Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-05
STILL ar TgriR GAVE on BUYoo.

STILL At THEIR GAME or BUNCo.
The railroad tax bureau persists In
keeping up its game OF bunco by which
It is trying TO make the people of Ne
braska believe that, in comparison with
other taxable property, railroad property
has been assessed altogether too high
Notwithstanding the fact that the rail
roads have VIGOROUSLY controlled a ma
jority in every assessing board since the
first mile of railroad was built in Ne
braska.
The latest bulletins, Nos. II and 1s,
are, II such a thing could be, more mis-
leading and deceptive thar any of the
bulletins previously issued. 1t will be
remembered that in a previous bulletin
the railroad tax bureau has asserted that
the railroads pay 10 per cent Of the
taxes of Nebraska, which, If true, is still
out of all proportion because the rail-
roads represent fully % per cent of all
property values in the state. AS a mat
ter of fact, however, the 10 per cent
claim holds good only for a few sparsely
settled counties.
According to bulletin No. II the aggre-
gate assessment Of Douglas county was
$21, 745. 1912 in 1890 and the railroad and
telegraph property altogether was as
sessed for s713,O26. Fifteen per cent Of
that amount would be equal to $3,261,S95
instead Of $713,O26. Instead Of paying 10
per cent of the valuation in Douglas
county the railroads paid on only 81
per cent in 1900.
In 1901 the aggregate assessment Of
Douglas county was increased to S22,-
3S1, 792 and this year the aggregate will
exceed S25,0O0,000 while the railroad as
sessment for 1902 is $%745,531, or less
than 3 per cent of the total valuation in
stead of 10 per cent. And this notwith-
standing the fact hat within the past
two years the railroads have expended
over a million dollars in enlarging and
improving their trackage and terminal
facilities and building viaducts, and last,
but not least, that the west half Of the
Union Pacific bridge, which was
formerly assessed at 1925, 600, has been
dumped into the general pool at a mile
age rate equal to $1,56S.
Yet the bureau fog distributors still
assert that the glaring discrepancies and
fragrant discrimination can be readily
explained by the process of distribution.
In view of the fact that the railroad as
sessment has shrunk in every county Of
the state, while the railroad earnings
have enormously increased and the
value of railroad stocks has doubled and
trebled, the mystery of distribution
would puzzle even a Philadelphia
lawyer.
The juggle with figures and persistent
imposture is strikingly shown by bulle-
tin No. IS, which tries to institute COM
parsons between the tax paid by three
or foul Insignificant branch lines in Ne
braska with branch lines of the same
class in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Mich
igan and Maine. The figure mixers Of
the tax bureau may be able to fool some
people some time, but they can't fool all
of the people all OF the time.
The railroads Of Wisconsin pay taxes
not on their assessed tangible value but
upon their gross earnings. The trunk
lines pay 4 per cent of their gross earn
| ings and others a less rate. For the
year 1902 they will be compelled to pay
an aggregate of $1,650,000 into the state
treasury for distribution and the tax of
SO per mile OF the Marinette & Wiscon-
sin road cuts no figure in the general
proposition, although 1t is decidedly cool
as a citation.
The corporations Of Pennsylvania pay
a fixed royalty, or license, for their prop
erty and franchises, and the aggregate
received from the corporations more
than pays the entire expense Of main
tanning state government.
In Michigan, as In Minnesota, the as
sessments Of railroads are according to
their earning capacity. The railroads OF
Minnesota paid $1,65S,00o into the state
treasury for 1901 and this year al In
crease to 4 per cent will be voted, SO
that in 1908 they will be compelled to
pay wei $2,210,000 into the state treas
ury exclusive of taxes paid on properties
outside of their right-of-way, or double
the amount Of taxes paid by the rail.
roads In this state, assuming that their
claims and figures of taxes paid are cor
rect.