Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-18

more than l do or anybody else and they
ought not to ask to pay anything less"
Mr.. Ager: wouldn't you be satisfied II
YOU we're permitted under the law for
Douglas county to assess the Union Pacific
and the Burlington depots. their terminals,
and whatever tangible property they have
In Douglas county or in Omaha for city
purposes. wouldn't that bring about the
result that you are now contending for,
and that that is your idea Of the proper
and right way to assess the property"
Mr.. Rosewster: MY idea about that IL
this: That 1t should be done under the
Indiana rule; the main track should be as
sessed from end to end and the local i'm
provements should be credited to each To-
cality because each locality furnished po-
lice, fire protection and ~pavements, and
does all the work necessary; that is, the
municipal or county government contributes
as much to that property as 1t does to any
other class, and 1t should be credited to
each county where It stands. As It Is now
IL is put In the dump and nobody gets any
thing. Can you tell me where the Burl-
ington depot has disappeared, In the faith
onnless pit OF the Southwestern railway.
1t is only assessed $500 a miller
Mr.. Ager: There are hundreds Of miles
out in the western part Of the state that
got the benefit"
darlington DissIpates Depots.
Mr.. Rosewater: mo, sir; not one penny.
1t is credited to the road on which 1t is
located. The Union Pacific depot is cred
tied to that road and the people on that
line. Now, whatever you have In Lancaster
county on the B. & M. not a dollar Of 1t
can go to the Union Pacific, nor
can the Union Pacific go to
the B. & NJ. 1t lie like a fellow that had
been eating a great deal and filling himself
up, but still remains lank and lean. He
has been taking It all in and yet cannot
show anything. That road Is not worth a
cent more today than It was without the
depot. 1t was assessed at $500 before
the depot was built and it is assessed at
that now"
Mr.. Ager: DO you suppose you can ever
get the representatives from the counties
outside Of Lancaster and Douglas to tax
everything in Douglas county belonging to
the railroads. including its terminals and
everything, for the benefit Of Douglas and
Lancaster counties?"
Mr.. Rosewater: II think they have been
buncoed so much, but they are not likely to
be fooled again. 1 will give them credit for
being chumps. II they have been honest
and square and will investigate 1t for
themselves they will Snd out they have
been buncoed, because not q penny has
reached anywhere out on the line. Can
you tell me how much Lincoln county or
Hall county or Buffalo county have re-
ceived out of the Douglas county properties
Of the Union Pacifcf 1t has all gone down
to the bottom Of the sea-"
Mr.. Ager: Haven't the terminal facil-
tiles there gone in to swell the average
per mile of the Union Pacifc?"
Mr.. Rosewater: I'm the western part Of
the state they have been raising the val
uations because out west wanted to show
they had lots Of property and they
raised the valuations on their lands and
personal property more than they did in
the east, but they have received no benefit
from it. Can you look into the records Of
this office today and find a single scrap Of
paper that will show you how much has
been distributed to the different counties 7
There is nothing in that. They have been
assessed so much, the Union Pacific so
much and the B. & M. so much, and that is
all, but you don't know a thing about
where II is gone"
Mr.. Ager: "They have gone out there
and paid a higher rate of tax per mile, say
through Perkins county, out in the western
portion of this state, than they would have
had to pay hadn't they owned these east
ern terminals, because those terminals are
Jumped in to swell the average rate per
mile at which they are taxed. Now, those
people out there have been receiving the
benefit Of that as long as the roads have
been paying the tax"
Immense Values Disappear.
Mr.. Rosewater: II will show you how that
figures: The Union Pacific in its return every
year have valued that great and wonderful
piece of property at Omaha, that they
talk so much about, at $500 an acre. That
has been spread over the entire line OF
467 miles. Now, how much did those peo-
pie get out In western counties Of that
$40, 7007 What would the proportion be-
why, / should not say 1t would be $50 to
the county. II does not amount to any
thing. The fact is that It has been
Un~dervalued and dumped in and lost. 1t is
Just like a whole lot OF their bricabraC
Of other description, f~latcars, box cars and
hand cars and all Of those things. All Of
these things are reported, but for SOM
reason they do not max any great differ
ence in the assessment. The road
ID worth the money; that is
the main point; the road is worth the
money; It is a great road and It has beer
ImpTOfOu WOuuCIAully III II iubI lcW gGdlS
and that lie where the value is now. TAX
the sidetracks; probably they have tive oil
three hundred miles OF sidetracks, the dit.
ferent roads in our county. The
Union Pacific has been extending
its sidetracks for the last three
or four years, so they will only have
a few hundred yards to build here and
there to make a double track; but what
advantage has that been up-to-date to the
people in the western countles7 Nothing
The road has built the sidetracks and they
cost a good deal Of money. but the average
has been Just the same. The
Union Pacific at. the present time
is taxed at $500 and 1t wal
$40, 800 only FIVE or six years ago. l do not
pretend to say they are taxed out Of pro-
portion to all the others or less thar
others. I think the whole thing has got to
be readjusted according to the conditions
each road by itself. according to the stoch
and bonds and improvements. II they are
not earning anything I don't pretend they
should be taxed on their franchises because
they have no franchise value. as their stocI
would be worth nothing"
ANGRY HUSBAND IS SHOT
- - Et-h tn 49,