Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-03
EQUAL TAX ON RAILROADS
Charter Revision Meeting Takes Decided
Action on the Proposition,
NOTHING DEFINITE ON OTHER LINES
tiOnaI Members 60 Committee TO
Report Mt Adjourned Meeting
Next Friday Night.


tion and assessment OF railroad property
within the city limits from the returns
made by the State Board of Equalization
to the county clerk should be eliminated
from the charter of cities OF metropolitan
and first class, and that Il Is so important
instructed TO give immediate and specific
attention to It's repeal.
The unanimous adoption Of the above
resolution and a request to the mayor to
appoint ten additional members to act with
the charter revision committee represents
the definite action taken at the general
meeting held in the council chamber last
evening.
The gathering showed a good representa-
tion of the city members OF the Douglas
county legislative delegation and Real Es-
tate exchange and the heads of the various
city departments, but the mayor, at whose
suggestion the meeting was called, did not
put in an appearance and only five mem
bers Of the council were there, while the
Commercial club was not present at all.
One of the early arrivals was Lieutenant
Governor McGilton, who remained through
out the session and was an Interested par
ticipant. The members Of the legislature
who we're present were: Senators c. /.
Saunders and NJ. A. Hall and Representa-
tives d. w. Gilbert, W. B. Ten Eyck, W. T.
Nelson and E. NJ. Morsman. The council
was represented by President Karr and
Councilmen Lobeck, Hoye, Zimman and
Hascall, and the various city departments
by Tax Commissioner Fleming, Deputy Tax
Commissioner Lewis, Health Commissioner
Ralph, City Engineer Rosewater, Building
Inspector Carter, Comptroller Westberg.
Chief Salter of the fire department, ana
Thomas p. Mahammlt, w. F. johnson was
the sole representative of the school board.
The delegation from the Real Estate ex-
change numbered ten members, including
C. F. Harrison, president, and A. G. Charl-
ton, secretary of that body.
Real Estate Men open Up.
The meeting was called to order by Pres
ident Karr of the council, who stated that
the call had been issued at the suggestion
Of the mayor, who was not present, and
suggested that presiding ofhcer pe
| elected w T. Graham was chosen chair
man and w. G. Ure as secretary, and Mr..
I Karr then stated briefly that the purpose
of the meeting was to afford an oppor-
| tunity for representatives of the different
interests OF the city to make suggestions
| as to needed changes In the city charter
! and the members Of the Douglas county
delegation had been invited there to hear
( the suggestions.
| After q pause III WHICH IL dPpSoiNN NANAN
all were waiting for someone else to take
| the initiative, r. d. Wead OF the delegn-
i.tion from tho Real. Estate exchange intro
I duced the resolution printed above with
! few earnest remarks urging its endorse
| ment by the meeting He said that sec
| ton 9S to which this resolution applied,
was the one portion of the charter which
! most demanded revision. and a member of
the legislature should be inspired with all
! the eloquence and logic OF Patrick Henry
to advocate this cause. The people of the
state would cry out with one accord II that
law was so framed as to plainly read that
the property of the railroad comps MES
should be assessed at one-two- -hundredth
part OF its actual value and all other prop
erty at its full value and yet that was
Just exactly the effect OF that clause quoted
in the resolution.
Question of COnstItutiOnality.
Councilman Hascall said that the repeal
of that clause would only be scratching
the surface" and that to effect the desired
result It would be necessary to revise the
state law upon which the charter was based.
He argued that the action proposed would
be contrary to the constitutional provision
that taxation must be by uniform method
and upon a uniform basis, and that rail-
road property could not be assessed on
one basis in Omaha or Douglas county and
an another basis in the other counties OF
the state.
Mr.. Ure argued that the clause OF the
law which the resolution sought to reach
was unconstitutional from the fact that II
prescribed a different method for taxation
Of railroad property from that upon which
any other class Of property is taxed. The
repeal OF the clause would. he declared, be
in keeping with the constitution.
e. Rosewater said he thought Mr.. Has
call was right as to the constitutional re-
quirement that all property should be as
sessed upon an equal basis, but he did not
place quite the same construction upon It.
He referred to the passage OF the Law
many years ago which constituted the gov
ernor, auditor and treasurer Of the state
board TO tax the railroads by themselves
and distribute the tax according to mileage
of the roads. and said that while property
generally was assessed at only Is per cent
Of its true value It was not so conspicu'
ousIy a hardship that the railroads were
only required to pay upon 3 or perhaps
per cent OF the value OF their holdings
At that time also the railroads were no
so valuable as now, and their Just pro
portion OF the general tax would not be 81
great as now But since the policy hat
been adopted Of assessing property at III
fun value the discrepancy in railroad taxa
tlon had become a serious question an'
one that urgently demanded attention.
Time for Action.
Mr. Rosewater recalled that even In tn
years past there had been mass meeting
to protest against the inequality of railroat
taxation and said that now IL had becom
so rank that the west half Of the Uniol
: Pacific bridge, which could not be replace
for 100000, to say nothing OF its earninl
capacity. II is certainly time for action
He believed that for the relief OF the cit
Of Omaha the legislature need do nothln
further than 10 repeal the clause Of tn
3 law pointed out in the resolution, and a
p citizen Of Omaha he would be satishe
. with that, but as a citizen Of Nebraska h
! would not be satisfied. for his desire Is {
I see the railroads pay their fair proportion
: OF taxation in every county OF the state
The constitution. he said. requires tina
: cities shall assess all property on an equa
1 basis. and that includes the railroads, tn
=, same as other property owners.
e Mr. Wesd argued that the taxation Q
railroad property In cities is purely a loea
question, just the same as a local tax. 20
. pavement In front OF the general ofic