Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-13

the earnings OF q single one OF these dead
corporations7 A.-As far as the Burling-
ton was concerned, we didn't, but we had
the returns as published in the last bien-
NAL report Of the auditor.
Q.-And that was ALI Ayes, sir, I
think that was all.
Q.-Now can you tell US what the omaha
q Republican Valley railroad earned in
the last Year, Al think that can be
figured out probably from that financial
report, but I cannot state positively, be-
cause 1 haven't examined II carefully.
Q.-At least you know OF no way by
which the court now could get at the
earnings Of the Omaha q Republican VAL
ley railroad? A-Not unless 1t can be
figured out from that financial statement,
and that was filed after the adjournment
Of the board, / believe.
Q.-That was about the way you did It
with reference to all the roads, didn't you;
that is, all the Burlington roads7 Ayes.
sir.
Odd any Of the other member Of the
board seem to have any more Information
about this question than you did, Al
can ans wer that again the same as / did
before, as to myself, but / cannot answer
1t as to them.
Dwell, as far as you could tell. did any
of them seem to have any knowledge about
the values of any Of these properties? A.
think they did. probably.
Q.-The value7 A.-They had an opinion
as to the assessable value.
Q.-You mean the cost Of reproducing
the property. the physical property? A
Yes, sir.
Q.-Now in arriving at this assessment
Of the Union Pacific, did you know that, ac>
---a1.- A. Al. ran0rf 0f fhRfr nun chief
engineer, that the Union Pacific in Ne
braska can be duplicated in Nebraska for
/ $50, 900 per mile, and yet you can cash 1t In
the market for 500, 900 per miller A.
I know the cost Of reduplication is con-
tanned In one Of those documents there.
Odd you know that the franchise or
intangible property Of the Union Pacific
in Nebraska was worth more than $4,000
per mile? A.-No, sir, / didn't know IT.
o.-The tax agents didn't tell you that
YOU were exempting SO, 900 q mile Of their
property in this state? A.-No. sir.
Q.-Does the governor claim there should
be any advancement Of any OF the rail-
road assessments in this slater Al
think he did.
o.-At the time Of the assessment A.
While the board was in session; yes, SIR
o.-Now, when Mr.. Scribner was before
you was that a public hearing or was II
behind closed doors7 Al think 1t was a
public hearing. There were q good many
gentlemen in there at the time.
o.-Where was it, Ain my ONCE.
o.-Your private ONCE? Ayes. sir, my
prIyate once. Well, / think Mr..
brandon of the Northwestern and
Mr.. Bieelow Of the Elkhorn, MT
scribner Of the Union Pacific, Mr.
Pollard Of the Burlington, Mr.. Wood
man of the Chicago, Milwaukee, st. Pau
& Omaha, and possibly Mr.. Benton, repre-
senting the Pullman company. whether
there were others or not I cannot say at
the present time.
o-was there any public announcement
Of the meetingg A.-No, sir; ! think not
Q.-was 1t behind closed doors7 A.
think the doors OF the Office were smut
but they were not locked; they never
were on any occasion.
o.-was there anybody there except
some one representing these railroad com
panies. A.-No. sir; I think not.
o.-was there any information given Il
: the public that there was any hearing u
be had to ascertain these values? A.
don't know whether there was or not.
Q.-You were informed about the values
OF these roads per mile, were you no
given some information? A.-By whomY
Q.-Didn't / send you some Information
as to what the Union Pacific was worth
A.-The information was sent to the gov
ernor and he read 1t to the board.
o.-It was addressed to you three as
: board, was It not? Ayes, sir.
, o.-Informing you as to the value OF tn
property Of the company? Ayes, sir.
, o.-And as to the Burlington alsof A.
J Yes, sir.
r Q.-I also told you, didn't /, that tn
stock Of the Missouri Pacific was sellini
a few years ago at $50 a share and nov
It was selling at $40 per sharef A.
! don't remember the contents OF mat let
ter.
4 o.-You learned from It anyway tina
: stocks had gone UP anywhere from two I
I ave fold on these railroads in the pas
. three years7 Al think that was tn
general tenor Of the letter.
Q.-The fact that they had gone up I
I that extent was given no consideration b
you gentlemen? Ave didn't take tn
. stocks Of the roads into consideration, as
I said before.
Q.-Apd although the Missouri Pacih
railroad stock would sell In market TO
. FIVE times as much as It would four O
u Ave years ago, yet you assessed II eve
lower than you assessed It Ave years ago
A.-Possibly that Is true.
: o.-And how as 10 the other roadsf Mo-
: the Burlington ten years ago; do you kno'
Z what its stock was worth? Al do not.
. o.-Do you know what the Rock islam
: stock was worth, back. say In 1895, isa
7 and 1897 Al do not.
, Odd I inform you that that stock wa
: selling for $40 and S54 at that time an
: had trebled in value In the last few years
= Al can't say.
Q.-At any rate, you didn't increase n
value of that roadf Al don't remembe
, now whether there was an increase or no
Q.-In fact. when you got done you ha
made this year the very lowest assessmeI
per mils-not in the aggregate-but II
lowest assessment per mile since the yes
Nebraska was admitted into the uniol
didn't you? Al don't know that.
Q.-You haven't figured 1t up to sect 4
mo, sir.
Odd you know when you made tn
Assessment that you had assessed thei
roads, with their immense paying qualitie
at this time for less than one-half VIII
they were assessed for In 1874? Al d
not know that; no, sir.
Q.-Now. when Mr.. Rosewater went the
he asked you TO assess the franchises
these different corporations, didn't hei
-Yea air