Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-14
COUNCIL BLUFFS
BIG JOB COLLECTING TAXES
Over Nine Hundred Lawsuits Involved in
the Portland Assessment.
HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR POSTAGE ALONE
Attorneys for Company Notify COunty
OmcinIs II win Fight the Tax in
Behalf of It's stock
holders.

The EFFORT on the part OF Pottawattsmie
county to collect taxes for several years
past on the holdings Of the stockholders Of
the Portland Gold Mining company involves
a vast amount Of extra work for the
county treasurer and the clerk Of the dis
triot court. Notices have been mailed by
the county treasurer TO 800 stockholders,
whose places Of residence are practically
worldwide. Notices have been sent to
every state in the union. as we'll as to
England. France, Germany, Canada, South
America, Australia and other foreign coun-
tries. The cost Of mailing and register
ing these notices exceeded 500.
The notices are TO the effect that the
stockholder named therein is required TO
appear before County Treasurer Mitchell
on or before March 20 and show cause
why his or her stock should not be as
sessed for taxation for the years named.
II is the intention Of the county to as
sess the stock for the years 1901 to 1905,
inclusive, and then let the courts do the
rest.
For the purpose Of assessment the mar
ket value of the Portland stock for the
wears named will be taken. The stock
was quoted for these years as follows:
1901, Ss45; 1902 S2.7S; 1908, S175; 1904,
s1.4O; 1905, s1.s5; 1906, sNo9. For in
stance, a person holding 100 shares Of
stock during 1901 the value will be placed
at S845 and the taxable value will be one
fourth Of this, namely Sss,25. The par
value Of the stock is 81 a share, Of
which 1900 600 were issued.
A list of the stockholders was recently
secured by the county authorities from
an inspection OF the companys books un-
der order of the court Notices have
been sent to each person represented to
own stock according to these books. Many
replies have been reoivd by Treasurer
Mitchell by persons so notified disclaiming
ownership Of the stock. Others have
replied stating that they have already
paid taxes on their stock holdings in the
states in which they resided and deny
the right Of Pottawattamie county to
again tax them on the same stock.
The result of assessing the holdings Of
962 reputed stockholders by the county
treasurer will be the filing of 962 appeals
10 the district court. Yesterday II. v.
Battey, clerk of the district court re-
ceived a letter from State Senator
Saunders, local attorney for the Portland
Gold Mining company, and the stockhold-
ers warning him Of the actions to come
and advising him to have two or more
appel doekets specially prepared for
these actions. The entire s62 appeals will
have to be listed separately on the
docket not TO mention the indexing and
other work attendant on the fling. Mr..
Saunders names as attorneys for the
Portland company and stockholders Ty-
son s. Dimes, c. s. Thomas, A. t. Gunnel
of Colorado and Hon. w. I. Smith and
Saunders & Stuart Of this city.
Attorney Charles M. Harl has been re-
tanned by the Board of County Super
visors to assist County Attorney Hess In
the matter Of the taxation Of the Port
land company stock. II is understood that
Messrs Hess and Harl are to receive as
compensation 10 per cent of all the taxes
on the stock recovered into the county
treasury.