Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-20

levied upon the millions OF people west
Of the Mississippi river an omnibus exc
oution called a rate sheet, to take forcibly
from the people enough TO bring their
stocks and bonds to par. That Is the way
they have made these properties rich. The
Union Pacific Is stocked and bonded for
$4,000, for every mile. good and bad
It has taken enough from the people to
bring their securities in this amount APP
proximately to par. why did they not
make II 5000, 900 per mile and bring u to
par in the same way?
Mr.. Harrington has told us that in 1900
a common agreement was made in Chicago
by the representatives OF the railroads
which placed all territory west Of a line
running from Chicago and st. Louis and
down the Mississippi to the gulf, taking
all the territory west ct that line and
putting It into a division. and Issued a
rate sheet known as Classification No. 20,
binding upon every railroad within that
territory; this rate sheet increased the
tariff AZ per cent on $40 articles in com
mon use; so, as a result. a man who paid
500 freight before had to pay $40 after
Il took effect. The cost OF carrying freight
had not increased a dollar; the rate sheet
simply increased the prohts OF the rail-
roads. says the Interstate Commerce COM
mission. That omnibus e1ecutionl Thus
were the people despoiled in order to en-
rich the fewi And the people should know
I'll Now we see the railroads hlggling
over their taxesi
Question of Municipal Taxation.
Your honors, / now come to the question
Of municipal assessment. These city
A,,k 5000 ,tN.e g. ,-.--aa
sioner and In each has been inserted three
lines in the same language. They read
thus:
The tax commissioner shall take the
valuation and assessment Of railroad prop
erty within the city limits from the returns
made by the State Board Of Equalization
to the county clerk.
The state board takes as a basis Of valua-
ton one-sixth or one-seventh the real
value; the city assessor this year takes as
a basis 100 per cent. Hence, the general
taxpayer will pay IS or 81 where the rail-
roads will pay 81 on the same amount Of
property. Much Of the railroad property
Is not assessed anywhere.
l draw attention to our petition, or re-
lation, in this case. Also to the brief at
pages 10. 90 and Al; to the brief in behalf
of the Burlington, at pages 46 and Al; TO
the brief for the Elkhorn company. page
4. where 1t Is stated to be one of the
three principal complaints. The const;-
tuition says all municipal taxes
shall be uniform in respect to persons
and property within the jurisdiction of
the body imposing the same.
That is Tin Omaha, Lincoln and South
Omaha) within their respective city limits.
Under 1t the legislature has created these
cities; in each 1t has created q city tax
commissioner to assess this property. The
legislative policy Is declared. The legis-
lature recognized the necessity for special
government, called municipal, and for q
special method of assessing city property
for municipal purposes. It is common
knowledge that municipal government Is
under extraordinary expense not known TO
state and county government. In Omaha
nearly $1,000, 900 Is required for general
purposes, $780, 900 for schools, another
100000 must be raised for county pur-
poses, most of which Omaha property pays.
Your honors. 1 feel strongly on this
municipal question, but / have reserved It
till the last to take such remnant of time
as might be left. / do not believe 1t is
because I Am a citizen of one of these
cities; I believe 1t is that something in
me that has made me so full of hate
that has made me q disappointed agita-
tor" Gas they say)-it is the love OF Justice;
all men possess that. I hope 1t is true
that 1t is accumulated a little bit more
in me than in some people. 1 believe 1t
is true that there are some men who suffer
at the sight of injustice, Just as there
are some who suffer to see a wounded dog.
In the three principal cities OF the state
we have a population forming a consid-
cradle portion OF the population Of this
state, probably 175 900. The capital interest
is very strong in them, but 1t is confined
to a small percentage Of the population,
however. The common people, l want 20
say, in these three cities, those who are
not so richly blest with wealth-they are
good people, they average we'll. nave SYM
pathy with the whole state and all parts
of the state, whenever and wherever there
is wrong done or suffering endured. A
wrong notion, I think, mistakenly obtains
in some quarters, thai we are all rich in
the cities. and that we are all bad and
haven't any blood stirring for humanity In
us. That is a gross libel, II anyone says
anything like that. Give to the state at
large Its full measure of justice, but, in
cidentally, at least, relieve us from this
injustice. to exaggerate which would be
impossible.
Why, isn't 1t a duty almost for me to
urge here, appearing as l do on behalf OF
the public, as I think / do, or try to do,
and volunteer to do, to speak q word
in behalf OF those tax officials who are
not relieved and enlightened upon this
question by a judgment of this court. The
tax assessors that have to assess local
corporations under section 80 have been so
instructed. Deduct indebtedness and II
leaves nothing to be taxed. For thirty
years that has gone on, under section 80,
and other people have been wronged. Now
the court has spoken and these officers