Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-20
Increase in Assessments Of Five
Public. Service Corporations.
coMPRoMsE IN sTREET RAILWAY CASE
Real Estate Committee and
Corporation OmciaIs Agree ON
Raise Of s75OyOOO-Ready
for Tax Levy.

Total increase sFAtoN'SAN
The assessment of the Omaha Street Rail
way company has been raised by COM
promise from $3.50. 900 to 81, 100000.
The motion for a rehearing In the case
of the Omaha Gas company will be with
drawn. and the tax levy ordinance will be
passed at the regular meeting OF the city
council Tuesday night.
The injunction issued from Judge Dickin-
sons court last January, restraining the
council from passing the tax levy ordinance
until a hearing had been secured In the
cases OF the FIVE public service corporations,
has been dissolved.
The city council will meet in general
committee Tuesday morning to NIL in the
blanks In the tax levy ordinance, which was
put upon it's first and second readings last
February, and to decide the tax rate.
The total increase in the assessments OF
the five public service corporations which,
through the efforts of the Real Estate ex-
change, has been secured over the hgures
of the Board OF Review, is $1,52S, 100, dis
tributed as follows: Street railway COM
pany, $3.50, 600; electric light company, $751;
500; telephone company, $65,69O; gas COM
pany, 1876, 900; water company, S2I5,OOO.
At 2:30 yesterday afternoon there was a
roll call Of the board on all Of the foregoing
AHhtGhultulEs hnlih WIZ -
anal report Of the council sitting as a
board of equalization. The vote was
unanimously affirmative. At 2:45 the board
adjourned sine die.
Testimony Is Brief.
When the Board Of Equalization was
called 70 order at 1915 yesterday morning
Attorney Mcintosh arose and said: 1T sticks
In my throat to say 1t, but speaking for my
clients / am compelled to announce that the
tax committee Of the Real Estate exchange
and the officers Of the Omaha Street Rail-
way company have arrived at an UNDER
standing in the matter OF the ~company's as
sessment, and the figure they have agreed
upon is 81, 300, 900. l now suggest that We
swear a few witnesses and take some evil
dence. and that the case then be left in the
hands Of the board"
president Karr said: "I see Attorney
Webster OF the street railway company Is
here; what has he to say?"
81 have nothing to say" answered Mr..
Webster. "It's a matter Of humiliation
with me-"
f. d. wead Of the Real Estate exchange
was sworn.
How much capital stock has the street
railway company?' asked Attorney Nc
1ntosh.
give million dollars WORTH" was the
answer.
what is its bonded indebtednessT"
my understanding is that it's 81. $50, 0o0."
"Do you know of any sales Of stock
that have been made recently"
Eyes; there were some made last fall"
what did the stock sell at?"
"At from 76 to 90 cents on the dollar"
Several other questions were asked
A-.-Ll-- a. Nra,Ir La md
its franchises in Dundee and South Omaha.
Case IF Lion and Lamb.
ct am surprised said President Karr,
shat Mr.. Webster doesn't object to any
Ct these questions"
The laughter which greeted this sally
drowned Mr.. Webster's reply. which was
something about the lion and the lamb
lying down together.
Tax Commissioner William Fleming was
sworn. He testified that the real estate
of the street railway company for 1902 had
been assessed at $76.095 and that the rate
OF assessment was 40 per cent Of the fair
cash value.
William G. shriver, one OF the COM
plainants, was the next witness.
Would 81, 300, 900 as an assessment for
the street railway company be on an equal
ahg MANh ~ihU aooGobDlChl VI OtnNH PCA II
property Of the city?" asked Mr.. Mcintosh.
The witness said he thought 1t would.
The council then took a recess until 2
p. m.
To a reporter for The Bee Mr.. Mcintosh
said: 81 shall withdraw my motion for
q new hearing IN the case Of the Omaha
Gas company. because / don't think IT is
right to tie up public business aud compel
firemen and policemen to shave their war
rants just to raise the assessment OF one
company. II we had gone on with the hear
ing Of the street railway company II
would have been different, but as 1t is !
shall withdraw the motion"
Realty Men Satisfied.
1t is understood that a majority Of the
tax committee OF The Real Estate exchange
Is satisfied with the present assessments OF