Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-05
one WILL PAY THAT NEW TAX
Nebraska Telephone Only Corporation
to Yield Promptly.
OTHERS HALT OR THREATEN SUIT
water Company Says IL VIII Not
Have TO Pay the Occupation
Tax, a. city Has Bought
Plant.

out Of the eight public utility corporations
affected by the occupation tax ordinances
passed by the city council only one comes
out with a flat statement that the tax
will be paid. one offers defiance and de-
clares the tax will not be paid. while no
statement could be secured from the other
six companies.
The Nebraska Telephone company an
nounces that its tax will be paid when due
and the Omaha Water company announces
that its tax will not be paid. officials Of
the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street HALL
way company, the Omaha tias company,
the Western Union Telegraph company
and the Independent Telephone c, mpany
declined to make airy definite statement.
r. A. Nash, president OF the Omaha Elec-
trio Light and Power company, and Man
ager Wolfe Of the Postal Telegraph com
pany are out OF the city.
In the face of the indecision of the at
fected companies and the threat NJ court
action, Mayor Dahlman is standing his
ground and says he will aDpr1ve the ordi-
nanoes. lie made this statement immeji-
ately after Frank T. Hamilton, president
of the Omaha Gas company had left lis
office after a long conference. Mr.. Ham
lilton contends that his company IL hit
harder than any other in that royalties are
now being paid, the combined royalty and
occupation tax making a total Of nearly 5
lper cent.
High Rate the Barrier.
Were IL not for the fact that the Gas
company Is charging SO much for its prod
uct l might recommend a change In this
one ordinance" said Mayor Dahlman.
with gas at the present high rate l am
disposed 10 believe the company can af-
ford the tax. II it is paid ] will OF per-
sist in asking for dollar gas, for with the
royalties and occupation tax combined the
people will be getting practically dollar
gas"
C. w. Wattles, president CT the Omaha
g. Council Bluffs Street Railway company,
expressed the opinions Of officials of most
of the other companies in the following
statement:
of course an occupation tax or $1,000
a year Will make It impossible for the
street railway company to build all the
extensions so urgently demanded by the
public TO keep pace with our rapidly grow
ing community, but we shall do the best
we can under the circumstances, and this
is all any reasonable citizen should expect,
We can only point to the past policy OF
the ompany as a guide to its future pol
10y. When a horse is pulling all the load
1t can carry there is no use in either add
ing to the load or furnishing the horse. AS
to what, If anything, the company will do
in the way of contesting the legality of
the occupation tax l canno speak. This
is a matter entirely for the board of di-
~rectors to decide. While l think there was
no public demand to assess an occupation
tax at this time, still 1 think the. city coun-
ell has acted in good faith in. this matter
and has done what it considered to be fits
duty, and l have no complaint to make
against II for its action"
VIII Pay MurmuF. .
"'WetwAi pay the occupation tax without
a murmur. if it can be said that any mar
or corporation pays taxes without muir
muring,P said Casper E. Yost, president OF
the Nebraska Telephone company. 'fWs
are law abiding and always endeavor to
live up TO the laws whether good or bad
This occupation tax proposition is bad; II
is double taxation and may force us to
raise our rates, but IL 1t is the law II
will be lived up to and our tax will be-
paid on December l."
John c. Nelson, superintendent OF. the
Western Union Telegraph company, said
he would have to refer the tax proposition
to the head offices before saying that his