Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-31
SEWING MACHINES, PIANOS, WATCHES.

Sc MACHINES, PIANOS, WATCHES.
The brilliant geniuses who constitute
the railroad tax bureau have thrown
out a paralyzer in Bulletin No. As, which
embodies al exhibit Of the ridlcuIously
low assessment of certain classes Of
personal property, including sewing ma
chimes, pianos n melodeons, watches
and clocks and billiard tables.
Taking the returns for the year 1900
and the assessment for that year, the
bureaucrats call attention to the fact
that the total assessment Of all sewing
machines aggregated only $2OO,314, each
sewing machine being assessed at $3.50,
while the aggregate assessment of
pianos was 1921, 666, or $22.18 per piano;
the aggregate assessment Of melodeons
and organs was $141,9S6, or $5.S2 each,
and the aggregate assessment of
watches and clocks was $120,S $50, or
$1.76 each; billiard tables, $9,5O6, or
$12.Oe each.
These figures would seem ridiculously
low at first sight, but upon close in
spection they afford no proof OF the allie.
CATION that the ratio OF assessment of
these articles is from one-flfteenth to
o~ne-twentieth of their actual value. At
the ratio Of one-sixth, sewing machines
assessed for 1882 are presumed to have
an average actual value of 1892.
Pianos assessed for $22.16 have an
average value of s132.93, melode0as as
sessed for $3.50 have an average value
Of $29.10, watches and clocks assessed
at $1.76 an average value OF $1O.56, and
billiard tables assessed at $12.06 would
be presumed to have an average value
of $72.36.
Now remember that all these articles
are secondhand, many of them almost
used up and worthless except for what
they would bring as old metal or
kindling wood. We venture to assert
that the sewing machines appraised for
an average of $16.19 can be replaced at
that price new, If purchased at the fac
tory at wholesale. We venture to as
sert that a public sale of the second
hand pianos In this state would come
nowhere lea bringing $132.96 apiece,
nor would secondhand melodeons sell
for $29.1O, on the average.
As to watches and clocks, there are
thousands in this state that were
bought by their owners at retail for a
good deal less than $1O.56. The very
best Of clocks can be bought at from
80 to SO apiece, and, while $1O.56 would
not buy a gold watch with a Howard
movement, 1t will buy half a dozen
Waterbury nickel case watches or brass
watches dipped In gliding fluid.
To the railroad tax agent $72.36 may
appear ridiculously low for a billiard
table, but If all the billiard tables in
Nebraska were put up at auction we
doubt very much whether the bureau
Gratis would be willing to buy them In
for $50 apiece. If the theory of the
railroad tax jugglers is correct, how
ever, all Of these commodities are as
sessed at only one-tenth OF their actual
value, which would make the purchase
price OF secondhand sewing machines
$500, the average OF secondhand
pianos $221.0o, the average OF second
hand organs and m~elodeons $3.50, the
average value OF secondhand billiard
tables $4,000 and the average value OF
secondhand clocks and watches Sl7. go.
Just advertise, If you please, that the
railroads viii buy up all the secondhand
watches and clocks, sewing machines.
billiard tables, pianos and melodeons in
Nebraska at that price, and we ven
ture TO assert that all the empty ware
houses in Omaha could not hold the
goods that would be at the disposal OF
the railroads at those prices. But the
railroads, instead Of being assessed at
one-sixth or one-tenth OF their actual
value, are assessed at about one-thir.
teenth of their actual value.
And this is why the state board Of
railroad assessment should be recon
vened to do justice to the taxpayers,
who are Overtaxed for the benent Of the
railroads whose property has been out
~rageously u~ndervalued by it.