Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-02-08
Methods Of Revenue Committee the Cause
of Much Adverse Comment
PPoSITloN TO NEW BILL is CERTAIN
Members Who Are Drifting Back to Lincoln
, Speaking Out Freely.
DOUBT WHETHER MEASURE WILL Be LEGAL
Time Allowed IL Insufficient 20 Pre-
pare Such BiII, Especially
when Law of other state
il the Basis.
(From a San CorrespondentN )

BE-
LINCOLN, Feb. 7.--(Special Telegram)-
The revenue committee adjourned this
afternoon without having completed its
bill. The most important section yet to
be decided is that of telephone taxation,
and on this question the committee spent
nearly the entire day. An effort was made
TO have the telephone taxed the same as
railroads for county and state purposes
and on this hinges the Aght.
The Insurance companies received a Sc
we're jolt at the hands OF the committee
and will be taxed on their gross receipts
for all purposes instead OF just receipts as
at present
Real estate will be taxed at a cash
value and a penalty clause is attached to
compel assessors to carry out the pro-
visions Of the section. County assessors
will be elected to serve four years and
will have power to appoint deputies The
Douglas county assessor will receive a sal
airy OF 81 500 a year
Realty taxes become due October / and
delinquent May 1. Personal taxes become
due October 1 and delinquent December 1.
Cattle will be assessed in possession OF
owner between February 1 and July l.
The Board Of Equalization was enlarged
and its powers broadened
AS was expected. the railroad taxation
was not changed, the committee leaving
to the legislature the question of the city's
right to tax terminals for city purposes.
Several Of the committee went to their
homes this evening and no meeting will be
held tomorrow. Stenogra pliers are getting
in shape the sections agreed upon and it
will be several days before the legislature
sees the bill. The committee still re-
fuses to make a statement.
| Actions Awaken Prejudice.
The procedure of the revenue committee
! In framing revenue law has
awakened prejudice against the
/ measure tina. will be introduced
even before the contents of the bill are
known. A senator remarked today that no
matter what kind of bill would be intro
duced X would be. amended and changed,
and fight would be the result. 1t is the
secrecy with which the committee has
worked and its vacillating methods in
in adopting standards that would
be good foundation for revenue bill. as
much as anything else that has caused this
prejudice. Some Of the legislators are feel
ing pretty wrathy now that the legislature
adjourned to give the committee time to
get up a bill. "If we hadInot adjourned"
said one of these "the revenue committee
would have amended the Nebraska law TO
suit and would have done 1t in a short time,
and we would have known Just what we
were doing. We would have been on the
ground, and that is where we should have
been. Mark my words, II this legislature
passes an entire new revenue law made by
that committee 1t will pass q law that will
not be constitutional. 1t is not probable,
though It is possible. that any committee
Of men like those we have. unused to such
work, can frame a revenue law in a week
that Will stand the test. It's members will
ind out when they get that bill before the
Legislature that we will not take all OF It
on faith"
Probably Turn Omaha Down.
Senators Hall and Umstead said today
that 1t was likely that the legislature would
turn down the proposal OF Omaha to tax
the railroad terminals. Senator Umstead
has Just returned from his country home
and said that his people, he believed, were
opposed to the bill. "They fear that II will
reduce our tax collections" he said. "If
we allow cities to tax terminals for city
purposes It is more than probable that all
the money thus taken in by the cities from
the railroads for city purposes would be
taken out of the assessment made by the
State Board OF Taxation for county and
state purposes" Both OF these gentlemen
claim to be open to conviction, however,
and both admitted that they had not studied
the question carefully, and Senator Umstead
said he had not heard the speeches OF the
advocates OF the terminal taxation.
When told OF the fear OF the senator that
the Board Of Equalization would take out
the assessment OF the terminals made by
) the city of Omaha from the assessment
D made by the board for state and county
I purposes, one member of the board said:
, while have not looked over the mat
4 been introduced, at first glance | am OF
the impression that il is a Just measure,
and I am sure that II Omaha taxes the
= terminals on assessment of Sl5. 600, 900.
. as It's citizens are cndeaylring 10 do for
city purposes, II would be Just In my
opinion Il would not make any difference
! to the rest OF the state hl regard 10 their
tax collections on railroad property. II
would not reduce the school tax, nor the
county tax, nor the state tax collections
And II the bill becomes a law / don't see
why we a state board OF equalization
should feel called upon to take out Of our
valuation that amount OF money assessed
: : on the terminals by the city Of Omaha >"
Appeal 10 Prejudice.
d The railroads are using many and va
= rious arguments with the legislators tC
be allowed to escape just taxation. Th'
lobby is now making an endeavor to stil
7. up an opposition against the city OF omahi
II by appealing to the political prejudces o
i the legislators. This Is a republican leg
y islature" they say. "and look how omahi
, knitted the republican candidate for con
gress and the head OF the republican
n ticket" They are trying to show that 1
would be unwiss politically TO ALLOW
!, Omaha TO levy a tax on the terminals fo
>, city purposes. you owe nothing 4
I, Omaha" they tell the legislators "be
# cause Omaha didn't line up with repub
- lican congressman aid with a large major
ity for the republican candidate for gov
n ernor. Let Omaha appeal to the demo
=, Gratis for aid, II has done nothing L
o merit anything at the hands of this re