Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-10
DISCUSS REVENUE QUESTION
Senate Committee Holds a Session and
Listens to Arguments,
VAN DUSEN'S BILL UNDER CONSIDERATION
Several Omaha citizens Appear and
Give Voice To Their Idcns--BOth
Houses Adjourn over to
Tuesday.

LINCOLN, March 9.-Cspeclal) The sem
ate revenue committee held a session this
afternoon to hear from parties interested
in the passage Of s. f. 2lO the Van Dusen
revenue bill Members of the committee
present we're Senators prout, chairman;
Van Dusen. Talbot Reynolds and Canaday.
Judge Il. NJ. Stenberg of Omaha spoke of
the urgent necessity for changes in tue
revenue laws TO raise the amount required
to meet the public expenses. NJ. II. Redheld
OF Omaha also explained the objects of the
bill before the committee, which he said
a committee of county officers had care
fully prepared, following the bill Of two
years ago known as the substitute for II.
r. 247 He said he had made a close study
of the revenue laws and did not believe
they were bad as a whole, but lacked the
proper machinery to carry them into effect.
In his opinion much more power was
needed to be given to Boards of Equaliza-
ton The bill as drafted had incorporated
the best provisions of the Ohio, Indiana
and Iowa laws, which states all enjoyed a
splendid revenue system. The present Indl-
ana revenue laws have done more for that
state than all other laws in his estimation.
Senator Van Dusen said the present reve-
nue. laws consisted of schedule that is
very poor indeed, Board of Equalization
that is farce, and method of transfer
ring title to property upon which the own
ers would not pay their taxes. S. F. 210
was drawn to cure these weaknesses.
City Tax Commissioner Fred Sackett of
Omaha made an interesting talk upon the
bill, quite thoroughly explaining the good
features as seen by him. Under the present
revenue law he had found that land and
real estate had been forced to pay much
more than its just share of taxes, personal
property escaping much too lightly. In
Omaha they had taken the bull by the
horns to force personal property to more
nearly bear its proper share of the burden,
but all their efforts could not bring about
perfect equality under the present law. As
& rulo personal property is more productive
| than real estate and this has been espe-
cially so during recent years.
Mr. Sackett said that county assessors
would be necessary to more nearly cure
defects in property valuations. He said
every individual has his own method of
assessing and it meant some 1900 different
systems under the present precinct system
while if there were county assessors the
number of systems would be reduced to
ninety.
He believed the Pollard bill would give
counties an opportunity to shirk their share
of the burdens of state taxation, but under
9. +. 2l0 counties could not raise sufficient
| taxes to meet their county expenses with
| out also raising their just share of the
| taxes to meet the state appropriations
Visits to State Institutions.
| Before the senate took it's noon recess
| today Senator Prout inquired of the senat,
| what has been the custom concerning com
| mittees visiting the various state institu.
| tions. He wanted some precedent to bt
| guided by, as the senate was going to ad
| iOurn till Tuesday to give the committed
time to do this visiting if it so desired. ..
President Pro TEN Talbot, who was in the
chair, replied that had always been left tc
| the discretion of the committees and that
whenever they desired to go they asked tt
| be excused.
| What about the expense incurred-art
| the members supposed to foot their owr
| bills and give their time to this work?'
| was the next query Of the Gage county sen
| ator.
| These trips have always been made a
| the states expense, SENATOR" said the chair
| man. For that reason they have come t.
be known as junketing trips. l do not thin
that term should apply to them, however, a
it is very essential that the members of tn
committees should know something abou
| the needs of the institutions that are askin
| appropriations If they do not visit then
they must rely solely upon the statements o
| the officers who are at the head of thes
public Institutions
| well, | don't want to do anything in thi
matter unless | have the authority of tn
senate behind me-" said Mr.. Prout. ''
would like to have the senate say whethe
these places should be visited"
"If there are no objections it will be con
sidered that these committees may visit tn
state institutions as far as practicable dur
| ing the coming adjournment with the sen
| ates sanction announced the chair.
No objections were heard and it was 81
ordered.