Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-07
Document is Verbose and Needs Any
Amount Of Trimming.
COMMITTEE MAY NOT REPORT ON MONDAY
If Not Legislature Win Be Asked to Take
Half Day Recess.
BEFOGGNG OMAHA ASSESSMENT ISSUE
Some Members OF Legislature Hon
estIy Seeking for LiEht on the
Subject aud One OF Them
obtains Il.
CFrom a stan Csrrespondent)


| LINCOLN, Feb. e., Special Telegram y
The revenue committee has spent another
day and half a night in discussing the re-
ports Of the subcommittee, but has de-
cided nothing definitely. At least that was
the announcement of Chairman Brown, The
committee is having trouble with the Kan
sas law and this is occasionlng the loss of
much time
Had I written the sections myself"
said a member. I'VE would have been fur
ther along. The Kansas bill is too bulky
and in every section twice as many words
are used as are necessary. II has him
dered us to great extent because we
have to trim il up as much as We would
the Nebraska law"
The committee Is now announcing that It
is a question II the bill will be completed
by Monday. "It is very likely that Il will
not" said a member, land may not be
ready by Tuesday" Should 1t not be COM
pleted the committee will ask for halliday
adjournments until It is ready to report.
The railroad lobby Is evidently satisfied
and is taking rest today. John n. Bald
win is in Council Bluffs and Lee Spratlin
intends going to Omaha in the morning.
Though Mr.. Baldwin is away, ho is still
in telephone communication with his head
quarters here and reports were sent him
tonight by his chief lieutenant.
Though some of the committee desired a
vacation tomorrow, Chairman Brown an
nounced that full day would be put in.
Railroads May show Hand.
The reason of the attitude Of the rail-
roads on the adjournment question viii
likely be apparent when the legislature re-
convenes next week to consider the revenue
bill now being prepared by a committee.
In tho meantime the seed sown by John
N Baldwin is bearing fruit and there are
still members of the legislature who are
befogged by reason of Baldwin's argument
that to tax railroad terminals for city
! purposes would be to return to the log
schoolhouse, two months term and to
bankrupt the state generally. This was
demonstrated by a representative last night
who asked for enlightenment from an ad-
vocate of a Just taxation.
Said the representatives. sI am for my
home county ON this tax question and my
constituents expect me to be for them Now
! what want to know, and want an hon
est opinion, will it take from our tax col
} lections II we tax railroad terminals for
municipal purposes?"
The advocate answered this way: 81 pay
state, county and municipal taxes. You
pay no municipal tax Now II you come to
Omaha and purchase property you will pay
state and county taxes just the same as
now, and in addition you will be compelled
to pay city taxes. Now. will that amount
, OF city taxeS you pay reduce the amount
OF taxes collected in your coonty or town.
, The representative thought not.
Now, then, IL railroad company comes
to Omaha and purchases property why
should it not pay city taxes the same as
your"
( What the Railroads Get.
In telling of the fsvors asked of the city
49, Nka anHIH a.
the city, the advocate OF Just taxation incl
: dentally called attention to tAs fact that
out Of the very small police force which
the city of Omaha had this winter owing
to the lack of funds or too much politics,
i the Union Pacific railroad used fourteen OF
these men around its shopyards, the duty
y Of these officers being solely to protect the
railroad property and to act as a body
? guard for the strike breakers who were Inn
ported into the city by the railroad com
pany to take the place of the tax-paying
1 strikers. And when these fourteen men
were at these gates" said the advocate,
= 1.-The Omaha police force. part OF the time,
numbered thlrty-two men. This Is only an
instance OF what the city OF Omaha has
done and is doing for the small amount in
taxes which the Union Pacific pays to the
I city. Think OF it, Nearly the whole city
Of Omaha was without police protection
y simply because the Union Pacific Railroad
= company used almost half OF the force dur
ing the greater part OF the winter for it's
a own protection. Not only that, but the
s company watched the police oficers like
= hawks. Several were discharged because
g the company learned that they had been
8 | absent from their posts given them by the
company for few minutes. This is Just
an example OF what the railroads take and
what they give In return"
Senator o'Neill, recently in speaking Of
> the bill to tax railroad terminals in the
cities, said the Lancaster delegation was
IN favor Of the bill and would stand by IT,"
Senator Warner is among the number
who have returned TO the capital after
e few days outing, The senator is on the
s special committee to Investigate the differ
a ence in rate charged by the Nebraska Tel
q ephone company In the various cities Of
the state. Mr.. Warner said his committee
was just now getting down to work and
l. would ask for more time when the iegisla-
a ture reconvenes. I'VE are going 20 get the
I facts in the case" he said, ''Gnd return an
impartial, fair statement of the condition
Of things as we find them. So far we have
1 done nothing except TO line out a plan to
follow"
= Employees Make Explanation.
The employees OF the senate who have
been coming back 10 Lincoln in punches
since Senator Saunders raised such COM
motion about their absence, take Issue with
. the senator and say Il is not their fault
that the senate adjourned; that II was not
their fault that they were given permission
to go 10 their homes while the revenue
committee was doing its work. I'VE were
given permission to 20 home by the vari-
}. Gus committees for which we work." said
:, one OF the employees. who since the saun-
ders outburst has been here doing nothing
J. except 10 get acquainted with the walls of
~ the senate chamber. "and IL ill-became a
senator TO raise a row and fuss at all OF
! us, just because he couldn't get a certain
N bill when he wanted IT, / understand since
/ 49, 49,.