Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-11

a total OF Sss 80 a mile. The road made
an arbitrary diversion OF the freight traffic
50 that Nebraska got one and quarter
mile. for every mile, thus adding about
20 per cent to the income Of the state to
which IL Is not entitled. The freight
earnings, he said. amounted to about 71.57
per cent Of the total earnings, or d3u7,-
$50 "a in Nebraska, Of which % per cent
equals S2,742, 472.55 30 that allowing the
arbitrary of four-tenths of one mile the
road earned in Nebraska $,s36O4412 or
s1,S52 per mile, which. capitalized at 6
per cent, would make the property worth
a little more than $4,000 a mile for 1907.
He opposed as unfair placing mileage
value on the road in Nebraska based on
the value of the stocks and bonds. The
bonds. he said, were issued on specific
portions Of the road and the bonded in
debtedness in Nebraska is t10O6lS a
mile. The bonded indebtedness of
the entire system. less the sink
ing fund. is si4S114ssO.S7. The bonded
indebtedness IN Nebraska after deducting
the sinking fund. is S2s272, 1858 or II 10
per cent OF the total. The same proportion
OF the stock. he argued. should be ac-
credited to the Nebraska line. The total
stock. S11O,sss 100. at H45 share equals
D
and will not be assessed by any state
board. SO. CO. 4SO.22. leaves a balance Of
H2So54.H5, Nebrsska's portion would be
$685. 65. $3.50 or $3.50 a mile. This added
to the bonds would make the stocks and
bonds value in Nebraska S1s,7H.43 per mile
Long on Uniformity.
Mr.. Pollard made numerous comparisons
OF the assessment OF the Burlington with
other property in the state TO show that the
rule OF Uniformity does not apply in the
matter Of taxation To show that his road
| paid the greater portion OF all the taxes
| In the western portion OF the state took
from the auditors report a table of coun-
/ ties through which only the Burlington
runs. In the counties the percentage Of
taxes paid by the road Is as follows:
| Thomas, Ga; Hooker. 40; Grant, a; Dundy,
IS: Perkins. 40; Box Butte, .; Hitchcock.
81. In showing the number OF head OF live
stock which he alleged escaped taxation in
several counties Of the state, Mr.. Pollard
| took the census report for 1900 and com
pared II with the assessment Of 1904 TAX
ing up the assessment OF real estate, Mr..
Pollard filed a table with the board show
ing the transfers compared with the as
sesmsnt. showing that the full assessment
! was the following per cent of the land
transferred: Red Willow, . per cent; Rich
ardson. So per cent; Johnson n per cent;
Harlan. Al per cent? Kearney. "a per cent;
Clay, 60 per cent; Phelps, - per cent;
Dundy, 30 per cent; Chase, a per cent;
F1Irnas. IS per cent; Frensiin, 81 per cent;
Adams, 81 per cent; SALINE n per cent
Pawnee, n per cent.
Surprising you And on Ei0ek and bond
basis that our road lie worth S1s7n mile
and that you find the tangible property to
I ,
basis $4,000 a mile, would not an assessed
valuation of S22Sl per mile meet the re
quirements OF the statute, instead OF fix
ing an assessment Of SSS7B per mile. as wal
done IN 1862
seribner auotes the Law.
Tax Commissioner A. W. Scribner OF the
Union Pacific, who remained over from
yesterday, talked for few minutes to the
board this afternoon and called attention
70 q decision by Justice Brewer OF the
United States supreme court, which said
among other things; IF railroad companies
insist that their property is OF a certain
value for the purpose OF determining wha
are reasonable maximum charges for th'
transportation OF passengers and carryinl
OF freight. they have no ground OF com
plant II the same property Is assessed
al the same value for taxation purposes
The same property cannot rightfully be val
ued at one sum for one Of the purposes
mentioned and at a different amount 10
the other. The state Is too just in the ad
, minlstration OF its laws to insist that ran
road property should for taxation be con
sidered az OF very great value. ana for tn
purpose OF regulating rates 20 be charge
by such corporations as common carriers
/ that the value OF the same property Is al
together lower"
NOrthwestern's Pass Report.
The Northwestern railroad handed tn
state Railway commission tie report o.
passes issued from March n TO May % thi
year. II contained all the information IN
commission cares nothing about and non
F. OF the Information the commission IL seek
I ing-and viii try 20 get later. The repor
D con tains about twenty-five pages Of name
Eesignated as "caretaksrs OF live stock.
ard these are divided into communit.ei
Ths rest OF the pass holders reported ar
!, wives and relatives Of employees and feu
employees q other railroads. No lawyer