Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22
FOR EQUITABLE TAX SYSTEM
Omaha Citizens Garry o~snrsign for Tax
Reform in Smaller Cities
FIND RAILROADS Sinking EVERYWHERE
President Harrison of ReaI Estate Ex-
change Tells of Tax Dodsing at
Hnstings-w. r. johnson
Also Talks.

c. F. Harrison, F.. D. Weed and w, F.
Johnson have returned to Omaha after
spending some time out in the state in
the interest Of equitable taxation. Messrs.
Harrison and Wead come directly from
Hastings, where they attended a meeting
Of citizens Friday night.
THE Hastings meeting" said Mr.. Har-
rison, was attended by about zoo people,
who listened to a statement OF how
8. F. 24s, II enacted into law. would affect
that city. It had not occurred TO them
that the city would not receive a dollar
more tax from the B.,& NJ. railway under
the existing law, Notwithstanding that the
road has in the last year erected a depot at
. cost Of from $50. 900 to 800, 900 upon prop
erty which 1t needed for the purpose and
purchased for IS, 586.66. And not only that,
but the property purchased stopped re-
spending for taxes as real estate. They
seemed to have little hope Of this ~iegisla-
ture enacting this law, but they feel fully
alive to their interests in the matter.
1T was found that the total value of all
property in Adams county was 81, 72S. los;
OF this the railroads owned 25.1 per cent,
or ssss, 0se; that the total taxes raised In
the county we're S177, 539, but the railroads
paid only 1885 per cent, or $35, 245. The
total city and village tax in the county
amounted 70 $40, 1853, Of which railroads
paid only 9.O7 per cent, or 1892. The total
city taxes Of Hastings amounted to 342, 652,
and the railroads paid only IS per cent, or
(, LIZA. II they paid 1921 per cent they
would pay $40, 752. So Hastings falls to
receive 81, 0ls per annum which the rail-
roads should pay. and this would reduce
the city taxes OF all other property owners
one-sixth, and they think In view OF the
fact that II is just, 1t Is worth going after,
az indicated by the resolution they unani-
mously adopted.
I'VE visited several other cities and
found the conditions similar. There were
none that received their fair share OF mu-
niclpal taxes from the railroads, and, know
Ing that no reduction is made In any other
kind Of taxes, they are for II. We found
most people who commented on the new
revenue bill to be unfavorRble to IT,
w. r. johnson said: "Mr. WeAd and my
self held meetings IN Fairbury, Hebron and
Nelson. Mr.. wead going from Nelson to
take part in q meeting at Hastings. From
Nelson went down to Superior and held
a meeting there.
with possibly one exception, we met
cordial and courteous treatment every
where. The exception was at Nelson
where the county treasurer and clerk
showed a marked unwillingness to dig VI
the figures for us. / wholly failed to Sc
cure from the clerk figures showing the
width and ,length Of the rlght-of-way Of
the different railroads through Superior
The trouble was regarded as altogether Toe
great.
''our meetings at Hebron, Nelson and
Superior were in each instance held in the
parlors OF the First National banks anc
with fifteen or twenty of their leading cit
liens and business men present.
'In the meeting at 10 O'Clock Saturday
morning at Superior l had State Senator
George L. Day present. When the case hac
been fully gone into II was considered OF
all hands that the railroads ought to pay
more city and village tax, that the Law
asked would be a good thing for Superior
as we'll as Omaha. Senator Day was afraid
however, tina local assessors could mo-
find out the value OF how to assess loca
railroad property, and that country mem
bers could never have II made plain t
them that they would in no way be affected
by the operation OF the law. These argu
ments are rather worn out at the heels ant
toes, bat they are the best in stock at pres
emit.
Superior is interested and the good wori
will be pushed along. Why shouldn't Su
perior be Interested? Here are figures
Nuckolls county has an assessed valuation
OF S2,ls3. 022. OF this 22.7 per cent is rail
road property. The railroads., however, pa,
but 10 per cent Of the whole tax Of tn
county and but 6.4 per cent of the city o
village tax. The total city tax of superio
is Sc, 7S2.l2. OF this the three lines Of rail
way pay e.S per cent. or S425.54.
Senator Day, as we'll everyone present
agreed at once that the railroads owne'
as large a percentage, or a larger percent
age, Of the value in Superior as they owne
in the county. II this Is true, the rail
roads OF Superior ought to have paid 81,
SALSA instead Of S425.54. This is not quit
all the grievance Superior has. For tw
years one Of the railroads has not pal
and will not pay by SO 1-S per cent as niue
school tax as other property has had TO pay
The people want things brought out int
the open. One can't help being struck o
a trip OF this kind with the bright, wide
awake citizenship of Nebraska and 1t