Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-07
CREIGHTON COMES TO GRIEF
His Complaint Against The Bee
Fares Rather Badly.
TITS PROMPTLY SAT- DOWN UPON
The Board disqualification Dcnounces
1t as Unfair and Totally Ground
less, and Dismisses
the Case.
Knocked Out.

The county board OF equaliza alton took up
Jim Crcighton's complaint against the low
assessment Of THE BEE building and Bee
Publishing companies yesterday morning,
and heard arguments from both sides. Mr..
Edward Rosewater, editor Of The BEE was
there when the board convened, and was
heard in defense of the assessments made on
his property. He showed that the valuations,
amounting in all to about $4,000, were as
high as they should be, and that an honest
assessment, both as to real estate and per-
sonal property, had been made. Creighton
fumed and frothed in painful attempt to
create an impression that his action was in
spired by motives wholly in the interest of
the working people, whose per cent of taxa
ton should be no greater than that of the
wealthy class. The board utimated
to the gentleman, however, that
he was sailing on a rotten string, and had
better subside. Subsequently DR.. George l..
Miller, representing the New York Life
building, against which Creighton had also
filed complaint, appeared and was heard He
said that the motive back Of this complaint
was one of malice, because he had signed a
petition to have the new postoftlce located at
Eighteenth aud Fnrnam streets. AT the
lime he aid this Creighton gave it out that
he woad get even. Another strong point
made by the doctor was that had his people
asked bonus of $4,000 from citizens of
Omaha to put up such building the one
erected by them they would have got it, and
an accompanying agreement cxempting them
entirely from taxation for Il number of years.
He also said that Mr.. Rosewater had erected
monument SO crcditable to Omaha that he
ought not to be called on TO pay any taxes
this year nor next
The county commissioners met as board
of equalization last evening with Messrs.
Turner, Mount and O'Keeffe present. After
disposing of quantity of minor business,
the complaints of Jim Creighton against the
Bee building were again taken up. Com
missioner O,Keeffe said 'My sentiments
are that the complaints against The Bee
Publishing company and The Bee Building
company, are unfair and groundless, and
move that said complaints be dismissed by
unanimous consent of this board.
Commissioner Mount seconded the motion
and Commissioner Turner concurred, and
supported his stand by saying: "It would
be unjust to countenance these complaints,
AS it would be taxing one PERSONS property
chat is exempted in other instances, and
under the same circumstances"
The motion to dismiss all complaints of
differentiation as regards The BEE prop
erty both personal and real, was then unan-
imousiy oruered spread upon the records.
After the motion was made matter OF
record Commissioner Mount said: The mo-
tives in film thegscomplaint against THE BEE
company are sclf-eXplanatory. 1T has been
a custom invariably adhered to that build
lngs in the course of construction are
exempted from full assessment. During the
time the Paxton building was undergoing
construction only the lot upon which it is
built was assessed. The same way in the
case of the United States National bank
property, the Range property, the CONNER
cal National bank property, and l could
enumerate many other cases where build
ings have not been assessed while under
gong construction, and there are cases where
no assessment has been levied until the
building was all but completed. / have no
desire to take hand IN the fight between
Mr.. Rosewater and Mr. Creighton, but will
do my duty as an official, no matter what the
result. will say this, after looking into
every point in the case, that the complaints
were entirely unwarranted."
~ look ut it in about the same way"
added Commissioner Turner. VI have posi-
tive knowledge that no assessment has ever
been levied on property, in the line of n
building, while it was undergoing construc-
tion. 1t would he wrong to assess one man
and exempt another under the same condi-
tions."
After disposing of the Creighton COM
plants, the board turned it's attention to the
railway assessment In the Fifth ward,
blocks 1888 and 1884, property of the Union Pa
citic company, were reduced from 200 to
$4,000. Last year it was $4,000. The
Union Pacific headquarters building and
property, assessed Mt S3S, 600 last year, and
$50, 900 this year, was raised to S3S, 600, the
same as last year. Last year lots and 5, in
block 3, were assessed at $1,000, and cleri-
cal error made it $4,000. For some unac-
countabe reason the error escaped the no.
tice of the tax auditor of the Union Pacific
as well, and the company paid taxes on a
100000 assessment. The lots in question
have no improvements, aside from a switch
house and switch tracks. The assessment this
year was $4,000, the opinion of the board
being that the assessor adhered to the S6O, OO0
assessment ard disrcgarded the actual value.
The board placed the assessment at $40, 900
on account OF error. The complaints of Jim
Creighton on the New York Life property
assessmant were dismissed on motion of
Commissioner O'Keeffe, tie entire board
concurring. The assessment of G. E.
Mayne's addition, in the First ward, was
raised 10 per cent, making its levy S55 per
lot, Lots in River View were raised IS each
Lots in Tom Murrays addition to OklahOma
were reduced % per cent from the returns OF
the assessor, making the assessment aggre-
gate about Sl35 per lot The board will con.
Vene again Monday morning.