Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-14
Douglas County Men Divide ou Question,
but Majority are Against.
AYES DISCRETION WITH STATE BOARD
Provides What Shall Be Considered in Max
ing Railroad Valuation.
NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH TO Be BINDING
Finai Vote in Committee OF the
whole vas 81 TO SO and Pros
poets of similar vote on
Final PassnEe.
LFrom > So Corresnondsntl

From a stan Correspondent
LINCOLN. March l3.-Cspecial Tele.
sram. After a fierce hEht Of .wo days
and a night the house at o',iock this
afternoon. by vote Of 81 to S. sdopted
the thompson amendE-ent TO oction 81 o,
The revenue tin. de61ing with ;he manner
Of taxing railroads. The text OF he amend
mcnt is.
i move TO amend section s. by adding
after the word structure. in line IS OF
said SECTION, the following: The Total
gross earnings and net tarnings Of said
corporations curing the wear for which
said statement is made. and the total
amount expended in the operation ana
maintenance II he property and the i'm.
provements thereof. distinguishing that ex-
pended in improvements CT betterment
from hat expended in maintenance or op-
GRAFTON. also the dividend last declared upon
its shares Of stock and the smount thereof
and The date. number and amount Of ALI
dividends declared during the year next
preceding the Gate OF such report. ana
such information as the slate board NAV
in writing require. all Of which shall be
taken into consideration in ascertaining ana
hxing the value OF such road and The fran
chise thereof, together with such other in
formation as said state board may acquire
in relation thereto 90
The Caldwell Perry an sndment TO tar
railroads their full cash alue. Including
franchise, determined BY adding he market
value OF the stocks and debts represented
by bonds or mortgage Indebtedness. was
defeated by vote Of IS 10 So
The debate began at $50 this morninR
and lasted until nearly O'Clock this after.
noon II was the most hotly contested
fight OF the session. The friends Of the
Thompson amendment charged that tn.
Caldwell amendment was purely a fusion
method, aiken from the Grand Island plat
:orm, and that those republicans support.
ing II we're betrsying their party These
charges were resented by those TO whom
they were directed, and who In some cases
charged The supporters Of the Thompson
amendment with beine railr0ad tools. Thns
the debate descended 20 th9 level q IN
erimination and Tecriminatibn The fe-
sienists made q, great hghf to get their
twenty-four members in line on Caldwelrs
amendment.
How Douglas Men Voted.
OF the Douglas county members Nelson.
Gilbert, Ter Eyck Riggs and Kennedy
voted for the Caldwell amendment and
against Thompsons. Morsman. Koetter
and Shelly voted sgslnst the Caldwell
amendment and Morsman and Koetter for
/ ;hc Thompson
sweezy Of Aoams. who presided over the
committee OF the whole this afternoon, Wig
orously denounced the Thom, son amend
ment when it was introduced as a venAl
railroad measure, then fell in line ana
supported il today. II was noticeable thar
from the first OF his debate Speaker
( Mockett called no one 10 preside over the
committee Of the whole who did not today
vote for the Thompson amendment.
The principal epeakers today were:
Thompson, Sears. Spurlock. Morsman. Nc
Allister, sweezy. Moekett and Douglas for
the Thompson amendment, and Loomis
/ Caldwell. Rouse, Kennedy and Ten Eyek
/ for The Caldwell amendment. LOOMS
| closed the debate in one Of the most forci-
/ bic and effective speeches that has been
! heard in the house this session. He pleaded
! for an hour for the Caldwell amendment.
Caldwell and Ten Eyck were especially
! torteful and clear in their arguments. as
were also Rouse and Kennedy. The
! speakers on the other side were equally
as effective.
! All day the floor ana galleries were
! througed with Interested spectators. The
/ victory on this important matter. eonsid-
! cred decisive one for the railroads. was
received with no cheers, though, from an
audience hat had spent the day listening
J dAltlilNflg 70 every argument.
Thompson Of Aerrick. whose amendment
Was adopted, was q member OF the Joint
I committee thai framed be revenue bill
When he presented his amendment ysster-
I day sEeezy, Who today icJght for the
amendment, openly charged hat IL was
put in at the bidding Of the rallr. ads and
: would. II adopted, heneht their interests
10 the detrinent Of other taxpayers.
Eject - the amendment.
The friends Of the Caldwell amendment
say the Thompson amendment is no differ
sBt in effect from the present law. gives all
power 70 the State Board Of Equalization
and viii facilitate evasion Of taxes by the
railroads
II the revenue bill as thus amended
passes. as it doubtless viii. shat is re-
earded as The most vital question before
this legislature is settled. and settled, Il
! is maintained. IN favor Of corporate inter-
Z ests as against those Of the smaller tax
payers. On rhe same line of argument
! Nebraska must wait al least two years
/ longer for some means Of compelling rail-
( roads 10 pay heir just taxes and thus get
from under the tremendous Illegal debt
resting upon it
Caldwell OF Clay reNents the imputAtion
made in the World-Herald that he ana his
colleague have been dragooned into their
stand by the railroads working through J.
3. Dinsmore. instead Of Mr. Dinsmore
coming TO Lincoln 70 instruct the Clay
county Representatives In what way 70 vote
on the new revenue hill his visit 70 them
was Of a purely sociTl nature Mr.. CAld-
well says his position has been assumed
entirely Independent OF any railroad in
huence.