Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-18
STOCE YARDS HEARICN on
Permission Asked to Raise Charges
for Switching Live Stock.
RAILROADS ARE MADE PARTIES
showing of what Republican LeRis-
Iation Has saved the People of
Nebraska During Past
Year.
Lon a SD correspondentl

" TIUI a CldlL correspondent
LINCOLN. Aug. T.-lSpecial)-The sp-
plication Of the Union Stock Yards COM
pany Of South Omaha to increase its rates
for unloading live stock and switching Is
on before thee State Railway commission.
Numerous railroad lawyers. though the
railroads we're not named in the appiicT-
ton. we're present and took an active part
iu the proceedings. They protested against
the raise unless 1t was specifically set out
that the railroads would not have to alb
-,rb the charge as they do now. Lawyers
or the Live stock exchange objected to
he raise II they had to pay the increase.
Neither objected tf neither had 20 pay the
increase. The attorney for the stock yards
insisted that the yards we're simply en-
pIoyss OF the railroads. while the railroads
contended that their duty ended when the
live stock vas shipped into the yards.
After sufficient argument was made to
get the matter pretty well balled up. the
commission made the railroads a party to
the case and gave them ten days in which
10 file an answer.
The chief engineer Of the stock yards
was put on the stand to show where the
stock yards tracks began and the rail
road tracks left or. J. c. sharp, secretary
treasurer. testified as tothe cost Of operat-
ing the former.
The following attorneys were present.
James KeI5y Of the Burlington, W. D.. Nc
Hugh OF the Rock Island, w n. orr of the
Missouri Pacific, Edison Rich for the Union
Pacific, Frank Ransom OF the stock yards
and James Van Dusen for the Live Stock
exchange. The Northwestern was not rep
resented
Figures On Land Values.
Tax Commissioner Polleys Of the Chicago.
e naauM H.
today filed a table with the state Board of
Assessment, showing the assessed value
and the sale value Of lands for the years
1906. 1904 and 1905 in those counties through
which his road runs-Cumfng. Washington,
Burt. Wayne. Stanton, Madison, Thurston,
Dakota, Cedar, Dixon, Pierce and Knox.
In his letter he says he knows the board
has completed the assessment Of land,
but lie desires the table read by the mem.
bers anyhow.
The table shows land in 1904 was equalizec
by the state board at S3S. 26 an acre. or S.1:
less than the sales valueIH 1913. t4I.S9. Tn,
board this year capitalized the value OF
lands in these counties at SSH. while il tn,
same standard had been used by the 1870
board as used by the 1904 board the Ianc
would have been valued at san. The diff
ference this year between the boards vaIul
dIsu the safes Ndlut the ldDle SHOWS Is At-h
Mr.. Polleys also contends the values fixe,
by the board in the different counties. com
pareu with the sales values. have not bee
properly equRlized. For instance. the ratl
Of the assessed value Of the group for 1sC
TO the true value is 7S.n per cent. In Ceda
county the ratio is $3.50 per cent. IN Kno.
couLty 5000 per cent. while in Thursto
county the ratio is 1914 per cent. Cumin
county, the table shows. has the creates
. increase Of any county in the group in tn
average sales value from 1893 to 1905. but a
the same time shows the least increase q
any OF the counties in the group in tn
equalized actual value per acre for 10
over 1894.
Results of Republican Law.
While Democratic newspapers ard demo
cratic spellbinders are lambasting the r,
publican state Board Of Equalization b
cause the general tund tax viii be increase
some $4,000 over last year, they are keepin
discretly silent about what the repubica
legislature and railway commission ha,
saved the people OF Nebraska in frelgl
rates. The following table shows accurate
what has beer saved through republics
legislation:
Two-cent passenger w.. S.16S. lO4.
Aldrich law reducing freight rates
10 per cent on grain, live stock,
and 2.559.1&.
stbley law Estate traffic Onlyl..... l79.lll.
coal rate reduction, western points 10000
Total saved the people. ......... S6.0o6. 100.
The above is a recital Of facts. The III
ures are not estimates. They were cor
piled IN the office OF the State Railws
commission. where any one can see ther
from reports made to the commission
station agents OF the railroads.
The railroads admitted that the Aldri,
reduction law affected "a per cent of the
business. SiXty-four per cent OF all freig
revenue for ten months. July. 1907 10 Apr
1905. is H4,4l7,u9.5s Fifteen per cent redu