Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-17
OMAHA A BIC CORPORATION
Citizens, Who Are Stockholders, Pay
Too Little Attention to Its Affairs.
MORE REVENUE A NECESSITY
Harry n. Bimman Urges Occupation
Tax ss the Best and Most Eauit-
able way In which 20
Raise IL.

Il hope the day will come when the peo-
pie OF Omaha will realize that they are all
stockholders in the biggest corporation In
the state and that It is their duty to take
q little interest in the management OF the
affairs of that corporation" said Harry b.
zimman, republican candidate for mayor,
who was invited to address the Druid Hill
improvement club Monday evening at the
Dietz Athletic association park on the sub
Ject OF Occupation Tax"
THE people OF Omaha should keep in
touch with what is going on at the city
hall. 1t is not generally known even by
the taxpayers that outside the school fund
we annually levy a tax of 3l,O6o,CoO appor-
toned to the various funds. OF this
amount $4,000 is used to pay interest on
our Indebtedness, $4,000 sor the fire fund,
$4,000 for the police fund. 10000 for light
ing. $4,000 for parks. 10000 for street clean
ing, $4,000 for public work and 100000 for
general purposes. This Is entirely made
quate for the needs OF the city OF Omaha.
We must have more money. We must add
$4,000 q year more to this. The bonded
Indebtedness OF the city. and especially for
sewers, must be increased 100000. We
owe so 1000 a year for water rent and have
owed it for five years. The present legisls-
ture allows us to levy 10000 more a year
for fire and police and street cleaning. We
have 32,500,000 invested in sewers and spend
less than $1,000 a year to maintain these.
We have idle engine houses and no money
to buy equipment to fill them or to hire
men to man them. We must have increased
police protection.
How Money Can he Raised.
when such a condition confronts us
some one must pay. l believe the small
owners and small taxpayers already pay
enough for the benefits they receive. What
/ wish to maintain is that we can meet this
situation by an occupation tax on the pub
lie service corporations of Omaha, on the
corporations which enjoy special privileges.
THE corporations OF Omaha are vitality
interested in city affairs and In having
a mayor and city council which will give
them what they want. The people should
rather select men who will represent them.
for IL they are fair to the people they
will be fair to the corporations.
Senator Howell tried to take the power
to levy an occupation tax from the city
council, but the people rose in their might
and induced the legislature to abandon
that scheme.
| The occupation tax 10 ? Tax to take
the place of a royalty or franchise tax,
which should have been levied when the
franchise was granted. We propose to
levy a tax of 8 per cent on the gross re-
ceipts Of the public utility corporations
which use the streets of Omaha. This
should bring $50, 900 into the treasury the
first year and relieve the financial dilemma
of the city. We propose to use the money
in such a way as will benefit the taxpayer.
II may be best to lay the money aside
as a bonded Indebtedness fund and wipe
out that Indebtedness OF the city in twenty
years. Or perhaps II might be best to
use 1t to meet the current expenses OF the
city.
There is no doubt but what these cor
porations can afford TO pay an occupation
tax. The new telephone company. in COM
| petition with one OF the strongest corpora
tions IN the country, can afford it
Mr.. zimman read the report of the
street railway company, filed with
the State Railway commission, to show
that the company could afford it. He as
serted that the Omaha Gas company was
getting $S a light from the city for street
lights which would yield a profit at Sl4
a light. He asserted that the Omaha
Water company and the Nebraska Tele-
phone company paid nothing for the use
OF the streets.
Several other candidates introduced
themselves with a few remarks. These
included Frank Dewey. candidate for city
clerk, and A. N. Yost, DIR. f. Holovtchiner,
Oleson and others, candidates for the city
council.
Candidates Address DuDOn Club.
The olive branch, the dove ot peace, the
buried Ratchet. the pipe OF friendship and
all the other tried and tested emblems
of concord and amity were in evidence last
night at the meeting OF the Dupont I'M
provement club at Twenty-nlnth and Cas-
tellsr streets to hear from such candidates
for city offices as presented themselves.
No party lines were drawn and demo-
Gratis and republicans took turns in de-
scriblng their own virtues or those OF their
friends. Most prominent among the speak
ers was Judge Benjamin Baker. candidate
for the republican nomination as city at
torney. He spoke for only a few minutes,
inviting the members OF the improvement
club to investigate his record, and promised
that. II elected. he would give the city a
buslnesslike and straightforward admins
tration so far as his office is concerned.
Anton linda. president OF the club. made
a talk In behalf Of J. p. Breen. candi-
date for the republican nomination for
mayor, who was. unable to be present. In