Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-03
NO WORD OF TRUTH IN IT
What J. H. Mcintosh Says Of Articles Be-
ing Sent Out by Railroads
CALLS ATTENTION TO HOUSE ROLL III
Lawyer Maintains That Pending Bill
Does Not Amend statutes Under
which unit Levy Taxes
on Railroads.

James IT. Mcintosh, counsel for the
Omaha Real Estate exchange. speaking OF
the tax article being sent to Nebraska
newspapers by the railroads, said
"The article the railroads are sending
out to the press Of the state, Offering
checks to pay for its publication, in which
they say that the bill now pending be-
fore the legislature to require railroad
property within metropolitan cities to be
valued for taxation for city expenses by
the same assessor that values other prop
erty within the city for taxes is an at
tempt 20 deprive the outside counties and
districts Of Nebraska OF from % to 75 per
cent OF the railroad taxes which they here
tofore have received has not one word Of
truth in It, and no one better knows it
than the railroad people. This bill, II
passed. would not deprive the state, any
county or a single school district Of the
Itste OF one penny OF railroad taxes.
"WheH the offer was publicly made at
Lincoln last week to pay $1,000 to any
charitable institution IL the railroads
would show how this bill would deprive
the state, any county or school district
Of the state Of one penny Of railroad taxes
the railroad attorneys there present did
then pretend It was so. They knew. 1t was
not, and did not say so when their false
hood could be publicly exposed.
1.-THE railroad taxes the state, counties
and school districts collect are levied
under sections 80 and 40 OF the revenue
law, being chapter LXXVU Of the Nebraska
statutes. House roll III amends section
9S OF chapter XIIa of the Nebraska
statutes. 1t does not amend sections 80
and 30 OF the general revenue law. 1t
does refer TO sections 80 and 40 Of the
general revenue law. 1t does not in any
manner or form affect sections 80 and 40
Of the general revenue law.
Ask some Direct QuestIO9s.
Therefore, II It does not amend or af-
feet the sections of the general revenue
law under which railroad taxes for state,
county and school purposes are levied and
assessed, how in the world can II affect
the state. county and school taxes the
railroads pay?
why did not the railroads send the
press of the state a copy of House Roll
III, and let the editors judge for them
selves? Or why did they not tell them the
Omaha tax scheme did not touch or affect
the avs under which the state, counties
or school districts get their railroad taxes g.?
why did they not say to the press of
the state thai" the object and purpose OF
the bill was to require the city tax COM
missioner who values all other property in
the city for city taxes to value the rail
road property within the city for the same
purpose. and nothing more? And that the
bill would have M other effect?
IF they had sent the state press copies
OF the bill, or told them the truth about 1t,
they need not to have inclosed their article
for local or editorial columns nor trou-
bled themselves to send you check for
same Their check could not hire the
state press to publish this false article as
local or editorial II the railroads had dis
closed the truth 20 the editors.
Knowing the truth. the editors, II they
said anything about It, locally or editori-
ally, must have said that House Roll
III was perfectly fair. Why not? Why is
It not fair for railroad property within
metropolitan cities to be valued for city
taxes by the same assessor that values other
city property within the city for city pur-
poses? Should the railroads object to this
Is not the oficer who is good enough ia
value for city taxes the hc1sehold effects
of the poor c~ottager also good enough Ia
value the city property of a rich railroad
for city taxes? This is the question raised
by House Roll III, and. no other ques.
tion. II needs no falsehoods to support it.
Falsehoods or other methods cannot de.
feat 1t. The plain and simple justice of II
lnsures its becoming a law"