Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-15
TO KEEP UP THE TAX FIGHT
Next Move Will Be Toward Hundred PEI
Cent County Assessment,
oNE-sIxTH VALUATION HELD ILLEGAL
President Green of Real Estate Ex-
change Calls Meeting OF PrOmi-
nent Property Owners TO Com
slider Assessors' work.

W. H.. Green, president Of the Real Es-
tate exchange, will call a meeting OF
prominent property owners Of the city for
Tuesday for the purpose Of discussing the
question of the assessment Of Omaha prop
erty for state and county purposes.
81 have been requested to call such a
meeting said Mr.. Green, by several OF
the heavy property owners. and at the
meeting we will discuss all phases OF the
assessment, but our particular purpose is
TO ascertain some way of having the as
sessment made according to law. At the
present time the assessors. according to
previous agreements. are assessing all
property at one-sixh Of Its real value. The
law Ia positive on the point that property
should be assessed at its fair cash value
and the opinion of Referee Ryan backs uD
this view. The property owners who are
moving for this meeting are OF the opinion
hhat the law has been disregarded long
enough and that steps should now be taken
10 have 1t enforced.
Omaha is not the only place where such
action is being taken. There Is a suit now
pending in Cheyenne county TO settle this
question, and It looks as though the people
of the state we're beginning to realize the
conditions which exist in the revenue law
of the state.
ne INtdl bblhlt tANudhBtf hdNAh Adhth
np the original tax fight, IS looked upon as
Ahe organization which should push the
whole matter. but the people who will be
present at the meeting Tuesday will I'M
doubtedly take steps toward providing the
sinews OF war. We do not expect to get
what we want without a fight. and 1t may
be necessary to enjoin the assessment. The
bssessors do not report until June, and
hhere is plenty OF time for our work. but
I'VE want to be ready in time.
VIII Act In Time.
part OF our trouble in the present city
litigation came from the fact that we did
not act soon enough and we will avoid this
trouble in the present Instance. The meet
ing may result In the appointment OF a
committee to prepare the facts and secure
an opinion from some competent lawyer.
Then we will probably wait until the SUI
preme court acts upon the report Of Judge
Ryan. II that report is approved without
amendment we will then proceed to en-
force the law. There is a possibility, how
ever, that we will have to do nothing, as
the opinion OF the supreme court may
make it incumbent upon the assessors to
return values of 100 per cent and II this
is done we will not be required to go into
court"
Assessors on their own account are going
to put a question to the county commits
sloners which will require a decision in re-
gard to the assessment laws Of the state.
These assessors have decided to return for
assessment the property Of railroads oper-
ated entirely within the county, such as the
Belt line. According to the statement of
one assessor: This property upon the
basis of one-sixth Of its actual value is
probably worth $50, 900 a mile. 1t will be
returned in one ward at least at 5000
per mile. The road is operated entirely
within Douglas county and there is no rea-
Eou why the law should not be enforced.
] am going to do my duty In the matter and
~ the county commissioners desire to
change my assessment or to strike the prop
erty from the rolls they will be the ones
20 bear the onus of disregarding the plain
letter OF the statute. The fight over tax
matters is on now and should be fought to
q fnish.'