Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-23
For Saturday

about three-fourths OF its value and we
had nothing but his statement and report
TO work upon.
Il did not say that the tools of the road
were insured, and do not know that they
were The increase made by the board
was, in its opinion. justihable. The rolling
stock was increased from S, ,02S, ,O69 to S3,7s5,-
OSs Is We had evidence SUFFICIENT to war
rant US in making this advance"
The governor was then shown an exhibit
marked "A. which purported to be a memoir
anda agreement OF the aggregate assess
ments BY the board and he was asked to
quote from the figures therein. The COVER
nor was somewhat reticent as TO quoting
from these figures and Mr.. baldwin pro-
tested against the apparent evasion" and
characterized the witness conduct as
highly improper" and that IF he did
not answer here he would be required to
answer before the court"
The governor finally read from the ex-
hibit. but fortified his reading with frequent
references TO the record.
Denies Making Threat.
In reference TO the grand assessment roll,
/ Governor Mickey said: Il did not say that
I would see to It that the grand asses
ment roll would be increased 10 $4OO ,O00
on all property in the state. Nor did have
any such conversation with Mr Kelly in
the Millard hotel The increase OF valua-
: tions or assessments in the state In 1894 was
made by different assessors and the state
board has nothing to do with II. All we
did was 10 assess the railroads. We as
sessed no other property. The law did not
require us to take other property into
1 cOnsidera ton"
! The matter Of the assessment ~ the build
/ ings OF the railroads was gone into al
I length. valuation Of q per cent was
made 10 that submitted by Tax Comnis-
! Eiouer Scribner. making an increase OF S2o4-
$3.50 on the main lines and corresponding
: increases on the Omaha & Republican Val
! lev branch and the Kearney and Black Hills
branch.
7 Continuing the governor said.
. we did not assess the franchise Of ths
Pullman Car company, because We could
not say Il had a franchise. However. W
7 Did assess Il on the tolls charged by q II
| BE state. The statute did not require us q
| tssess the franchise Of the Pullman com
oany or other private car lines. We did no
! consider he probability Of these privst
car lines as being declared operated unde
franchises. We relied upon the reports @
these private car lines as fixing a basis 70
assessment ard followed the statutes 10 tn
| letter. The matter of the uniformity Of IN
assessment Of the Pullman company Wit
that Of the Union Pacific was not considsre
by the board. No;hing was done IN thi
matter until the time came. for equaliEa tion
Ross Hammond Gz~S Anxious.
| Il did have a conversation with Ross 1
Hammond on the dsy OF the state conven
tion, May IS. 1874. and told him that tn
railroad assessment had not yet been made
but that IL would oe about Si5.0nOOlO: tha
the work Of the board had not yet bee
completed, as We were still seeking furthe
Information relative 10 the stock and bond
proposition, reports Of which were not q
yet I think he wanted 70 know as well a
the railroads just what was being done
The board was between two fires and wa
being pCSinded by the railroads The Be
and the World Herald, the Lincoln New
and the Fremont Tribune. think shs