Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-14
AFTER THE TAX SHIRKERS
Board of Supervisors Farms Out All
Uncolleoted Revenues.
INDIANA MAN AWARDED THE CONTRACT
Francis VI. Cunningham Undertakes.
for Commission of Fifty Per
Cent, to Ferret Out Property
Untnxcd and Collect on II.

The board OF county supervisors intend to
go after the tax shirkers, and at it's session
yesterday entered into a contract with
Francis M Cunningham of Sullivan, Ind,
to ferret out all omitted taxable property
with view to having 1t assessed and any
moneys that may be due the county from
other sources. The contract provides that
Cunningham shall receive one-half Of all
such moneys collected as result Of his
investigation and work.
cunningham was presented before the
board by Ellis e. Stuff, a member Of
firm Of attorneys in Munice, Ind. He sub
mitted testimonials from the auditors of
other counties in this state and counties in
other states where Cunningham has per-
formed similar work, and which showed that
considerable property that had evaded tax
alton had been brought to light and made
10 pay It's proportion of the taxes.
Z. W. Welman of Indiana and E. ]. Sal
mon, also submitted propositions to the
board to do the work, the former asking 40
per cent of the money collected. while the
latter wanted half. The proposition submit
ted by Cunningham was as follows
herewith submit for your consideration
the following proposition for an investiga-
tion to determine whether or not any In
dividuals subject to taxation in your county
nave frauduently, wrongfully or unlawfully
omitted or concealed any part of their per-
sonal property or real estate subject to tax
alton, and to determine whether or not
there are any moneys now due your county
from the state or any other source and not
now known to the county officials or any
of them.
search for such omitted or concealed prop
erty and honestly and fairly report to proper
ali ana II enTy Which n the
shall find to exist, and also careful and
diiigent search for moneys now due your
ana not now known to the county officials
or any of them.
Your county to pay me for such services
Al expenses incurred in said Investigation,
including attorneys fees and costs of liti-
cation, to be paid by me, no action to be
begun unless by properly authorized Off
ices to be made to me as fast as moneys
are paid into the treasury as a result of my
investigation The auditor to be ordered to
issue to me warrant on the treasurer for
any sum of money due me upon properly
verified accounts being filed with him. Re-
spectfully submitted,
for ELLIS = Is z; E;,na, sh,gEF. JgrE
This is the Contract.
The contract entered into by the board
with Cunningham follows:
1t is therefore ordered by the Board of
Supervisors of Pottawattamie county that
hereby employed, authorized and directed
to make diligent and careful search in
omitted, concealed and unassessed taxable
property, the taxes upon which are lawfully
on ts to lyon
tally report the same to the county auditor
or county treasurer, who shall proceed as
Iowa in such cases made and provided to
assess said property and enter same on the
fn alfa
diligent and careful search for moneys due
from the state and other sources and not
them. IT is further ordered that said Fran
els NJ Cunningham shall in consideration
to ,one-half, of all moneys collected as re-
suit of his said investigation. And the
auditor auditor Is ordered to issue TO the said
FRANCIS M Cunningham a warrant on the
treasurer for any sum of money due him
upon his filing with the auditor a duly yeri-
the board. But nothing shall, however, be
deemed due or owing him until said moneys
further ordered that hat sad HPf Francis % NJ Cum
ningham shall have eighteen months from
date to perform the services contemplated
Mr.. Stuff stated that Cunningham had
done similar work in Madison. Warren,
Union, Clark and Lynn counties in this state
and in many counties in Indiana. Kansas
and Minnesota. On an average the counties,
he said, had realized about $4,000 through
Cunningham's Investigations and discoveries
OF omitted taxable property. When asked
what he thought the prospects were in this
county he said from the slight observation
he had been able so far to make he could
see about $1,000,0O0 worth of property that
was not paying taxes and which ought to be
assessed He expected to commence work in
about thirty days.
The board met for the purpose of can
vassing the vote cast at last Tuesdays cleo
tion, but owing to the time consumed in
discussing the tax-collecting proposition and
awarding the contract prevented a compile
tion of the count by adjournment and the
canvass will be resumed this morning. SO
far but very few changes from the figures
already published have been found.
Scientific optician, Wollman 400 Br'dway.
Davia sells paint.