it as q whole. But We do not
tack the men who made the law. We
tack the system that has made it
oasible for three men to take hun.
undreds Of thousands of dollars out
I the pockets of our farmers. mer.
hAnts and mechanics and put In the
ookets Of . few greedy millionAires
q New York aud Boston. We sim.
ly demand now, after years of costly
1perieuoe, that the people through
heir Legislature, shall devise q rems-
y that will make all Olaasss of prop.
rty bear its just proportion of tax.
ton, and that will place all CLASSES OF
ropertv on the same plane In regard