Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-29
BOARD MULTIPLIES BY FOUR
Increases the Assessment Of Ten Corpora
tons 432 Per Cent.
RAISE OF OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
COmmisaioners Practically Follow
Lines of Tax Committees Com
prOmIses-Assessors' Return for
County Total s22,3s1, 100.

As a result OF an action Of the County
Board Of Equalization, Friday afternoon, the
stock yards company. the FIVE packing COM
panies and the street railway. gas, electric
light and telephone corporations will pay
taxes In 1902 on a personal assessment Of
1878, 700, which Is 81, 6O2, 961 more than the
same concerns paid on in 1901, when the
total for the ten was s370.739. This is an
increase OF 1923 per cent and, figuring on
n basis Of 24.5 mills. which was the levy
last year. 1t means an increase Of S39,2f2
In taxes. The board also approved an In
creased realty assessment OF the Ave pack
ers, the increase amounting to s12,sS5.
Assessors' Total Valuation.
From the tax department last night came
the announcement that the assessors books
for 1902 show a total assessed valuation
for the entire county Of s22, $50, S54.S2, in
cludlng the state assessment Of $3.50, 6SS.S2.
Last year the total, even after the boards
"equalizing," was only $22, 1881, 792.0S, includ-
ing a state assessment Of S723, 122.0S, and
the bank assessment, which was $575,25S.
The board accomplished more during the
day than was promised by the morning
session, which was entirely consumed by
q harangue from Attorney F. T. Ransom,
representing the stock yards company. on
the inequalities of taxation; by an argu-
ment between Attorney Mcintosh and him
on a question as to whether the companys
agreement with the tax committee OF the
Real Estate exchange had had a proviso
that other companies must be similarly
raised; and by a quiz Of Robert G. Howe,
general manager at South Omaha for Ar
mour G. Co.; w. L. Selby, representing
Swift G. Co.; T. A. Creigh, representing
Ar. r,aohr apd Opaaba nnponanipQ and A
L. Sutton, representing the Hammond CON-
pany.
cke shoot the Chutes.
At the afternoon session the board dis
posed Of some minor matters and then went
at the packers with a jump. Connolly pro-
posed a list of assessments on their
personal property. Harte seconded
the motion, Mr.. Selby demurred
mildly. Attorney Mcintosh urged
Chairman ostrom placed himself on record
In advance as opposed to the assessment
which he said he considered a great deal
too low; Hofeldt said that he thought the
tax committee must have informed Itself
pretty we'll and could be relied upon
o'Keeffe said the figures looked high enough
10 im-an the vote was taken. All voted
aye, except ostrom.
The ease with which the thing was dont
when they finally tackled 1t encouraged
the commissioners and they took up the
realty Of the packers. Harte moved to lei
the assessors returns stand as the assess
ment and Connolly seconded the motion
Again Ostrom's was the only dissenting
vote.
Stock Yards and Corporations Next
Encouraged still more, they turned to The
stock yards matter and Connolly moved
tina the tax committees compromise fig
ures Of $500, 900 on personal and the as
SCISSORS return Of $122. 700 on realty be ap'
proved. The motion carried unanimously.
swell. lets clean EN- up said Harte, anC
in another minute the board had unani
mously approved the compromise, figuring
on the personal assessment Of all the fran
chised corporations, except the waterworks
which will be disposed Of after the realt!
assessments are Investigated, a complain
having been filed against 1t by a either
OF Florence. The water company made a re
turn to the assessor OF $476, O1O. which tn,
tax committee thinks high enough. Las
year it's personal assessment was S1s2,50
The following table shows the net results
of the afternoons work: