Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-29

Amused at the hue and cry made about
taxes in Johnson county, Governor Shell.
don, in the city Wednesday, quoted a few
taxation and assessment figures, showing
that the roorback published I'm the local in.
dependent-populist organ is without founda
ton and that no blame can be attached ia
the present administration on account OF
the assessed valuation Of land in johnson
county. The Hitchcock paper published q
statement TO the effect that the valuations
OF realty in that county had been raised
% per cent and that Governor Sheldon and
his administration are responsible.
Il have refrained heretofore from sayinE
anything about this johnson county sssess-
ment for the reason thai the people in
that county know what 1t is and why Il is,
and, further. because the people in that
county are satisfied" said the governor.
But it might be just as well to call at
tention TO the fact that the State Board
OF Equalization left the assessment in
Johnson county the same as 1t was turned
In by the precinct assessors end In turn
by the county assessor. The state board
had nothing to do with it.
The assessment in some counties was
raised to equali8e with the assessment in
counties adjoising, but in others it was
lowered. In five counties, for Instance. the
assessed valuation was lowered 5000. 900
from what the county and precinct as
SCISSORS stated the lands TO be worth, and
Mr. S~hallenberger is kicking because we
saved the people in these counties taxes
on 100000 worth of property.
The assessment in some counties was
raised to equalize with the assessment in
other counties, but in some other counties
IL uraS lOuarad uNha aotaI
by the board amounted TO AGO. 900, while
the reductions were 81, 6OO,O making a net
increase of $2.OOo,OOo. But in five counties
OF the state the county boards Of equaIiza-
ton reduced the assessment as returned nv
the assessors SS.OO0,0OO leaving the final
assessment at least 1900. 900 lower than
the valuations placed on the property by
the assessors. / don't know how much other
county boards reduced the assessors' fig
ures, but in these five counties the reduc-
ton amounted to 100000 more than the
net raise by the state board for the whole
state.
Talk about the railroad assessment. In
1917 we Increased the Union Pacific assess
ment % per cent. Land assessment was
raised 3 per cent in Douglas county, but
the levy was reduced II per cent, the re-
|H'e w Alidh TIC raise IN NAll-
stlon. Today the railroads pay more taxes
and the farmers less. The levy for general
purposes was reduced from . to ~ mills.
Take II In Douglas county-land IN 1904
was assessed at sl2.9 an acre: in 1908 1t ia
az slS.S3-a raise of but practically
81. Is there q farmer in this county who
will say his land Is not worth 81 more than
1t was four years ago?"
The books in the office OF the assessor
OF Douglas county show that the valua-
lions of railroad property in this county
have been raised from sI,42S.617 in 1905 10
A,ll7,ss3 in 1908. an Increased valuation of
nearly 100000. This as against a raise in
land values of but s1.O3 an acre.
Governor Sheldon spoke at Waterloo last
night to a packed house in which nm
bounded enthusiasm for the renrbI,can
was evinced. Tonight the Roy.rnor
United States Senator Brown, Mr.. JefferIs
and others will speak in Magnolia hail ~
rWenty-fourth street and Ames avenue,