Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-15

any local franchise, is usually an exclusive right II
privilege. The franchise of a railroad company is not
exclusive. Any five or more persons can get a railroad
franchise by complying with the forms of law, and IL
they have money enough they can parallel any line of
railroad on both sides thereof.
Now, what did this corporation, The Bee Publishing
Company. re turn to the assessor as its property to be
assessed for state and county purposes for 1902
1t returne its property and 1t was assessed at the
value of 5000. on which a total tax was afterwards
levied Of $17043, and that is still unpaid, although long
since delinquent. Analysed. what does this return show?
II you exclude altogether the value OF the Press fran
chise and good will, and consider only the tangible
property Of that company. the property returned was
only 6 2-1O per cent OF 311O,OOO.OO. or the actual value
OF the tangible property. If you consider the tangible
and the press franchise, aggregating 100000 (which is
the rule laid down by the supreme court in the Omaha
karr easel, the property returned was only / slO per
cent Of the actual valuation. Where is his boasted 20
per cent? The fact is, II 20 per cent is to be assessed
on the fair value Of The Bee, the assessed valuation will
be $lOo,Ooo.Oo instead OF Sc, 100000.
Pluck the beam out Of your eye, Mr.. Rosewater,
before you eek for notes in the eyes Of others.
Tabulated, the tax assessment Of The Bee Publishing
company "f 1900 shows;
Tax Charged.
5000 for county and state purposes. ............; 17O.43
10000 for city purposes 500O
$500 is but l 7-lO per cent Of $500, 10000.
$500 is but 8 $40 per cent OF SI10, 10000.
Crhis latter sum is only the value of the presses
and material owned by that company Ia this the 20
per cent sworn to by Mr.. Rosewater In his complaint?
In the matter of city taxes The Bee Publishing
company ret urned for taxation not $4,000 90, not
I1so.0OOO, nor 40 per cent of the fair valuation Of the
property, as is required in Omaha.
The net earnings OF The Bee Publishing company for
the year 1900 amounted to s~25,000.0O, being 5 per cent
on a capitalization of $780, 100000. II It had paid the
taxes levied against its property for all purposes for
that year, vi1r t67O.43, this would have been 2 ITO per
cent OF it's net earnings.
Conhrmatory to this estimate, below are the figures
given to the census enumerator in 1900:
REPORT OF THE PRINTERS N PUBLISHERS OF
newspapers N PERIODICALS OF
THE CITY OF OMAHA FOR 1900:
Value Of products produced. ................ 1915 eOl. 90
Salaries OF oncials and clerks. ...., $780,, 901
wages =. 2l2.9O3
rent OF VOTES .''....''",..'.... -. 1885
IaAes '''''''.'''''.''. '....'..'...'. l,42o
Rent OF onhces and interest. ......... 143, 376
Nohtract "Ork .'....'......'...'. 44,lOb
MaIerlAs used ...,..........,'...- 166,332
Power and heat. ......... ...... 9,50S
front TO balance ..........."........ 1924
3916, 901-tsls. 1901. 100
This is a compilation made up from their own re-
ports. which show that the newspapers and periodicals
made q pront Of tl4s. TIA in 1900. and only paid F1,42b
taxes, or less than L per cent OF net earnings.
f Net Earnings for Tax In 1900.
bat 2 ITO per cent OF net earnings and has paid