Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-01
HEARING LINCOLN PROTEST
Threat to Double Valuation Of Merchandise
in Omaha
LANCASTER OFFICIALS IDEA OF VALUES
Adjutnnt General Culver Goes 20
Kearney TO See Camp IL In Read
iness for the National
Gunrdsmen.
NcAsTER OFFICIALS IDEA OF VALUES
CFrom a stan Correspondent


LINCOLN, July s1.--Cspecial) This after
noon during the hearing before the State
Board OF Equalization and Assessment on
the complaint of under assessment OF
Douglas county merchandise, Judge Tib-
belts, representing the Lincoln merchants,
offered to stop II County Assessor Reed
would agree to a % per cent increase. He
asserted that otherwise he would introduce
evidence which would Justify an increase of
30 per cent in the merchandise. Later John
j.. Miller, president Of the Lincoln CONNER
cial club, asserted that the increase would
be 100 per cent. Reed did not accept the
proffer, but when Governor Mickey asked
him what the merchants would do II in
crease of 25 per cent was made he indicated
that he thought it was too high. because of
the small merchants who would be hurt
1T may hurt the smaller fellows" said
the governor, but it will force them to see
that the law is complied with next year and
they will bring pressure to bear on the
county board to that end"
Governor Mickey suggested that II would
be as well to have the evidence in the rec
ord and members of the board intimated a
desire to subpoena the Omaha merchants.
The charge, to which it was admitted
there was truth, was that the large mer.
chants in some instances had formed the
habit of making out statements of low
value under the old city assessment sys
tenn. When the deputies came around they
were importuned to keep the assessment
down on account OF the city tax, he said.
They got in the habit of returning it at
smaller figure than the true value" saic
Reed.
Did they learn 1t from the railwaysT
queried the governor.
Mr.. Reed, under examination by Judge
Tibbetts, stated that he had only in a few
instances seen the invoices of merchants
when making assessments. He said tina
they would often bring papers to him, bu
It was difficult to tell what was invoice anC
what was not. He said that sometimes h,
had not consulted the insurance policies
and admitted that various data had beer
withheld. In several instances he declared
he had sought the policies and had beeI
unable to get them.
He was asked as to the amount of none,
listed by various firms, Judge Tibbetts de
claring that the sum was entirely too small
in many instances.
Assessors Cannot Agree.
In response to a question by Governo
Mickey Reed denied that he had stated las
year that he had been unable to get at tn
merchandise values because he was bus
with real estate. He denied also that ther
was any arrangement whereby the asses
Bors were to list such property at less tha
It's actual value. He said that he had moth
Ing to conceal.
County Assessor Miller of Lancaste
county, who was first placed on the wit
hess stand for the Lincoln merchants
stated that he had sought to get the tru
value in every instance, using invoices
Insurance policies and other data as tn
basis for the assessment. He stated, how
lver. that he had advised the complainant