Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-11
RAILROADS ASK REDUCTION
Insist They Are Assessed Too High in
Comparison with Other Property.
GOVERNOR CUMMlNS THINKS DIFFERENTLY
Woman Draws n Revolver on n Hold
up Man and Puts Him TO
Flight-AtIantic Gets
Guard Company.
GOVERNOR cUNMINS THINKS DIFFERENTLY
prom a star Correspondent

NtrOm stan Correspondent
DES MONIES. July lO-(spocal THE
-9rst railroad heard at the meeting Of the
executive council for fixing railroad assess
(, ments this morning was the sante Fe and
the attorney for that line said they were
satisfied with the Assessment provided IL
was not raised and in that event he desired
TO be heard. The road has but little track
age in Iowa.
Attorney Woodruff for the Chicago Great
Western, the one road Of the state that has
made an increase In its net earnings, en-
tered into a long argument to show that
the assessment of his line was too high,
showing that as compared with the net
and gross earnings the Great Western was
assessed higher than any other line in the
state excepting the Iowa Central He
showed that the percentage Of taxes PAID
in 1904 to the net earnings OF 1904 was III
per cent, while the average of the six lars-
est roads was but 1464 and the Iowa Cen
trail alone was higher with S75 per cent.
He then compared the net earnings with
the gross showing that the Great Western
was lower than all the other roads except
ing the Iowa Central Governor Cummins
tried to get him to admit that this was due
to less economical management.
Frank ,. Crandon OF the Northwestern
argued that the assessments are all too
high and claimed that as compared with
the farm assessments the assessment OF
the Northwestern would fix It's value at
81. 900 and said he didn't see how the mem
bers of the executive council could sleep
after fixing the assessment at that high
figure He and Governor Cummns then en-
tered into a long argument as to the basis
for liking the assessment. Governor Cum
minis argued that the basis as to the value
of a railroad should be what a person was
willing to pay for it just as the value of a
farm is fixed. Crandon argued against this
and thought the physical condition of the
road should be considered. Governor Cum
minis in answer to the claim that the rail-
roads were assessed out of proportion to
farm lands said that AZ the council found
that lands In Iowa were worth $50 an acre
and the assessments returned to the coun-
Gil by the county auditors was but $40 then
they would assess the roads at four-ffths
of their actual value. Crandon conceded
that this was right in principle. but that
the council disregarded 1t in practice.
Little warmth was developed in the hear
ings today, but when the railroad men ar
gued that the physical condition and cost
of a road was important, considerable con.
fusion was created among them when Gov.
ernor Cummins asked what was the differ.
D ence in the worth of two roads. one cost
ing $4,000 a mile and one costing $4,000
when the gross and net earnings were the
same and likely to continue the same
Holdup Frustrated.
Mrs. j. r. Gibson of 937 Fifteenth stree
was ordered to throw up her hands las
night as she passed the alley where Fritz
Westbrook was held up and shot. instead
she drew o revolver and on threatening t.
use It was unmolested and safely reached
her home a block away. The police art
confronted with the fact that holdups ar,
frequent and they are powerless thus far t
stop It. 1t Is now believed that West
brook, who was shot last Thursday in tn,
stomach, will recover.
Atlantic Gets Guard Company.
Company II OF the Fifty-ffth regiment a
Charlton was today ordered mustered GU
by Adjutant General Thrift and in compan,
with Colonel Lincoln of the Fifty-hfth Gen
eral Thrift will go to Atlantic Friday to in
vestlgate the petition for company iron
that city. 1t is practically decided that
company will be mustered in there II
proper number Of applicants can be pre-
sented.