Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-20
DEMOCRATS ARE WORRIED
Physical Valuation Of Property Likely
to Be an Expensive Job.
BREAKS PLEDGE FOR ECONOMY
Hungry once Seekers object to Any
system which Cuts Out Fat
JObs-JObbers Take Hand
in Lard Deal.
(From a staff Correspondent.

LINCOLN, Dec. 19.-(Special )-One of
the platform pledges made by the demo-
cratic party during the last campaign was
to provide for the physical valuation of
corporation property so that the rate
making powers could have this valuation
as a guide in fixing rates. This pledge is
now worrying the successful democrats,
because at the same time that pledge was
made there was another promising to cut
down the expense Of the state government
and to reduce the taxes to be paid by the
farmers. 1t has been reported to the dem
ocrats who will be responsible for what the
legislature does that Michigan spent $685.
600 finding out the physical value OF its
railroads and that Wisconsin spent SS5. .O00
One part OF the legislature favors making
an appropriation for the railway commits
sion and permit 1t to go ahead and secure
the information, but that does not suit
the politicians in the democratic party
These politicians are anxious for more
Jobs SO they favor the selection of a COM
mission to do the work That of course,
would cost more money than to increase
the republican commission appropriation.
Some of the democrats would favor a
commission to place a value on telephone
property and another on railroad property,
while cities and villages could be given au-
thority to value electric lighting, gas and
water works companies,
But the main question the democrats are
up against now is how to place a value on
railroad property. According to a demo-
crat this is going to be one of the hard
est questions for the legislature to solve.
For instance. taking merely the physical
valuation of a road would reduce its pres
ent value as fixed by the State Board of
Assessment and naturally reduce the
amount of taxes which the democrats prom
ised to increase. The democrats will have
to decide whether to take the value as a
going property or merely at the cost OF
reproduction.
The legislature will have to decide just
what amount will have to be added TO the
physical value to equal the value of the
business which has been built up. What is
making It harder for the promisers of many
things is the fact that so many democrats
are anxious for job as a commissioner to
help do the work. The leaders of democ-
raoy are also afraid that public sentiment
would be in favor of the State Railway
commission doing the work. even though
| It is a republican commission, and thus
save the state considerable money.
Legislative Folder.
The official legislative map issued by Sec
retary of State Junkin shows there are
81 democrats, 4 demo-pops, / fusion, pop
ulists and 81 republicans in the house In
the senate there are Is democrats. l demo
pop, populist and 13 republicans. The new
map shows the new county of Morrill, anC
shows also that Nebraska has no unorgan
lied territory. 1t is conceded that the re
publicans will not land the speaker of tn,
house or the president OF the senate
JObbers TO Comply with Law.
Letters received at the food commission
er's office from some of the jobbing gro
GERS Of the state indicate that the Iowa
Nebraska Wholesale Grocers association
with headquarters at Council Bluffs, ha
taken up the matter of shoTt-weight lar,
being sold In Nebraska and that the as
sOciation will demand of the packers
compliance with the Nebraska law.
proper branding of the net contents on lar,
sold I'm Nebraska In tin cans.
A jObbing house at Fremont takes tn
ground that neither the wholesale nor re
. l