Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-28
ARE LAYING FOR GOVERNOR
When Shallenberger Visits Norfolk
He Will Hear Things.
HEAD OF INSTITUTION FRETTNG
State Board of Assessment Likely to
Have = Lovely Time Fixing
the Minutes of Last
Meeting.
CFrom a staff Correspondent

BILE he will have one OF the most interest
ing times OF his career as chief executive
that is IL the employees of the Norfolk
asylum get his ear.
There is trouble at the Norfolk asylum
and according 20 the most reliable informa-
ton the superintendent, DR.. Percival, has
given it out cold to the governor that un-
less he discharges the superintendent Of
nurses the doctor will resign.
Just exactly what the trouble Is between
Mrs. Clarke, the superintendent Of nurses,
and the superintendent OF the institution
the governor probably knows better than
anyone else not on the inside but for
some time the two nave been making
charges and counter charges which finally
resulted in the doctor telling the governor
to use the axe or he would quit.
One who pretends to know says the gov
ernor's sympathies are with the head of
the nurses, and Il Is a possibility that the
superintendent head will be dropped in
the basket and Mrs. Clarke permitted to
hold on to her Job.
DR.. Percival was in Lincoln some time
ago and remained here a few days, during
which time he laid out his grievances to
the governor, which he later followed up
with a letter, in which he threatened to
chuck the whole business.
QuIet at Lincoln Asylum.
From the Lincoln asylum came the re-
port this morning that everything out there
is quiet and the employees are getting to-
gether to bury the Ratchet, fearing a
wholesale discharge. Some are afraid II
Felix Newton is fired, as promised, that
Felix may be able to cause the discharge
of a bunch of others who, so 1t is reported,
are not doing as much work as their SAL
aries entitle them to do.
1t is probable Governor Mullenberger will
permit everything to remain just as It is
until Arthur Mullen. state oil inspector
and ex-officio governor, is able to come
back to Lincoln and advise him. Before
Mullen became sick from overwork, very
little was heard about the institutions,
but since he left the switch, stories of
all kinds have been floating in, so it is
likely the governor will keep mighty quiet
until the big gun gets able to take the
reins.
In the meantime those who have relatives
in the insane asylums and are able to
help support them have been called upon
to come across. Letters have been sent
out from the institution to near relatives,
asking them to pay for the clothes the
inmates wear.
This is in accordance with a statement
made by the governor that he believed
where insane patients were able, by them
selves or through their relatives, to pay
the expense Of their keep, the state should
not bear this burden, so they have been
notified to come across.
Just how much OF a saving this will be
to the state has not yet been figured.
but II very likely will cut down the amount
the state will have to pay very materially.
Lovely Time In Prospect.
The State Board of Assessment will have
a nice little time next Monday in cor
recting the minut OF the last meeting
before 1t proceeds to value railroad prop
erty. The records show that Auditor Bar
ton moved to increase the value of the
Pullman company and that Governor
S~hallenberger seconded the motion.
The recollection of board members is
to the effect that the Barton motion
received no second and for that reason
was not put. Mr.. Brian, who moved to
leave the Pullman company assessment
where 1t was originally, announced when
he made his motion that inasmuch as the
Barton motion had received no second he
would move to leave the assessment as it
was. This motion carried.
The board members are anxious to have
the records show that the Barton motion
received no second and action will be
taken Monday TO correct the records.
In the meantime the Illinois Central
doubts the right of the board to levy an
assessment on it's property other than roll
ing stock, as 1t comes into the state over
a leased line. In a letter to the state
auditor from the tax commission, the COM
pany says:
This company WINS no realty In Ne
braska: its personality in its rented Omaha
city office is locally assessed; tbs freight
trains stop at Council Bluffs and none of
the run in Nebraska; its passenger equip
ment is used only from Omaha eastward,
and only in interstate commerce. The ac-
tual M. C. B, value of this passenger equip
ment properly pro rated to Nebraska is
3l,s7S,1s. The right to operate in Ne
braska. call It franchise or what not, has
no money value because this company's
operation in Nebraska show a net loss for
the last fiscal year OF S45.5l4.S4 and have
always shown a deficit since the line from
Fort Dodge to Council Bluffs was con-
structed.
"The facts considered there is nothing
for the state board to assess but rolling
stock, the full value OF the Nebraska pro-
portion thereof being only Sl.S7s. 1s-the re-
mainder of the value of this rolling stock
being already taxed in Iowa, Illinois and
Minnesota, where it is mostly used and as
its use in Nebraska is exclusively for inter-
state l question II il can be
legally assessed by Nebraska
For the last three years the Nebraska
board has made what seems to me an ar
bitrary assessment against the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad company OF SlO,OOO-full value
~$0,oO-upon what property l have not been
advised.
My request is that the board this year
determine carefully just what property
or thing it assessed to the Illinois Central
Railroad company and advise me what it
Is, and certify to Douglas county on what
property or thing the assessment laid, and
the location thereof so that Douglas county
officials may have proper authority for
the extension of the taxes against the
same. l suppose this no more than you
would expect of a local assessor who would
undertake TO assess your private property.
II call these facts TO your attention now
so that you may have ample time t. inves-
tigate them before undertaking TO make
an assessment against this company or