Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-13
EXPECT HIGHER VALUATION
COMMITTEES Returns nom Presenting Union
Pacific Ts1 Case
CLANCY GETS HIMSELF INTO A HOLE
Unable 20 Reconcile Two Statements
by OmciaIs of Company Rs TO the
value of Council BIuHs
Property.

The committee which appeared before
the State Executive council in Des Moines
for the purpose Of trying to secure an in
crease in the Assessment of the Union Pa
cific roiiroad In this city Is home and the
members ere sanguine that their efforts
Will be productive OF good results. They
state they will be much disappointed IL the
couEcn does not restore the assessment OF
tha railroad to what 1t was in 1900, namely.
$4,000 a mile, OF even place It higher.
The committee presented a mass Of evil
6ence in support Of its contention that too
low valuation was placed on the prop
crty OF the Union Pacific in IT, city and
Hon. Spencer Smith, former member Of
the State Railroad commission, who spoke
for the city. is said to have made a stror &
and convincing argument The railroad
was represented st the hearing by Robert
Clancy.
At one point in the hearing Mr.. Smith
sprung surprise on Mr. Clancy that
nearly lifted the latter on his feet. When
City Engineer Etnyre was called upon to
testify as to his measurements and other
facts Mr. Clancy insisted that he be sworn.
'All OF our statements are sworn to-" eX-
Clsimed Mr.. Clancy.
rs that the case7" asked Mr. Smith,
with a meaning smile, and Clancy fastened
to reply In the Affirmative.
Wei, II that is the case, how doeJ his
happen?" continued Mr. Smith, as he pro-
duced two statements Sworn" TO by the
Union Pacific in 1902. one of the statements
was furnished to the State Railroad COM
mission and the other to the State Execu-
tive council. In the statement to the rail-
road commission the value OF the roads
buildings I'm Council BLUFFS was given as
&249,34O while in the statement to the ex-
ecutive council their value was placed at
but $l69,6A
Clancy Unable to Explain.
How do you explain this discrepancy"
asked Mr.. Smith, and Clancy was forced to
admit he was unable 20 explain
Mr. Smith did not attempt to discuss the
ethics Of assessing railroads, but contented
himself merely with showing what was
considered to be the actual and fair asses
sable value OF the property. He showed by
figures that the earnings Of the road had
been steadily increasing and that it's prop
erty had not deterlorated, but had been
kept up to It's original condition. He
showed that the Union Pacific by its state
ments earned enormous rentals from the
other railroads and contended that fourteen
OF the so-called sidetracks were In fact
main lines used by the other railroads
Mr.. Smith took the position that the two
miles of the Union Pacific system between
the Transfer depot and the bridge over the
Missouri river had an enormous earning
capacity He urged that the state council
in fixing the assessment OF the Union Pa
cihc should take into consideration the i'm
mense value OF the Transfer depot and
yards as by them the Union Pacific prac-
tically controlled the gateway to the west
and every other railroad from the east had
to pay It enormous rentals annually to Sc
cure an entrance into Omaha
Mr.. Smith, when seen on his return yes
terday, said: while, OF course, it is i'm
possible to say what the state council will
do and the rest of the committee feel
that the council was very favorably i'm
pressed with the showing which we made.
Governor Cummins spoke most assuringly
and we will be disappointed II the assess
ment OF the Union Pacific is not placed
back to what It was fve years ago. The
facts and figures which we presented we
considered indisputable, but how the state
council considers them remains to be seen. -
The committee which went to Des Moines
comprised Hon. Spencer Smith, City Treas
%drer True, City Solicitor Snyder Aldermen
Olson Id Younkerman, City Engineer
Etnyre, County Attorney Hess, President
J. p. Hess Of the Board OF Education.
Secretary Reed OF the Commercial club,
former City Assessor Everest and Civil
Engineer Rittiner