Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-30
BALDWfY.s THREE POINTS.

properties than is allotted to II under the
existing method Of distribution Of values. 1t
must certainly to that extent reduce the
revenues OF the cities, villages and school
districts outside Of Omaha, along the full
length Of the railroad mileage in the state.
Third-That there are no provisions in
the existing statutes OF this state discrim-
mating in favor OF railroad property in the
matter OF any kind Of taxation.
The basic principle of our constitution
is that corporations and individuals shall
share the burdens of taxation in just
proportion to the value of their prop
erty and franchises. The relative pro-
portion of property values is to be as
certalned by the property returned for
taxation and not by the estimated
values Of property not returned or
omitted by assessors. The aggregate
true value of all property in Nebraska,
including railroads, as estimated by .ex-
perts, will range in value from $780,
5000 to ST. soc 900, 900. The aEgre-
gate true value Of railroads in Nebraska
as computed either by the market
values Of their stocks and bonds or by
their net earnings ranges between S312,-
100000 and $32O.OOO.OOO. In other
words, the railroads of Nebraska repre-
sem fully % per cent of the aggregate
value of all property in Nebraska.
The grand assessment roll Of all
property in Nebraska for the year 1902
is $1SO,O91 1872 and the aggregate pro-
portion Of railroad assessment at one
fourth that amount would be 45,022,-
79S, whereas the assessment Of the
railroads for 1902 is only 500, $50, 552, or
$1S,433, 246 less than It should be under
the most liberal concession. This
figure is, however, too low by many mil
lions. The assessed valuation Of all
property exclusive Of the railroads for
the year 1902 is $153,5 sol, $40. Hence
if that sum represents, as 1t should,
three-fourths Of the total valuation of
the state, the proportion OF the rail-
roads would be one-third of that sum,
or $51, 1928, and the grand total for
all taxable property, If the railroads
had been accurately assessed, would
have been $204,66S,S57 And yet Bald
win has the nerve to assert that the
railroads are paying their full share of
taxes.
Baldwin's second proposition, that the
railroads distribute among the school
districts along their lines the municipal
taxes which they shirk, is on a par
with his claim that the railroads pay
their full share of all taxes. During
the past ten years the railroads have
lion dollars in taxes and they
have beaten Lincoln out of more
than a quarter of a million during the
same period, but not a penny of the
money thus flched from the taxpay-
ers Of Omaha and Lincoln has found
its way into a solitary school district.
Every dollar of 1t has gone into the
pockets of the corporation. The dis
tribution theory is a myth and nobody
knows it better than Baldwin.
Municipal taxes are just as much
separated from city and county taxes
as would be a federal corporation tax,
Suppose Uncle Sam should levy a mil.
lion a year on the Union Pacific as a
license tax. In what way would that
affect the counties along its lines and
where would the counties lose a penny
IL the road paid such a tax or gain q
dollar if the attorneys of the railroad
could persuade Uncle Sam to cancel it,
If there has been any distribution OF
the valuation of the Omaha railroad
terminals, when and where did the rail
roads distribute the values of the new
depots and valuable Improvement.
made in Omaha within the past ST,
years?
Does the spirit and letter of the con
stitution contemplate that the propert
owners in cities shall bear all the bur
dens Of municipal government and pa,
out of their own pockets hundreds O
thousands OF dollars a year for fire pro
lection, police protection, public light
ing, street repairs, sewerage and drain
age, which the property Of the railroad
enjoys equally with them?
Baldwin's third point, that there ar
no provisions in the existing statute
that discriminate in favor of railroad
property in the matter Of any kind o
taxation. is contradicted fatty by tn
city charter of Omaha, which at tn
instance Of the railroads was doctore,
to fix n standard of valuation 10
assessing railroad property and anothe
standard for other corporations an,
individual property owners Such a III
tie thing as that would not, however
phase the %adamantine cheek of a Bald
win, who would stand up and maintai
with just as much nonchalance that tn
sun shines in the middle of the nigh
and the moon I'm the middle of the da
If his corporation employers paid hir
for 1t.