Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09
FUNNY THINGS ON
ASSESSMENT ROLL
Continued from First Page.)


lowest value is placed on firearms, 50 cents
each.
Notes Held in Nebraska.
Note holders OF the state have s., 1884, 2
worth slowed away in their strong-boxes.
OF this amount $6.Oe4, S95 is secured by mort
gage and s.. $4,000 is listed as "other notes.
1t seems quite safe to say no uncoilectable
notes arc being listed for taxation.
Despite the great aggregation of in
ventive genius in Nebraska. but 100 patent
rights are paying taxes. These are given
a total value of 1857. Twenty patents are
credited to Douglas county citnzens, with
an average value OF $685. S. each, for taxa
ton oily, not for talking purposes Lam
caster inventors hold ten patent rights, and
modestly estimate their value at sl9 each.
Twelve patents are held in Clay county,
wherein Clay Center is a great breeding
place for patents, and are given an aver
age value of 5000.
Cash aud Book
Correct account of cash is, kept by 2.917
cash registers. One would think there are
that many in Omaha alone. but not so.
The Douglas county assessor could find
only 7i9, and not in extra good condition.
for they go on the tax list at an average
value of $l1.S3. Lancaster has 1877 cash reg
listers, WIFI an dNtlubF Nhiut VI F"sV''
Hamilton county. with the city OF Aurora
in its borders, doesn't know what a cash
register looks like, evidently. having none
on the taxlist. Sioux and Mcpherson coun-
ties also trust to human honesty up to
date.
set out that the merchants Of the Whole
state had coming TO them from customers
at the date of the last assessment. $S5I'oSl'
That is not even 81 for each person IN
the state, and seems to speak we'll for the
business prosperity OF the storekeepers. In
Douglas county book accounts totaled, $780,
O7s; in Lancaster, s1l9,241; in Gage, S2s,Os6;
in Hall. S24.675; in Dodge, n ,097. Thomas
county shows lp only 1855 in book accounts,
but Benner beats it with only s35.
Money In the Bank.
Money on hand or on deposit always
shrinks unaccountably, as compared to
bank about assessment time.
The total amount spread on the grand as
sessment roll OF the state as subject to
taxation In 1905 was 1850. 196, Millions and
millions appear to be unaccounted for by
the assessors. because the state banks re-
port deposits amounting to over Se6, O0O.O 900
at the last report, and the national banks
OF Douglas county alone reported deposits
OF $40, ssi, 600 in January, 1908, three months
before the assessment under consideration
was made. Lancaster county national
banks held s., S3EO0D OF deposits at the same
date, but little short Of being twice the
amount of total deposits listed for tex
alton in the whole state. Money may make
money. and money talks; but the accrued
product appears not on the assessment roll,
can any very loud talking be charged to
money. 1t sings soft and low when the as
SCISSOR man Is listening.
Within sixty days the state banks OF
Nebraska reported loans to the amount OF
SIS. 7is,57 on the grand assessment roll for
the last year all the loans that could be
found for taxation purposes amounted to
but si75, SS4. Evidently. IL we count In ma
tional back and private loans. credits OF
this character 10 the amount OF sib0.0oO .O0C
- more are escaping taxation. under the
head of loans, at least.
Few Folks own Stock.
Stock in corporations is held to a very
limited amount by Nebraskans, taking the
assessment figures for authority. The tota
for 1908. in the whole state. was but $40.
O42. Douglas county people held the very
modest amount OF sS2.76S. Lancaster tax.
payers but sl4OOs; while Gage county in.
vestors in corporations confessed TO siOO..
S1. thus breaking the record by holding
almost half OF the total amount that goi
on the assessors books.
Total judgments held in the state showed
up at $50. 534. and the money paid buildinI
and loan and savings associations amounted
TO but s29i IFS. OF this total Douglas
county carries s2.5l2; Hall county so. l7
Lancaster sl3.sl0.
Printers Pay I'D.
Typesetting machines cannot very wei
be concealed In pocket or bank book. so III
OF them get on the assessment roll. An
they are more generally in use in Nebrask,
than one would guess, offhand. Omaha anS
South Omaha account for siXty-two type
setting machines; Lancaster had eighteen