Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-01-22
Bill to Kill Zeal Estate Exchange Railroad
Tax Assessm mt Plan.
S A HARMLESS MEASURE on ITS FACE
Fowler Sends in Communication on the
Normal School Question.
PLEADS FOR ADDITIONAL INSTITUTION
Jefferson County Farmers Ask LeRis-
Iature for Relief from Railroad
Discrimination Regard
ing Cars.
CFrom a stan Currcspundent)

! LINCOLN, Jan. 21.-(Sptcial)-A delega-
! tion Of organized labor men from Omaha,
headed by II. G. Stevenson. business agent
of the Trades and Building council, was in
the city today and left protests from ten
| labor unions OF Omaha against the Saund-
ers-Giloert bill 10 change the date OF the
| city election in Omaha frora the first Tues
day in March to the hrst Tuesday in May.
| These protests are from the paperhangers,
! painters, steamhtters, plumbers, trioklay-
/ ers, orainlayers, retail clerks and the two
unions Of Eodcarriers, black and white.
/ They represent a large rumber OF the or
| ganized labor men OF Omaha The protests
we're placed in the hands OF Senator
O'Nein OF Lincoln, who will bring them be-
fore the upper house.
I'VE protest against this bill for no po-
litical reason" said Mr.. stevenson. I'VE
are against 1t because it is against us and
the interests CT the city Of Omaha in gem
eral. II the city election is held in May
instead of March It will retard the letting
OF municipal contracts for building and
| construction work at least two months.
| which will run the season late into the
winter and have the disastrous effect Of de-
priving a large number of men of work and
the city Of needed improvements. We will
do our utmost to secure the defeat OF the
bill in the senate. While l have the pro-
tests Of bat ten organizations with me In
writing l have the verbal protests Of every
one in the city"
l Senators Saunders said today he intended
pushing his bill with all possible vigor and
hoped to have it pass the senate, since the
Gilbert bill had passed the house. He at
tempted to discredit the protests which
were brought down, saying:
I'm bet they we're all run on on the
same typewriter"
The fact is, however that but two OF the
protests were written with typewriter,
the remainder being written with a pen
and all contained the respective seals.
Labor Mems views.
II is believed that had this delegation
Of workingmsn brought their protests Ia
: ettcar1ir the- house Tuesday lses0re tho hill
was placed On Its hnai pASsage I: could
have been defeated. Morsman OF Douglas.
who championed the bill at that time, In
formed the house in emphatic terms that
the bill was merely local measure and
was rot opposed by any faction or interest
in Omaha, but, on the contrary, was en-
dorsed by ell political parties. When this
speech was read In The Bee It created
much surprise among those delegates, rep-
resenting several thousand voters, who
came here today to raise their voice and
that of their fellow workmen against this
bill. One of the delegates, discussing the
bill, said:
. 1T Is a simple scheme Of Saunders, who
is a candidate for mayor Of Omaha, to
strengthe. his CHARGES in the primaries.
He has figured cut that II he can get the
election postponed he can have a more
favorable opportunity Of winning out at
the primaries. 1t is a cheer political plot
and. as a matter of fact, is not endorsed
| NV "A ~ afr
= as the man who uttered that statement
well knows"
The alleged scheme OF amending the bill
in the senate by tacking on a provision
a designed to prevent Mayor Moores from
holding a third term mayor seems TO
d be in disfayor and in fact, never did get
e very much further than the start. II is
e feared-and wisely so-by the men back
Of 1t that 1t would have the effect of dis
gusting outside members, who would then
defeat the original bill senator from
Lancaster county and one or two others size
the situation up, declaring that 1t is q
local matter with Omaha and preposterous
for a small coterie OF politicians With per-
sonal designs to ask the legislature OF the
state to aid them in the consummAtion OF
= their petty schemes.
II "If Omaha wants Mayor Moores a thi "a
time" said one, 'Iet Il have him. He
Il seems to have given satisfaction suficient
=. to warrant third election"
j. Killing by Back Door Method.
= A bill was introduced in the house today
Z by Currie of Dawson which Is interpreted
: as an adroit scheme to head on the Omaha
= Real Estate exchange bill authorizing the
= tax commissioner Of Omaha to levy his own
= assessments on the railroad property within
= the city limits instead OF taking the figures
= returned by thel State Board OF Equaliza.
. tion. The bill is couched in subtle form
and betrays an evident attempt at con.
cealng its real purpose or the purpose at.
= tributed to IT.
D The design of the bill is to amend Z
certain statute which will conflict with thai
= portion of the statutes sought to be amended
by the Real Estate exchange measure sC
as to produce the result Of invalidating tn,
measure and of sacrificing the Currie bill
in the same way, allowing thereby, tn,
- present law to stand. This naturally woulS
- be the result II the two bills passed botl
house and senate and the ultimate objec
OF the railroad interests in defeating thu
- attempt TO compel them TO pay their fAi
- share OF taxation in Omaha would therefor
be accomplished.
1. what the BnI Changes.
~ Ihe Dill seeks 10 amend section Z o
chapter vii OF the Compiled Statutes o
m Nebraska, but I'm its title omits mention
NJ OF the chapter saying merely that IL &
"a bill for an act to amend section o
e, an act entitled, An act to make taxes
. perpetual lien upon certain personal prop
r erty from March / In each current yea
and declaring the same personal for tn
"a purpose Of taxation, approved February l2
IN 1877, and TO provide for the leyying OF take
h. on such property for state. county. pre-
ie cinct, township. school and road. distrie
r. and municipal purposes and to repeal sal
II original section as II now stands"
D. The new words in the bill are these. re
ferring TO the taxes: shall be levied 70
A. state, county precinct, township. schOo
and road dlstrict and munlclpal purnoEa