Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-22
Proceedings of the Body.

Herman Kountze. F. d Wead.
Proceedings of the Body.
Mr.. Detweiler called the meeting to or
der and suggested as chairman former Gov
ernor Crounse. who presided. F. D. Wead
announced the object of the meeting.
IAN emergency exists" be declared. "and
IL appears that an immediate mass meeting
Of as many citizens as we can get together
is important. According to the newspaper
dispatches from Lincoln, efforts are being
made in the Joint revenue revision commit
tee TO change the method employed in tax
ing franchised corporations. II the pro-
posed changes become a law, then the two
years hght that the citizens OF Omaha
have been making to secure equality in tax
alton will amount to nothing and we will
have to begin all over again. In the case
of the street railway company we figure
that IL will reduce the assessment in this
city about SO, 200. 900, meaning a difference
in taxes, computing with a 10-mill levy, Of
SS2 OOO The method will work against
equitable taxation in Omaha, and has no
good reason to stand upon"
W. s. Poppleton was called upon to speak
and said: I'VE spent two years and a lot
of time and money to obtain the equitable
assessment of the franchised corporations.
The matter was fought out by public agi-
tation and in the courts and fair and Just
valuation for taxation at last hxed upon the
corporations. II seems outrageous to think
that the legislature is going to vitiate our
accomplishment. The adoption Of the pro-
posed amendments would place us back
where we were, would mean another long
fight in the courts and while the present
changes T1ay be for country districts only,
the injection of the principle into taxation
is wrong and Will have a pernlcious inhu-
ence In time It will creep into municipal
taxes. / believe that all the citizens who
stood for equal taxation will be with US in
the coming fght to prevent the enactment
Of these provisions into law"
should send Out Warming.
John L. McCague said that the meeting
was called together more to anticipate
what might be done than to condemn meas.
ures that were known TO be advocated. Hi
( thought the meeting should sound a note o
( warning in order that the legislators nigh
| know that Omaha was watching the matter
/ The franehised corporations should b
given to understand that a time can com,
/ when forbearance will cease to be a Yir
tue" he declared Street railway, elec
been knocking on the door and begging per
mission to enter Omaha during the pas
year. II is not yet too late to admit thes
rivals TO the present corporations and thro'
wide open the door Of competition, ereatin
losses to the established corporations tina
will be far greater than the payment O
Just taxes"
Mr.. Wead said he thought the time ha
come for a vigorous protest. There is n
reason TO doubt that the proposed change
In the revenue bill are contemplated. b
affirmed There is one point We must nc
lose sight Of" he continued. "and thI
is while the Douglas county delegation
busy knocking out these objectionable fes
lures and succeeding in the endeaVor, the
! are not 70 lose sight OF the matter OF raj
way taxation. II has been suggested thu
the franehise-tax matter has been iutFC
duced to divert attention from the railroa
tax reforms"
> Victor Rosewater was asked to speak Q
(Cont:nued on Fourth PaEel