Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-27
ROYALTY IN OTHER CITIES
Kansas City, Denver and Baltimore
Collect Large Sums Annually.
OMAHA OUGHT TO GET INTO LINE
COuncilman Zimman Explains Why
the street Railway Company
Can Wen AFFORD TO PRy
Occupation Tax.

Denver receives $4,000 yearly in royalty,
Kansas city $4,000 yearly in royalty,
Baltimore 5000 o yearly in royalty and other
cities greater or less amounts In royalties
from its street railway companies. Omaha
receives no royalty from It's street railway
company or other concessions in the way
of street cleaning or paving repairing. Is
it not a reasonable demand that We make
Of our street railway company in the way
OF cheap fares. royalty. clean streets and
repaired pavements?"
This was one Of the declarations made
by Harry b. Zimman. republican candidate
for mayor, In a speech before a crowdsd
house at Twenty-fourth ard Burdette
streets last night, which met with resound-
ing cheers from his auditors. Though it is
said that comparisons are odlous,' Mr..
Zimman did not hesitate to make COMPARE
sons with some fifty cities, and in doing
so convinced his hearers that Omaha should
be receiving something from its public
service corporations as weiI as other cities.
one of the cities cited was Detroit. where
a franchise to run fifteen years was re-
fused a company which offered to pay a
10 per cent royalty and to sell ten tickets
for Is cents. In Omaha no royalty is paid
and but five tickets are sold for IS cents.
Under the Pass System.
Before the anti pass law went into eff
feet and during a period of fourteen
months. the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street
Railway company carried 100000 passen-
gers Free said Mr.. Zimman. IF it could
do this. how can It say now that It can
not afford to sell six tickets for a quarter.
But 1t said it could not afford It, and the
present democratic council refused to pass
my ordinance requiring such a concession.
Have you stopped to think of the young
man or young woman working for say $6
or 50 a week and the 60 cents paid weekly
to the street railway company? 1 main
tain that we ought to do something for
these people and demand that twenty-five
tickets be sold for 81 during all hours, and
eight for a quarter during the working
hours.
1.-THE street railway company claims a
perpetual franchise, but under the existing
law one franchise expires in 1924 and the
other in 1917. 1t values its franchises at
not less than $6,OOO.O 900. II it is worth that
much to the company how much is it worth
to the city? The present democratic coun-
Gil refused to pass ordinances requiring a
tax of 5 per cent from this and other pub
lie service corporations, introduced by
Councilman Bridges and myself, but II 1
am elected mayor 1 will continue to fight,
and know 1 will succeed. 1 know this be-
cause some of the companies have offered
to compromise on 2z per cent. They will
pay 8 per cent as soon as seven members
of the council say they must.
why the Tax is liz
Taxpayers of Omaha now pay 81 100000
| &, taxag annually but more must he raised
1 believe that they are paying enough for
the privilege of living in this city. To raise
the needed money land the legislature has
authorized the city to levy 100000 more in
taxes) we propose to compel the public
! service corporations. which have done lit
tie to build up the city, to pay this 8 per
cent of their gross earnings. This will
bring in $3.50, 900 the first year.
Should It be deemed advisable, this
could be set aside in a redemption fund
60 take up the city's outstanding debt.
Under this plan we could wipe out our
debt in eighteen years and save the an
nual payment of $3.50, 900 interest on it,"
Mr.. Zimman then went on to show that
II the money received from the proposed
occupation tax was placed in the gen
eral expense fund of the city that two-
thirds of the current expenses would be
paid by II. From $50 to 400 more gas
lamps could be installed, more paving
could be done and many other improve
ments could be made. He also showed
that many more gas and electric arc
lamps could be put in If the mayor and
city council would stand firm and refuse
new contracts to the lighting companies
on the present terms. for they would be
glad to make a lower price rather than
to lose the contracts.
Matter of Garbage.
The fifteen-year garbage contract. made
by the present democratic council, also
came in for a scoring at the hands of the
speaker. This contract compels every
home owner to provide a tin receptacle
for garbage and further specifies that all
garbage must be separated, else the con-
tractor will not remove il.
II do not believe in enforcing a
stringent order on our mothers. sisters
wives and sweethearts compelling Them
TO separate garbage for the contractors
hogs" said Mr.. Zimman, amid tumultuous
applause. "for the hogs are we'll enough
able to separate the garbage themselves"
JIMs CAPTURE jacks MEETING