Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-01
WATCHING THE STATE BOARD
Meets for the Equalization Of Taxes on
Monday, May 4
EX-GOVERNOR SAVAGE BACK IN LINCOLN
Asserts Ne Did Not Know He was
Wanted Until After BARLEY In
vestigation was All
over.


-
are now upon the State Board Of Equaliza-
tion. II meets here next Monday. May 4.
and much is expected Of It. All Of the re-
turns OF the assessors have been received
and sealed and are in the hands Of the
state auditor. What the board will do IN
the matter OF railroad valuation is a ques-
tion Of much moment and all eyes are upon
Governor Mickey, for upon him most prob
7bly will rest ths decision Of the board.
ihis. in view OF the fact that Auditor
Weston was member of the last board
and that Treasurer Mortensen favors rail-
roads paying their just share OF the taxes
II Governor Mickey follows out his inten-
tions Of using as a guide in his action the
state constitution. then the railroads, be-
yond doubt. will pay their share OF the
states expenses.
Last year the total railroad valuation
in the entire state was $26, ,5sS, ,612.70; in
1901 the total valuation of all roads was
S26, ,422. 1920; in each year the returns
were made on 6,7o3.S2 miles. All members
of the state board are now in St. Louis
and will not return before Saturday.
While the people lost out in the last
legislature in the matter Of railroad taxa
tion. the feeling shown there and the gal
liant fight made by some members Of that
body indicate clearly that reform in the
matter Of railroad taxation is in the all
and that sooner or later 1t will come. II
this board does not give relief. some other
board will. This is the opinion often ex-
pressed by parties from various portions
OF the state who have recently been al
the capital.
Reform is coming" said one Of these
recently, land the railroads may Just al
we'll get in line to pay their taxes. They
have escaped for many years, but that II
Pro Indication that they will always escape
II the present board does not give some
relief to the taxpayers. some other board
will. am in favor Of electing the nex'
legislature on this proposition, and an
in favor Of sending to the legislature only
people who will do their duty and tax al
corporations and all people In proportion
to the property they own, and l believe
this will be done" '-s
Savage Returns 20 LincOln.
Serene in the knowledge that the Ne
braska legislature had adjourned; calm II
the knowledge that the BARLEY investi
eating committee had been dissolved ig
porant (?) OF the fact that search had beel
made for him; ignorant CD Of the fac
that he was wanted here until 1t was to-
late for him to be of service; ignorant {?
of the great commotion his absence created
Ezra Perrin Savage. former governor OF tn
state. has returned to Lincoln. He return
from Washington, where he has been sine
a few days before the convening of tn
legislature. He left for that place abou
the time the rumors were all afioat Of al
Investigation as to the contents OF tn
mysterious 'cigar box" to which he oftel
had referred and the key to which he wa
supposed to possess.
"The FIRST intimation I had that IN
Bartley afnv6sti gatins coh1nalttee desired M
10 appear before It was when saw q notic
in q Lincoln paper that could not b.
found,r sald the ex-governor this after
noon. e.,,Htt' a1
He was then asked II he had receive'
the letters that had been sent by the com
mittee demanding that he appear before II
'I received no such letter." he replied
land 1 had no idea that was wante
here. / made my headquarters at tn
Brooks hotel in Tacoma and II. as the Lin
coin paper said, the letter was sent I
Seattle. IL may Just as we'll have been sen
TO Chicago, for I was not at Seattle.
would gladly have appeared before tha
committee and told all that l know abou
anything connected with my ofhcial lif'
for / have nothing to conceal. / am nc
ashamed Of anything that have done an
my acts are always open to tho scrutiny
Any legislative committee.
"I saw very few OF the papers Will
vway," continued Mr. Savage, but som
one, / know not whom, sent me marke
copy OF q Lincoln paper which said that
could not Dedicated. then wired to IN
paper my address"
What seems a very strange coincidenc
70 the members OF the investigating cou
mittee and to the people here, was the fa'
that the telegram from Governor Saws
was received in Lincoln on the day that III
Committee returned Its whitewash repor
1t seems stranger still that Savage shoul
SNN know he was wanted here when ever
paper in the state and many out Of 1t, con
mented on the fact that he could not
located, At the time the committee wa
Sppointed a summons was placed in II
hands OF the sergeant alarms Of the houi
for Mr.. BARLEY, and a summons was mailt
in q registered letter to Mr.. Savage. tt
sergeant-st-arms for some reason the con
mittee was never able to learn. allows
BARLEY to escape the city before the sun
mons could be served. and nothing cou
be learned Of the Savage letter. The fir
intimation that was, secured of Savage
whereabouts was when he sent the tel,
gram which gave his location. That wi
received the day the committee Teporte
The governor will go to Sargent in a te