Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-03
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Democrats Vote Away Their 0ccupa.
ton Tax Issue in Council.
yUsPENDs IT ON CAR COMPANY
Driven In Corner, they Take Action
that shows I'D Platform Com
pleteIy-New Election
Officers.

The democratic members Of the city
council voted away the only political issue
they had In the present campaign Friday
morning. which was that an occupation
tax should Immediately be levied on all
the public service corporations. The issue
was evaporated when the council took up
in special session an amendment to the
occupation tax ordinance. which was in
troduced and passed last fan by the re-
publicans The amendment provides that
II the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Rail
way company shall complete its West L
street car line before July l. 1910 then
the operation Of the occupation tax will
be suspended until the year 1915. The
democratic members who voted for this
measure we're George Hoffman, Matt
Peterson and John Hasburgh.
This shows that the democratic conten-
ton in favor OF an immediate occupation
tax levy is not in good faith, for by this
action they gave the street car company
five years leeway. AS to the other public
service corporations they are already pay
ing a royalty based on the gross receipts
of the company at a rate Of per cent.
p IL IL believed no court would permit
the levy OF another tax Of per cent based
on the gross receipts, which is the propo-
sition Of the occupation tax. First the
royalty would have to be repealed and the
occupation tax substituted, and this
amounts simply to a change from the name
royalty" TO the name Occupation" tax
with no increase Of the revenues. Voters.
therefore, have come to believe the mighty
issue of the democrats is simply a hollow
slusion. since the democrats by their vote
Friday morning fixed the position Of the
street railway company, which is the only
company not paying a royalty.
Democrats CorneFed.
AS TO the position Of the republicans on
this question that has been publicly known
and is presented without apology All the
= republicans voted for the proposed amend
nent because they believed It was right
The democrats were afraid that West L
street citizens would recede from the party
IL the street car line was hindered, 50
they did not hesitate to compromise their
issue.
The following is the amended section Of
the ordinance which was passed by the
unanimous vote of the city council relating
TO the occupation tax issue of the cam
paigni
Section Z OF said ordinance shall be
amended to read as follows:
Section 7. That IL the Omaha & Council
p BUTTS street hallway company before
July /, 1910 shall build and construct
line OF street railway through the Unior
Stock yards of South Omaha and ovel
West l. street to the Burlington railroad
Niaduct and thereafter shall operate said
line on a reasonable schedule, the fore
going provisions Of this ordinance shall
not apply to said company for a period o
five years; and in consideration OF the con
struction and operation of said line OF
street railway and as an inducement for
said company to construct and operate said
line. OCCtIDatiOn tax shall he red
TO be paid by said company prior to Jal.
uary ], 1918 Provided, that within ter
days from The passage OF this ordinance
the said-company shall agree In writing
TO construct and operate SAID line. Ayes
Frank Dworak, John Hasburgh George
& Hoffman, John Larsen, Swan Larson
Matt Peterson. Declared duly passed by
Mayor Koutsky.
Criticism of Newcomer.
w. b. Daily who presumes to say thing
in the South Omaha municipal campaign
through the columns of the democrati
papers is a man hardly qualified to en-
large on municipal affairs, having been Il
the city of South Omaha less than year
He came to South Omaha from wessingto
Springs, S D.. In July or August of las
year. He exhibits great knowledge Of tn
record of South Omaha citizens for tn
last twenty three years In Mr., Days let
ter to the word-Herald of recent date h
declares that James Kotera is not quahfie
10 declare what constitutes mans goo
record as a union man because he has on
been organizer for the American Federatio
of Labor for a year, although it is tru
that Mr. Kotera has been union man 10
fifteen years in South Omaha. The sam
rule would put Mr. Daily far into the ta
timber.
The Council Meeting.
The South Omaha city council met II
special session Friday morning for the pur
pose Of transactng long-delayed business
Of the session. The regular order of bust
ness was taken up. which included the ap
pointment OF two extra Judges and clerks
of each precinct TO serve on election day