Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-05
RAILROAD PROPERTY
State Board Of Equalization Ready for
Assessments.
ACTION AGAINST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Lancaster Citizen Attacks validity of
Contract for Bridges and Reports
Discoveries He Declares
Astounding.
a stan Correspondents

NAN ANNUAL oeeVooAnNhN VI AdlAA RnhH
telegraph and telephone property for pur-
poses Of taxation. The law requires the
work to be completed on or before May
Is, or as soon thereafter as a majority Of
the board shall have made and determined
the valuation of the property q" the various
companies.
Several reports on valuations have already
been received at the auditors office, but
with one exception they show no material
change from the figures of last year. The
st. Joseph & Grand Island railroad was
assessed last year on a valuation Of $685.
4S5, while this year the valuation, as re-
turned by the company, Is S445, 100. II is
shown by the report that only a portion OF
the rolling stock Of the company is in
cluded In the list Of taxable property, the
stock being divided as to Nebraska in pro-
portion to the mileage within the state.
Last year all of the rolling stock was as
sessed by the board.
The Kansas City & Omaha railroad shows
a decrease in total valuation since last year
from $500, $50 to $500, 2O5. The Pullman
company values its standard sleeping cars
at S104. 1922 AZ and its tourist cars at s,26s.
Last year the standard cars we're assessed
at a valuation of 500, 041. 49,, and the tourist
cars at $7,621.49.
Resists Bridge Contracts.
William NJ. Clark today began proceed
ings in the district court to restrain exc
cution OF the contract between the Ian
caster County Board of Commissioner and
c. G.. Shelly Of this city for supplying and
repairing bridges during the ensuing year.
Commissioner Welton and Borgelt arc
charged with having unlawfully extended
favors to Mr.. Shelly and to have secretly
ordered twenty-seven bridges without the
knowledge Of the third member Of the
board.
II was %astounded at discoveries recently
made in connection with the letting of the
bridge contract" said Samuel Tilton, the
member who was not consulted by the
majority. 81 have not signed any contracts
for bridges and 1t was not until the 18th
Of March that l knew that several weeks
before that time the other commissioners
had secretly ordered twenty-six bridges.
The way 1t came up was this: An engine
had gone through a bridge In Centerville
precinct and l called the attention Of Shelly
to the necessity Of fixing 1t. l told him we
would designate the order No. 1, as the
first bridge put in under the contract. He
said that 1t was No. q and that in his
book he held orders from the other commits
SlOneTS lot the OIneT bridges.
1t is shown by the records that the con-
tract contained the stipulation that no
money was to be paid to Mr.. Shelly in ad-
vance OF work performed, and that notwith-
standing this Mr.. Sheely drew IS, 1000 from
the county within three days after the
signing of the agreement.
The petitioner In the injunction proceed
ings is a taxpayer Of the county and has
no other interest in the suit than that Of a
citizen OF the community. His attorney, l..
c. Burr, insists that the contract with
Shelly is manifestly illegal and will be de-
clared invalid by the court.
Makes Buttons Mt Prison.
On payment of an installment of 5000 on
a debt Of IS, 700 Frank Kaspar, the button
manufacturer, who has a contract for prison
labor at the state penitentiary, was al
lowed to resume operations today. At the
end Of the fusion administration Kaspar
owed the state between $4,000 and $1,000
and since that time the amount of indebt-
edness increased rather than decreased.
This delinquency prompted the Board of
Public Lands and Buildings to withdraw
the convict labor a few days ago. This
morning Kaspar paid 5000 into the treasury
and promised to take up the remainder of
the claim within thirty days.
state Religious Conference.
A state conference in the interest Of re-
ligious education will be held in Lincoln,
beginning tomorrow at 8 o'clock. The
meeting will be under the auspices Of the
University OF Nebraska and the Lincoln
Pastors association. The program for to-
morrow's session follows:
a. m.-Opening address, e. Benjamin
Andrauya rhanrallnr of tho VTniyaraEtU ~
Nebraska.
appointment of committees.
Paper, THE Religious Nature Of Man.
Abram Simon. rabbi Of the congregations OF
Lincoln and Omaha. Discussion opened by
Rev. J. L. Marsh, Lincoln.
Paper, Religious and Ethical Elements
In Public Education" c. A. Fulmer, super
inrendent of city schools. Pawnee City.
Discussion opened by C. H.. Gordon, SUPER
intendent OF city schools, Lincoln.
2:30 D. m.-Paper, Religious Training OF
Children a Parental Duty" Rev. j. W. C n.
ley, pastor First Baptist church. Omaha.
Discussion opened by W.. e. Schell. presl-
dent of York college. York, and Rev. N.
M. Mann. pastor Unitarian church, Omaha.
Paper, THE Religious Instruction Suited
to Children and to Youth" A.. Ross Hill.
professor Of philosophy. the University of
NeDTabhd. DlSCubnlou OpcuOu Dy rev. DF.
F. s. Stein, Lincoln.
Paper, THE Religious instruction OF the
Young in the Roman Catholic Church"
Rev. NJ. ]. Reade, rector Of st. Theresa's
pro-cathedral, Lincoln.
1880 p. m.-Paper, Suggestions OF I'm
provements In Sunday School Instruction, :
Rev. DR.. II. C. Herring. Omaha.
Paper. Religious Training in College,"
d. B. Perry, president OF Doane college,
Crete. Discussion opened by H. B. Ward.
professor Of zoology. the University OF
Nebraska.
supreme Court Cases.
Following is the call Of cases for the
rext sitting of the supreme court. which
begins April 10:
Kershaw against Barrett, Johnson;
Sharp against Call, Hamilton; Marvel
against Marvel, Hamilton; DrexeI against
Reed, Douglas; Drexel against Rochester
l. & h. Co., Douglas; DreXel against Per-
ktns, Douglas Omaha Loan and Trust Co.
against Thompson, Buffalo; Taylor against
Adams, Sheridan: Simpson against South
ard estate. Nuckolls; Stanisics against Nc
Murtry, Lancaster Grand Lodge A. o. u.
w. against Bartes. ColfaX: Foster against
Mckinley tanning Loan and Trust Co.
Greeley. Becker against Brown, Phelps;
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Co. against
and Loan Association against Thoma
/, Douglas. Foster a Smith against Iaisura