Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-07
TAX FALLS ON ALL ALIKE
City Council Sits as Final Tribunal to
Equali7o Grievances.
INSURANCE COMPANIES TO DO THEIR SHARE
Commissioned Snckctt VIII Recon-
mend that Such Corporations lie
Added to List in Accord with
Supreme Courts Decision.

Since January ! the council has been sit
ting daily in the chamber at the city hall
listening to complaints presented Of ~inequal-
tiles in the valuations made by tax assessors.
The protests were not numerous, however,
as the claims had been sifted through the
hands first Of the tax commissioner and
then OF the Board OF Review, consisting of
the tax commissioned and two freeholders,
which held sessions from November 10 to De-
cember 10. The council has divided its la
bors during the last week. Chairman Lobeck
OF the board being in charge in the morning
OF each day and various councilmen in the
afternoon. The board held a formal ses-
sion yesterday afternoon and passed on the
claims which had been presented.
During the week about twenty-five COM
plants have been entered on both realty and
personal assessments. They are based on a
variety of grounds, principally on the allie
cation that surrounding property is taxed
lower than that Of the claimant. The most
important matter which the board consid-
cred was the imposition OF a personal
tax on insurance companies. a communica-
ton was presented by Tax COMMISSIONS
Sackett explaining that no tax on insurance
companies receipts has been made owing to
the controversy before the supreme court as
to the constitutionality of the Weaver act.
Now that the measure, providing that the
tax shall be levied by the state, has been
declared unconstitutional, MIR. Sackett
recommends that the assessments of insur-
ance companies be placed on the rolls for
1900. The ruling of the court, the tax com
missioner points out, leaves the law as it
was originally and he advises that the as
sessments, amounting in the total to about
xilO OOO no added IN tbn elf y'g upt,rpa nf in
come. a resolution was introduced by a
member OF the council directing that the
usual tax on the gross receipts of the com
panies become a legal and valid claim
against them. There are 100 insurance COM
panies operating in this city which will be
affected by the assessment.
various Causes of CompInint.
Most of the claims for adjustment to be
passed upon were of minor Importance. A
number OF taxpayers have already spent more
time and money in securing a rebate of $50
than the tax on that sum would amount to
in years. Others have just and more serious
grievances which will undoubtedly receive
attention. e. Il. Wead asks a reduction on
lot 10, block /, Vandercook Terrace. He
says the property is too far from the rail-
road for traCkage purposes and too near to
be desirable as a residence location. The
claim was placed on file. Hannah
Michaels asked that no assessment what
ever be made on the east portion of her lot,
as it abuts the sixteenth street viaduct and
is thereby rendered valueless. She was
granted a rebate of 800. A. Traynor,
Twenty-seventh and Jackson streets, says
that his two houses are appraised at double
the amount of the surrounding property.
His claim was not granted.
Other complaints, none Of which involves
important amounts, were submitted by John
c. Davis, 2114 Cunning; j. NJ. Buchanan, 1925
South Thirty-third; w. A. Carney, 26O1 Pat
rick avenue; D.. L. Morgan, 1920 Douglas;
Missouri Pacific railroad, 1928 Farnam; Mrs.
Mary Moran, Eleventh and Douglas; Henry
jacobson, 1927 South Twentieth avenue, and
Johanna Johnson, Nineteenth and Paul
streets. Decision will be announced Mon
day.