Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-11
START ON The TAX HEARING
Members Of the Board Of Assessment Placed
on the Witness Stand.
TELL HOW VALUATION WAS ARRIVED At
Coal from the Nebraska Mine Near
Peru Used at Normal school when
Contractor was Unable TO
Furnish a supply.
cFrom a stan Correspondent

(From a stan Correspondent
LINCOLN, April 1O.-CSpecial.)-T legal
department OF the state and the legal de-
partment of the Burlington got together
today for a short hearing in the Burlington
railroad tax injunction suit, the intention
Of which is to restrain the state from coll
lecting the taxes levied against the road
for 1905.
Attorney General Brown placed on the
stand Governor Mickey, Auditor Searle,
Treasurer Mortensen and Secretary Ben
nett of the State Board of Assessment.
Bennett merely identified the records Of
the board and the papers and reports filed
by the road before the board. The others
gave practically identical testimony. Each
stated positively he had not been infiu-
enced in his action as a board member by
any public clamor, politics or prejudice
against the railroad. Each said the board
had considered in arriving at its conclu-
sions, the report of the value of the
physical property as made out by the tax
commissioner of the road, standard railroad
publications showing the value Of the
stocks and bonds, and the net earnings.
Charles ]. Greene, representing the Bur-
| lington, cross-examined Governor Mickey
very briefly and tried to get the governor
of the physical property Of the road had
cut in the boards final conclusions, but the
information was not forthcoming, as the
| governor stuck to it that everything had
! been considered Mr.. Greene then quit
! trying and announced he would select
| future date to cross-examine the other
| witnesses.
Tax Commissioner Pollard Of the Burling-
! ton, r. J. Clancy and George Holcomb Of
| the Union Pacific were at the hearing. No
date has been set for the next session.
| Nebraska Coal Used at Normal.
| The Peru Normal school has been using
| the coal from the mine near that place
and, according to Superintendent Crabtree,
| II has proven satisfactory. Some time ago
! the coal run out at the institution and the
! contractor could not furnish the necessary
supply. After burning wood for few
days the institution tried the Peru coal
and used a lot of It and it proved no differ
ent from the other coal used there.
PembertOn Takes n Grain Case.
Senator Pemberton, who was recently
appointed referee by the supreme court to
take the evidence in the grain cases, was
In Lincoln today comforting with the at
torney general in the matter. He returned
to Beatrice tonight taking with him the
| IctoEu Hldub ia Ailb AbAliSA Eases eAAN NAAS
briefs Of the opposing lawyers.
Senator Pemberton is not yet ready to
say Just when he will be ready to begin
hearing the evidence, but he will set the
date as early as possible.
Contractors Cash Warrant.
| Knutzen G. Isdell, the general contractors
who erected the Kearney school, this morn
! ing cashed the warrant ordered given them
] by the State Normal board last night and
| turned over to Treasurer Mortensen $500,
which was deducted from their contract
price.
Hard Lines for Veterinarians.
| The intention OF the Board OF Secretaries
| OF the State Veterinary board to invoke
! the law enacted by the last legislature
| regulating the practice OF veterinarians
and cause a number of arrests has stirred
up the board proper to the provisions Of
the law and a meeting will be held to-
morrow to see IL there is not some way
around the rigid provisions of the act.
Under the provisions of the act gradu-
ate of a veterinary school in another state
cannot practice in Nebraska until he has
passed the examination prescribed by the
board OF secretaries. Though he may have
been practicing his profession twenty-five
years he still must pass the examination
and IL he fails 1t will be unlawful for him
to hang out a shingle.
Burlington Report Delayed.
The Burlington railroad has not yet filed
its report with the secretary of the State
Board of Assessment and 1t may not be
filed until April 10, the last day without
a penalty that such report can be filed
Mr.. Bennett received word yesterday that
the road would require all the time allowed
to complete the work. So far only the
Union Pacific, the Missouri Pacific and the
Sante Fe have filed statements.
ArbOr Day Proclamation.
Governor Mickey has issued the following
Arbor day proclamation:
By virtue of the authority of legislative
enactment and in accordance with a Gus
tom which has been established in nearly
every state in the union, l.. John II. Mickey,
governor of the state of Nebraska, do
hereby issue this my proclamation appoint
ing Monday April g. 1906, to be observed
as Arbor day
Nebraska owes a debt of gratitude to
the tree planters or pioneer days which
1t can never repay. These pilgrims OF a
generation ago not only demonstrated that
trees could be successfully grown upon our
then bleak prairies, but they realized the
importance Of such growth upon climatic
conditions and they inspired the settlers
with a zeal for forestry which has dotted
the state with groves, making our climate
substantially adding to the beauty of ma
ture and the enjoyment of man. Stat
| lbllCldn6 tell Us lldl lne natural forests
are being rapidly depleted and that II is
a question of a comparatively short time
when the demand for lumber will have to
be supple. from artificial groves Let us
anticipate that time and get ready in the
present for the necessities OF the future.
| regard the planting of trees as a pa
triotic duty and call upon all citizens,
in every walk of life, to devote at least
a portion Of the day to practical forestry.
Let the minds of the school children be
especially directed in this channel and let
their instructors by precept and example,
teach them not only how TO plant trees
but teach them also the important place
which the forest occupies in the economy
OF nature, and let us all, both old and
young, plant at least one tree for our own
pleasure and for the benefit of posterity.
Hon. F. j, Hale Changes Base.
BATTLE CREEK, Neb., April lO-(Spe-
cial )-Hon. +. ]. Hale OF this place has
moved to Atkinson, where he has gone into
the general merchandise business. He has
also bought a large stock ranch in that