Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-20
LINCOLN MERCHANTS KICK
File Protest Against Assessment Of Nsr-
ohandiss In Omaha.
MONDAY, July 81, DATE or THE HEARING
state Board DispIeassd with Dila-
tory Actions OF some Assessors,
who Have Not Yet Filled
Returna
IONON, July 81, DATE or THE HEARING


From star Correspondent)
LINCOLN. July 1s.-tspecisl THE an
nual kick of the merchants OF Lincoln
against the assessment Of the property Of
the merchants Of Omaha, was duly regis
tered thie morning with the State Board Of
Equalization and II is Of considerable more
force than formerly. This time the kick
Is a written protest signed by John e. Mil
Ter Of the firm OF Miller & Paine and It
was filed by Judge Tibbetts. an attorney
OF this place. The protest sets forth that
the County Board OF Equalization and the
county assessor fraudulently assessed per-
sonal property, and especially merchan-
disc at a figure fifty per cent lower than
1t should have been assessed.
Judge Tibbetts appeared before the board
and asked for formal hearing on the
matter and that the members of the county
board and the county assessor be sum-
moned to appear before the board and show
cause why the assessment should not be
Increased. Judge Tibbetts told the board
he would be able TO prove that the low as
'sessment of Douglas county merchandise
was general throughout Omaha and that
very few merchants would suffer by an in
Acrease The board set aside Monday, July
81 as the date Of the hearing and will sum
mon' together with the county board and
petition filed by Judge Tibbetts is as fol-
lows:
Your petitioner is a resident. citizen and
taxpayer OF Lancaster county, Nebraska
ana owns real and personal property in
credits upon which taxes are levied for
Ltate and county purposes against your
this complaint on behalf Of himself and
other taxpayers of the state of Nebraska
Your petitioner further states that the
personal property in said county of Ian
caster for the purposes OF taxation for
1905 was valued BY the County % assessor ssor
and the. County Board of Equalization at
the persona propepfx of vaine' value aRa that
for such purposes was so valued.
Your petitioner further states that the
county assessor and Board of Equalization
OF Douglas county, Nebraska, for the pur-
pose of taxation upon the personal prop
merchandise, credits, notes and accounts
and money not to exceed one half of the
SCISSOR and County Board of Equalization
OF Douglas county, fraudulently placed and
made and with the fraudulent purpose and
intent of assisting the taxpayers OF Doug
las county, and especially the owners OF
the above named classes of property, in
escaping the payment of their fair pro-
portion Of state taxes for the year 1906.
Your petitioner further states that II
said low valuation and the assessment
based thereon IN said Douglas county be
allowed to statnd undisturbed by your
county and It's taxpayers therein named
escaping the payment of their Just and fair
proportion Of the state taxes for the year
1905, and It will result in that the taxpayers
of all other counties, including the tax
payers OF Lancaster county, and including
your petitioner, will be compelled to pay
more than their fair and just proportion
OF the state taxes for the year 1906. All
of which is inequitable.
Your petitioner prays that the assessment
OF personal property as between Douglas
other SS counties @ of the slate and % tbe taxl sSa
payers therein be equalzed in such a NAH
ner so that the taxpayers of each county
their fair proportion Of the state taxes
for the year 1905. and no more; that the
Equalization OF Douglas county be cited to
appear before your honorable body and
show cause why the assessments upon per-
sonal property in said county, and
pecially upon merchandise, credits, notes,
accounts and monies, should not be
raised that your honorable body cause
evidence to be taken concerning the mat
ters alleged in this complaint and that
had and ordors made as you may deem
proper, just and equitable in the premises.
The following table shows the assessment
in two counties on the items COM
planned Of;
Douglas Lancaster
Merchandise -; =. n'77+sit snls+SO
Notes oSss' secured by mort ~ ''---O
Money loaned iiicdd...... ........... SS7 Sis5so
Book accounts ......,,.. 1885 1oi,O7OsO
Assessors Are DiIRtOry.
The State Board of Equalization is dis
gusted with the way In which some Of the
counties are making haste in getting In
their reports and II the same are not forth
coming at once the extreme penalty OF the
law will be invoked against the assessors.
The time for the reports TO be in lapsed
nine days ago and as there are still four
counties out the board is getting tired of
waiting and some one will have to settle
for the delay
state Land Sold.
Land Commissioner Eaton this afternoon
disposed of $50 acres of land belonging
to~the penitentiary. near Crete for a total
OF s123O0. the purchasers being Frank
Brahel, d. B. Conway and Herman Strut
ling. other land will be bought nearer
the penitentiary.
Dies from TakiRE Anuesthetic.
Percy Mount assistant cashier OF the
bank at Ord owned by State Treasurer
Mortensen. died suddely last night. Mr..
Mcrtensen received word this morning that
Mr. Mount had been to a dentist to nave
a tooth pulled and that he had been given
soir ething to deaden the pain and that he