Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-15
KEEP THESE FIGURES BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
They Prove that the Champion Tax Dodgers of Nebraska Arr
ROsewater, Bee Building Company and Bee
Publishing Company.
Bee Building companys Property, Worth $6ssOOo, Assessed at s6ooo-Bes Pub-
fishing Companys Property Worth 100000, Assessed at $6,9OO-The Bee
Taxes for 1900 Still Unpaid, Though Long Delinquent


One Of the time-honored ma1ims of courts of equity
is: HE who come into equity must come with clean
hands" Another one equally important and guiding the
conscience Of the chancellor is: HE that seeks equity
must do equity. Has Mr.. Edward Rosewater or The Bee
Publishing Company, or The Bee Building Company,
done equity? Do they or either of them in seeking relief
from their alleged inequitable burden Of taxation, come
into court with clean hands or unblemished consciences?
Let us seel
Rosewater, its president, appeared before the State
Board of Equalization and demanded that the board, in
addition to imposing an assessment on the tangible
property of the railroads in Nebraska, assess also their
franchises, which he absurdly alleges. are of the fair
value of $4,000 100000.
In its petition, duly verified, the relator. The Bee
Building Company, alleges that its property is assessed
for taxation for state and county purposes at about 20
per cent of its fair cash value. This complaint is a
part Of the pub lie records of this state, and therefore
public property.
The building of The Bee Building Company. within
the city of Omaha, was, for the year 1900. assessed for
state and county purposes at the sum of $~6O.00OOO. It's
reasonable market value was and is the sum of $685.
10000, at least that was the valuation put on II by Mr..
Edward Rosewater when he applied for a loan upon II,
at a time when it was of less value than 1t Is now. Is
100000, the assessed value, 20 per cent the actual,
market or fair value? Let Mr.. Rosewater answer! 1t
is apparent that the relation Of the assessed to the real
value is less than 10 per cent. Mr.. Rosewater, wash
your hands; Bee Building Company. do equity!
The foregoing is but one illustration Of inequity and
soiled hands; thore are others.
Another corporation with which Mr.. Rosewater is
closely identified is The Bee Publishing Company. oceu-
plying the building of the relator. What of the assess
OF Jul properties! IN the year l5OU, tnat cor
poration owned and used:
2 presses, $4,000 each ....................... 50oOO.O 90
IL linotype machines ...........:....... .. 10000. 90
Printing stock and other property ..........,.. 10000. 90
An Associated Press franchise. .............. 100000 90
Total ............... $3.50 900. 90
In addition to the above is that intangible property.
estimated as OF immense value. known as good will"
based upon name. advertising. patronage and circulation,
swelling the value of The Omaha Bee Publishing Com
pany to probably $500 100000.
The authorized, subscribed and paid up capital Of
this corporation is 800. 0OO. 90; its actual selling value is
$4,000 per share, or a total Of $4O0, 10000. That our
statement Of the value Of the Associated Press franchise
is correct, we need only refer to the sworn andavit Of
Mr.. Rosewater. in a case recently pending in the courts
of this state, in which he says "Mr. Hitchcock has re-
Gently testified in court that he valued his U. P, Omitted
Press) franchise at $5, 100000. and yet he insists upon
getting for nothing a franchise worth ten times as
much" Mr.. Rosewater ought to know and he has SO
testified, and we are inclined to accept his statement as
true, the more because the value estimate Is amply sus-
tanned by competent authority.
Now. If intangible properties Of railroads are to be
assessed, why not assess the intangible property Of a
publishing concern? The constitution creates no ex-
emption in favor of the latter. A press franchise. like
Railroads Paid 10 60 Per Cent
The Bee Publishing Company were charged
but n part of that amount as yet.