Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-07
QUESTION OF THE TAX LEVY
Commissioners Sackett Discusses tho
Important Problem in Reply to
Various Published Articles.

sion, doubtless too much cannot be said
upon the subject of taxation. Judging from
the number OF communication in print
within the last few weeks touching upon
this subject, property owners are aroused
to the Importance Of the problem.
l have no desire to enter into a news
paper controversy, neither do / desire to
defend the action of any department of the
city government, and especially do / desire
to avoid entering into an argument upon
the question Of assessments. but l wish to
refer briefly to one statement made with
astounding regularity, and that is the APP
parent surprise which all the writer's as
sumo to express that the levy in Omaha
should be $42 or $4S per $1,000, while it is
only $26.30 per $1,000 in Kansas City. These
gentlemen who are pursuing such a yigor-
Gus search for an answe to that question
might find it in an article published in the
Kansas City Times December 81, 1899. but
the unfortunate feature of that article is
that it does not answer the question as
they want it answered.
A perusal of the statement contained
therein discloses the fact that Kansas City
has troubles of its own on the subject of
taxation. 1t appears that the real solution
of the difficulty in Kansas City is a politi-
Ndl Olt anu NlldI VII dCNbull u lue ldCl lIdl
one party makes the assessments while the
other party disburses the funds the assess
ment has been kept down to such a point
that the city and county are practically
bankrupt.
This article says: Because the assessed
valuations have been kept down in this
county the county has not had enough rev
enue for several years past. For three
months past the men who work for the
: county, the officials who fill elective offices,
as well as the clerks, deputies and %janitors,
have had to do without their salaries be-
cause the treasury was absolutely empty
and the county in debt" 1t also says:
The city revenue is short OF the needs OF
the city by not less than $3.50, 900 a year.
There is no question about this fact, the
police and fire departments are short of
men, the streets are imperfectly lighted,
the street cleaners have been dismissed and
unless there is more revenue next year the
park work may come nearly to a stand
still"
Now the facts are that the assessed val
uation of Kansas City and Jackson county
are about 20 per cent of the market value,
while in Omaha the assessed valuation is
fully 40 per cent. Upon 81, 900 of assessed
valuation in Omaha taxpayers pay for city,
county and state taxes not to exceed $3S,
llSltdu Ol HfS.Ou as SldlSu, anu III hduSuS
City for the same purpose they pay s26. 80
on each 1000 of assessed valuation, the
former being upon a 40 per cent basis, the
latter upon a 20 per cent basis, so that in
reality the tax in Kansas City is equivalent
to S52. go upon the same basis as Omaha is
assessed.
1t is not disputed that taxes are lower
in Kansas City than in Omaha, and both
the cause and effect are set out in the arti-
Gle cited. The conditions there have been
going from bad to worse since 1890 until for
political reasons alone the assessed valua-
ton of Jackson county has been reduced
over ten millions of dollars while the ac-
tual value in Kansas City has increased as
much if not more in the same time than
any other similar period.
1t has been charged in some Of the articles
referred to that my time and attention have
been devoted to some scheme to increase
the burdens of taxation for the benefit OF
politicians and ofhce-holdels. This | deny
most emphatically and / desire to say that
| am prepared to show conclusively by the
records that under my administration prop
erty has been so assessed that real estate,
especially in the outlying districts Of the
city where it has no productive value, has
been relieved to the extent of 20 to 90 per
cent.
w ii L oDJSNt " 10 NAAsN
to know better persist in making statements
and drawing comparisons not based upon
facts. when the information necessary to
enable them to arrive at the absolute truth
is near at hand. These men are not honest
when they make these statements and the
best evidence of the fact is that they never
refer to them except during a time OF po-
litical excitement preceding an election,
when they are made use of to pre1udlce the
public for or against some candidate. An
honest discussion of the merits of our reve-
nue. system cannot help but produce good
results, but no votes will be made or lost
bv spreading broadcast statements which
every intelligent man knows are not true
and which fall of their own weight wnen
nlaced beside the actual conditions.
Our taxes are high and have always beer
high. and | am free to admit that can see
but little hope for any material reduction
unless there be a radical change IN the
system under which they are levied and col
lected or unless there be a radical reduction
in expenditures. If these men who are
aprually charging the administration, ne
matter what its political complexion MAJ
be. with fraud and extravaganza are homes
and sincere in their ambitions TO relieve
the people from the burdens OF taxation, lei
them select a committee or honest, lnteill'
gent and competent men, Sucu 10 'heie al
hundreds of in the city of Omaha, anc
les them examine both the system under
which our affairs are managed and the laws
governing their management, and report th'
true condition as they find 1t.
am satisfied that there Is not a depart
ment of the city government that does no
court an honest investigation OF this kind
and | am also satisfied that the heads o
these departments would be glad to ac
upon any honest recommendation that
committee of this kind might submit, bu
| am fully convinced that no self-respectin
mar holding a public position will permi
himself to be dubbed into submission b.
arguments made for political effect.
The real truth of the matter is that tn
plan pursued by these self-constitute
guardians OF the public interest who appea
on the surface regularly prior to every cleo
ton brings about the very condition the
assume to guard against. Under our sys
TEN OF government it is impossible TO alb
%solutely divorce public office from polite
since the system itself tends to build u
combinations among voters organized prin
cipally for the purpose Of controlling tn
patronage which attaches to the positions
In national affairs these combinations be
come great political parties founde