Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-24
Nebraska
CORPORATION TAX NOT ISSUE
Lincoln's Traction Lines New Owners
Not Anxious to Pay.
LIQUOR QUESTION IN CAPITAL
Excisemen Begin to Discuss Form of
Proposition to submit to voters
Next Spring - HiEb
School Case.
.UOR QUESTION IN CAPITAL
Trom a staff correspondent

LINCOLN, Nov. 23-(speciaI)-while the
city council and the Lincoln Traction COM
pany are still figuring on some kind Of a
compromise OF the taxes due the city from
the company and also for a profit-sharing
agreement which will be equitable to both
parties, a lot Of taxpayers are wondering
why the city officials do not force the
traction company to pay its past due occu-
patton tax before talking of any agree
ment.
When Francis w. Brown was mayor the
traction company owed some $4,000 in
taxes. When the case was taken into court
1t was held that liens prior to the tax
liens were on the property to the amount
Of S1,1OO,OOO and because Of this holding
the mayor and council were forced to do
the best they could and compromised these
taxes for 5 cents on the dollar.
Then at once the traction company
opened negotiations with the city to STAGE
off any ordinance providing six fares for
8 cents. It was first proposed to fevy an
occupation tax based on earnings Of $500, 900,
to be gradually increased with the increase
In the earnings until the maximum of s per
cent was reached.
It was finally settled by the levy Of an
occupation tax of 8 per cent and the pas
sage of an ordinance providing six tickets
for Is cents. The traction company claimed
this was confiscatory, but the citizens line,
which was then managed by the same per-
sons that now control the traction com
pany, w. E. Sharp and others, insisted that
it was all right and the ordinance was en-
dorsed.
Since that ordinance was passed the trac-
ton company has paid nothing of that 8
per cent occupation tax. The occupation
tax was taken into the courts and was up
held by the highest tribunal in the state,
but that is all that has come of 1t. In
view of this fact and of the fact that the
same persons who advocated 1t first as
owners Of the citizens line now oppose 1t
as owners of the merged lines, the tax
payers are getting in a mood to demand
the collection Of the back tax and also for
the council TO go ahead and levy an occu-
patton tax it thinks is right and not waste
time over talking compromise.
Joint Passenger Rates Filed.
The State Railway commission has re-
ceived a copy of the publication containing
the passenger rates from and to all parts
OF the country served by the railroads
doing business in Nebraska. In this pub
LEGATION the 2-cent fare law is recognized.
1t is also set out that should a person buy
a ticket to some point in Iowa by way of
OIldnd over lHt N~OIIhWtSltIu IL II AdIG
is equal to the fare to Omaha on that road,
the short line rate to Omaha, or the 2-cent
rate over the short line.
Commission Slow to Act.
Because of the failure of the State Rail-
way commission to report the name OF
Adna Dobson 10 the attorney general for
investigation as to his right to receive a
pass, as reported by the Burlington rail-
road, Mr.. Dobson has been placed in q
very embarrassing position. The report of
the Burlington showed that he had received
a pass to Madrid. Mr.. Dobson said he has
never received any pass from the Burling-
ton or any other road since the anti-pass
law became effective. The Burlington has
not vt asked permission to correct its re-
port, so it still stands. Had the commission
reported the matter to the attorney gen.
eral, Mr.. Dobson would have had an oppor-
tunity to get al official clean bill.
May Submit Liquor Proposition.
While in theory Lincoln is a dry town,
in fact the Excise board knows it is not,
and for that reason some proposition may
come from the Excise board next spring
to change conditionss Exciseman Powell
has always favored shutting off everyone
from getting a drink or shut off no one.
That every one is not shut off the Excise
board knows. SO an effort will be made
by the three members to get together on
a proposition to submit to the voters. II Is
talked now that the dispensary system
may be submitted. That is, permit an
agent to have an office here and receive
orders for liquor to be sent to the homes
OF those ordering it. The proposition as
now being discussed would not include a re-
tail place for serving drinks, but simply
permit a person to order liquor and have
It delivered to his house, without having
to go to the station and cart 1t out him
self. However, the matter has not yet
been discussed by the Excise board In ses-
sion, though 1t has been talked over in
formally.
Free HiEh SchOI Case.
Thomas Wilkinson has asked the SUI
preme court for a rehearing in the case
wherein the free high school law was de-
clared valid. The case came up from
Richardson csunty In his brief in sup
port OF the motion for a rehearinR Will
kinson's lawyer raises a question which
he did not raise IN his former brief. He
alleges that the law is invalid because II
prohibits the right Of contract between
parties. The law fixes the rate to be paid
by the school district for the education Of
a pupil IN a high school in another district
attorney holds, that II is the right Of a
school district to make a bargain with
another school district to which a pupil
Is sent to high school.
MIR. Martins Father Dead.