Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-08
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Park Board Notifies Council that It Claims
the Road Fund
SEQUEL TO LEVY FOR PARK PURPOSES
Report that Express Companies Will
Refuse TO Pay Taxes on Franchises
and stocks ns Assessed by
Tax Commissioner.

Yesterday Mayor Koutsky filed with the
city clerk a letter received from Will Jam
Maberry, secretarr OF the South Omaha
park board. This letter says that at
meeting held on January 10 the following
resolution was adopted:
Resolved, That the road fund derived
from the levy made by the the county commis- Ia is
Guiding 1902 belongs TO the park fund and
that any diversion OF this fund will not be
recognized by the board
This action Is in line with a threat made
to the city council last July by James II.
Van Dusen, one OF the members Of the
park board. At the time the question Of
the, amount Of the levy came up Mr.. Van
Dusen addressed the council and asked for
an increase. In making up the sheet the
council had appropriated $500 for park pur-
poses, ss II was reported that there was
balance in the park fund. The idea was
TO keep the levy as low as possible. Van
Dusen talked for some time, but could not
convince the council that more money
was needed. The levy ordinance was
passed with an appropriation Of only $500
for park purposes. Mr.. Van Dusen left
the chamber. saying that he would see to
II that the city. turned over to the park
board the amount OF the road fund He
asserted that under the law the park
DOaT0 was enIlLleQ 10 lnls UlOut9 anu II
could be recovered by action at law.
Now comes a notice written by the sec
retary OF the board showing that the res
olution noted above was adopted. The
communication will be read some Of these
times when the council meets and It prob
ably will be referred to a committee for a
report or II may be placed on file. The
disposition Of the communication depends
entirely upon how the mayor feels when
the paper Is read
For years past the city has received a
portion of the county road fund. The
amount received varies according to the
amount of taxes paid In on this fund.
When a sum of money accumulates the
city treasurer iE notified and he goes to
Omaha and obtains check for the por-
tion OF the fund due South Omaha. Some
years Il is 50, 900 and then again 1t is more.
When the matter was brought to the at
tention of the city authorities yesterday
the general impression was that II the
park board wanted to obtain this money,
especially the money that had been secured
and already expended for street repairs, 1t
would have to bring suit.
When shown the communication from
the park board one member Of the council
who is well posted on city affairs said that
the present mayor and council would not oe
bluffed by Mr.. Van Dusen or any other
member of the park board, and that only
a decision of the courts would compel the
city to disgorge the money already re-
ceixed and spent. The park board Ia now
composed Of John F. Schultz, w. ]. Nc
Cram, ]. II. Van Dusen. William Maberry
and @. NJ. Hunt.
The opinion ia freely expressed that the
park board wants to establish boulevards
and go to expenses entirely beyond the
means of the city.
Express Companies Balk.
1t was stated yesterday that the express
companies doing business in South Omaha
would refuse to pay taxes on the valuation
of franchises and stock as returned by the
city tax commissioner. While the atten-
tion Of the city authorities has not beer
called to this matter yet IL is presumed
that since the fact has been made public
some steps will be taken by the city treas
urer to collect this tax. The express com
panies assert that they are doing an inter
state business and for that reason no mu-
nicipality has right to assess franchise
Annual Charity Ball.
The annual charity ball Of the soutl
Omaha Hospital association will be helC
in the large dining room at the Exchang,
building on Monday night. Oficers OF tn
association report that a large number o
tickets have been sold and that a BIZ
crowd is expected. Excellent music from
Omaha has been engaged for the occasion
and It is understood that the dancing hal