Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-09

provision Tor redemption Of title within a
specified time, and for interest on money
advanced for tax payment. Payment Of
taxes on movable and personal property
should be due within sixty days after the
taxes through removal and consequent eX-
tinCtion Of Identification. For the prompt
collection OF taxes county t|reasurers should
be made liable on their bonds.
With these notifications a proper en-
forCement OF the provisions OF our revenue
laws, coupled with an honest and econom
lcal administration Of public affairs, will
strike an even balance between our re
ceipts and disbursements and put an end to
harassing discrepancies OF this character.
Raise valuation.
1t Is important, too, that the law requir-
ing all property to be assessed at its cash
value be rigidly enforced With our prop
erty assessed at scarcely 10 per cent OF its
value IL must result in a high rate OF levy,
while the low valuation makes II appear
that Nebraska, one of the principal indus
trial states Of the union, Is sttll struggling
In the shadows Of primitive statehood.
Those seeking investment consult our laws
Combiled wealth of Nebraska Is Sll4, OO,O
after more than a third of a cen
levy is higher than are interest rates.
they will not be likely to take up
their abode with us They viii as,
S11i,COO,cO represents the aggregate real
wealth of the state, whereas II represents
scarcely more than 10 per cent of it.
The assessed valuation Of the state should
not be less than 81. OOO,OO 900, and any lower
valuation does the property interests OF the
state an injustice. By raising the assessed
valuation to this amount, the rate of levy
may be reduced corr"espondingly, entailing
no extra hardships, while IL will remove a
barrier that l am reasonably certain has
in its time turned back millions of dollars
seeking investment among us.
Receipts and Expenditures.
During the biennium from December l,
1900, to December /, 1902, the receipts OF
revenue from all sources, aside from the
school university and endowment funds,
was 81, l80,OI7 81, and the current expenses
for the same period, with like exceptions,
were $2.216, 1878. making the expenditures
for the two years Sl4l, 700.57 greater than
the receipts. In the expenditures, however,
are included the deficiencies inherited from
the preceding administration, Sl49,1l2.6 In
denelency claims and $3.50 W. m~lsceIianeous
claims, amounting TO $lS2, 1861. This eN-
pense was incurred curing the preceding
biennium and should not, therefore, be
charged up to the current expenses OF the
last biennium On this basis of computa-
ton the current receipts during the last
biennium Just closed were SAL ,O30.40 greater
than expenses in face of the extraordinary
expenditures of S63. COO for the supreme
for rebuilding the penitentisry, $4,000 for
new addition to the Asylum for the Insane
at Hastings, $35, 900 for support of the state
fair, $4,000 for the Pan-AmeriCan exposl-
ton and other incidental expenditures Of a
similar nature, a~ggregating $4,000, all OF
which came out of the current receipts and
are included in the current expenses On
the whole this is the best showing for eco
Monty that has ever been made, nor mas
there ever been a period when the state 3
properties were kept IN better physical con
dltion or the inmates of the various lnsti-
buttons better provided for.
Estimate of Income.
Estimated receipts for the fiscal period