Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-28

twenty years These bonds were retired
at maturity in 1891, having cost johnson
county in principal and interest 500. 900
Tecumseh, the county seat of johnson
county, in 1906 levied taxes against the
railroads entering the town amounting to
SSn.6. II Tecumseh pays one-fourth of
the taxes of Johnson county, which doesn't
seen unreasonable, It will require about
20 years at the present rate of taxation for
the city to collect from the railroads what
was paid in the form of bonus to the Atchi-
son g Nebraska, now part of the Burling-
ton system.
Clay Center's Contribution.
In 1887 Clay Center, or. rather, Lone Tree
precinct in which Clay Center is located,
voted $1,000 per cent bonds ITO aid the
Kansas City G Omaha line of the B. & NJ
This issue natures in 1907 and has been dis
charged. The last tax collected by Clay
Center from the Burlington, the only road
reaching the town, was Sl744O. The inter-
est charge. annually on the bonus was $720
so that the taxpayers Of Clay Center not
only paid the Burlington's local taxes but
paid $5I5.60 in addition last year And this
while the Burlington was lighting in the
courts to prove that II was being over
taxed in Nebraska. II Clay Center keeps
on levying at the same rate against the
Burlington It will take more than eighty
two years to get back the interest paid on
the bonus voted the Burlington and paid
by the citizens.
Example of Bonus juggling.
The liberality with which the people Of
the state have dealt with the railroads is
shown by. the. various amounts voted to
aid railroad construction. Douglas county
has shared in this to a considerable extent
An issue Of $S5O.OOO bearing 10 per cent
was voted in 1875 to aid the Omaha &
Southwestern, on which $26S0O0 is still
owing by the county thirty-two years after
issue. This road. in 1904. returned to the
State Board of Equalization and Assess
ment as part of its property depot grounds
to the extent OF nearly sixty-nlne acres
in Omaha, and its entire line in Douglas
| county is set down at 4S6 miles, valued for
taxation at $500 per mile, or total of
$3.50. In this less than five miles of track
is distributed" the sixty-nine acres Of
depot grounds, which would be cheap at
$4,000 an acre. while the taxable valuation
| of $3l.59O is represented on the other side
Of the county's ledger by $3.50 Of inter-
est bearing bonds, originally issued at 10
per cent.
Omaha in 1890 voted a bonus of $4,000 in
bonds to aid the Union Depot company, but
the issue was enjoined, as the company did
not carry out the agreement. In 1892 an
| issue Of $4,000 was voted to the Omaha &
Eastern. but the road was not built and
the bonds were never sold.
How Cass County Fared.
Cass county Jared little better in this
respect than did Douglas. In the begin
ming of things Cass county voted 100000
in 10 per cent bonds to aid the B. & NJ
hoe n1g
when the county paid on $1,000 of the
principal. having paid in the meantime
$4,000 in interest. a total cost Of s2s6 600.
For sixteen years the county has been
paying Interest on $4,000, and still owes
that amount on the original bonds In
1904 the b. 6 M was valued for taxation
in Cass county, including the Plattsmouth
shops and bridge. at $S7s, 400. or only few
thousands more than the bonus now
foots up.
Table One of Much Interest.
The tabulation printed in connection with
this article should prove of much interest
to the members Of the legislature and 9TH
ers in connection with the cry the rail-
roads are making OF burdensome taxation
II shows that the people OF Nebraska have
been more than liberal In contributing aid
to the railroads. They have even been
prodigal All this aid is in addition to the
millions OF acres Of land granted in the
beginning to the companies. 1t comes with
very poor grace from the railroad mag
mates at this time TO charge the Nebraska
people with undertaking to levy unjust
and excessive taxes against the companies
that have been so generously helped at all
times, and that have found the business
furnished by Nebraskans so profitable. All
that is asked is that they be subjected to
Just the same conditions in regard TO taxes
as apply TO other citizens Of the state.