Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-02-06
All Available stenographers Put to Work
Getting Sections in Shape,
INSURANCE MEN ARE GIVEN AN INNING
Protest Against Any Change in Present Law
Regarding Their Companies
STATE NOT ENTITLED TO ALL THE TAXES
Member Swccsy Taken e. Task by
other Members ns BeInE Hrspon-
sibIr for Leaks to the
Newspapers.


CTrom a stan CorrcspondcntD
LINCOLN, Feb Especial The r.
cnuc committee has gone outside for light.
II has asked for advice and counsel This
afternoon Captain II. Z. Palmer aud W
=. Hartford OF the Aetna Insurance com
pany, both OF Omaha, appeared before the
subcommittee on insurance taxation. at
the request OF the committee, and told why
the present law regarding insurance taxa
tun should not be changed
I'VE are taxed today" said Captain
Palmer, Just like John smith or any other
man. We pay state. county and municipal
taxes and that is what we should pay.
We pay IL on thu net receipts Of the COM
panies. The 81 500 which it is said s paid
into the state by the insurance company Ia
only portion OF the taxes paid and Is
misleading and erroneous. The auditors
books will show that the insurance com
panics paid into the state treasury in re-
ciprocal taxes and fees between Si5 900 and
S50,OOo. We pay in municipal taxes In
Omaha and South Omaha over IS 900. Tne
insurance companies pay a total tax OF
$4,000 in the state.
To change the law and ASSESS insurance
companies on their gross earnings and turn
'i' hl'utg bNtI 10 the state would not ne
Just to the cities. Where they are now
paying municipal taxes" continued Cap
tain Palmer. In Omaha and South Omaha
one-thrd OF the premiums OF the state
are paid and these cities should get some
taxes for municipal purposes A change
in the law would mean a change In the
rates and otherwise work hardship on the
people and the companies. The present
rates were fixed with this law in mind and
a change In the law would necessarily
mean change in the rates. As a citizen
OF Omaha protested against changing the
law Three legislatures have threshed t.
over and it is now a most Just and equi-
table law. II is the same as in force in
eleven other states" Captain Palmer said
he was here as citizen and not as a
representative Of any insurance company.
The committee did not intimate to the
gentlemen what action 1t would take in
regard TO the natter.
Committee Acts ms Unit.
Whatever else may be said about the rev.
enue committee, whatever kind Of bill Il
submits TO the legislature, IT cannJt be
said that it has not worked faithfully since
the adjournment OF the legislature. 1t has
met morning, noon and night and. meeting,
has worked. The committee will stand by
the bill it recommends until the last. Yes
torday word came out from the meeting
room that the committee would fight to
the end any attempt to amend or strike out
any section Of the bill being prepared Like
the Omaha delegation, the committee speaks
as one voice or it remains forever silent.
and II a majority say this is right. no other
member will object TO it on the floor OF
the legislature.
Chairman Brown said this morning: I'VE
are working faithfully, conscientiously and.
above all, we are working harmoniously
and I believe we will have the bill ready for
the legislature by the time Il recouvenes.
We are studying each section carefully and
We are putting in some good, strong points
that believe will be acceptable to the peo-
pie Of the state. 1t is a most difnCut task
to prepare a bill OF this nature in one week
and whether IL suits or not, whether Il is
a good bill OF a bad bill. We have put our
best endeavor on il and that is all we
can do
Member Sears is getting somewhat pessi-
mistic contemplating the manner in which
the bill will be received by the people NO
matter what kind of a bill We submit
whether good or bad, flaws will be found in
it and we are up for a 'cussing from some
quarter. But there is this consolation. We
years from now
Using the Kansas Bill.
The interview given out by the fusion
member OF the committee denying that the
Kansas revenue bill is being used more
than the bills OF other states IN the prep
aration of the new measure. oceasioned
some levity. az least for one member OF
/ the committee. Tie said there is no use
IN any member saying that the Kansas bin
is not being used az lead for us to follow.
; for q IS and there Is no reason Why u
shouldn't be, n We and Il adapted 20 our
use"
Last night the committee took a few
throws at Sweezy because he had the cour-
age 20 speak 20 a newspaper man The
committee was OF the belief that Mr.
Svsrzy was the leak through which the
meager details % the committees doings
seaprd out 90 the public
Today all the available steuograp piers
around the committee rooms we're pressed
into use by the sLbc0mmlttees 20 put on
paper the various sections as reported By
The committees. 10 was stated BY one mem
Der that possibly by the end Of the week
the committee would be- able % issue a
statement giving general outline Of the
new bin
Because the stenographers faned % Es'
ryDewrttrau the iictarions given them ~
th, suhC1mmirtees the fun committee held
no meeting tonight romorros the vari
ous sections prepared BY the subcommittee
VIII be- ready for the committee % the
Whole
Tnr committee m other asyums' re-
turned tonight. after having visited the tn
suurons ar Beatrice. Nebraska City and
the normal school 8r Peru. The last place
v.sIred Was ar the request OF the people OF
Penn Who desire 90 hang onto thar school
Tomorrov me committee vii Wind up ~
visiting ar AeaEuoy 10 reported the insfi
buttons visited .n good condition and wel
managed
ul,td,s ta aas Easagh
John n Baldwin tues nur sant anothsl
pubic debate 1u rhg question of taxina
r.aIssF rHrminals t1r riry purposes. n an
sssr 20 proposition nlada By q mornial
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