Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-09
No TAX FOR The WOODMEN
Such is Decision Of County Board After
Listening to ProtsstL
ORDER WILL STAY HERE AFTER ALL
Commercial Club Champions Cause
of Nsbraska's BiE Fraternal Or
EaniHatiOn and Thus Far
Seems 20 he Ahead.

fhe Woodmen Of the World will not be
taxed on its reserve fund. so decided the
Board OF County Commissioners Tuesday
afternoon, meeting in the presence OF about
nifty members Of the Commercial club and
other business men who came to protest
against the taxation OF the fraternal order
Immediately after lunch at the CONNER
cial club a party Of its members, together
with other citizens. went TO the court house
where an appointment had been previously
made with the board. Chairman Judson
OF the executive committee of the Com
mercial club stated the object OF the visit
and then called on a number Of men for
an expression Of opinion regarding the tax
alton Of the order. When the speeches
were over and the visitors were ready
TO go. the Board went 4nto session and
took up the matter.
After reading the order OF the State
Board OF Equalization and the report Of
County Assessor Reed returning the taxa
ton az directed, Commissioner Kennard
moved to strike tbs report Of the county
assessor from the record and to leave the
taxation Of the Woodmen of the World as
first returned by the county assessor. The
motion was carried unanimously.
The action OF the board means that
Omaha will keep the headquarters OF the
have been trying so hard to get. 1t means
also that the order will not be compelled
to pay about $4,000 in taxes which the
sta.e board ordered.
Postmaster Palmer Leads on.
Captain Palmer was the first speaker be-
fore the board He said.
Il don't know OF a state which taxes or
Attempts to tax the legal reserve Of a fra
ternal order except here in Nebraska
where law Is being thrust upon us by the
attorney general and others who have no
interest In Omaha. Here is an order which
employs 1876 clerks, whose income provides
for 500 or 600 people. 1t would take a busl-
ness OF s5,OO0,O00 or 100000 annually 20 pro-
vide for that number 1t does a postoffice
business OF $4,000 annually See what an
amount OF good II does for Omaha hope
the board will have the nerve and the In
terest in Omaha to say they are not going
to see the order driven out OF the state"
Sitting as board OF equalization, the
Douglas county commissioners. with
County Clerk Drexel and County Assessor
Reed. held a two-hour session behind
closed doors in the morning. During its
session the board listened to talks by dele
cations from the Woodmen of the World
and from women connected with the Wood
men Circle.
City Attorney Breen was waiting in the
commissioners room all the time the board
. was in session wrestling with the problem
before IT, The board has announced that
the county levy will not be less than last
year; that is settled. But Mr. Breen says
the mayor could not take intelligent action
on the concurrent resolution now before
him for the city levy until he knew
whether OF not the county board would in
clude in its valuation the $2,OOOIOOO Of Wood
men reserve funds.
In opposition 10 the idea that the action
OF the county board is final City Attorney
Breen says this is not So He rather inti-
mated that there are citizens, who stand
ready to make use OF writ of mandamus II
the county board strikes the item off the
roll
The board decided to meet Wednesday
TO make the annual tax levy.
Money in Omaha Banks.
Isaac w. Carpenter called the attention
of the board TO the fact that the Wood.
men keep $4,000 on deposit in the Omaha
banks: that II they left this amount would
be withdrawn from deposit and large bust
ness interests would be affected.
mo state taxes its savings banks" SAID
John Steele. why should the reserv,
funds Of fraternal orders be taxed? L
represents the savings Of tens OF thousand
of people, invested to insure their families
against want Shall we tax the littl,
savings OF the man who wants to keel
his family independent OF charity? III
up to you, gentlemen; the power is will
YOU Shall We keep them here or driv,
them away7"
other speakers were David Cole, F. NJ