Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-23
EXCHANGE AGAINST INCREASE
Real Estate Men Would Not Raise
City Taxes.
THEY DISCUSS CHARTER BILL
Lively session Results In Sending
Measure Back 10 Commiftee for
Further Revfsfon-Wead
Makes Speech.

Expressing a nat statement that the
proposed revision OF the city charter ex-
tending the limitation OF taxation $4,000
should be condemned. a quorum OF the leg
islative committee threw the Real Estate
exchange into high alarm at the meeting
Wednesday noon. Various members OF the
exchange turned a scathing attack on the
city government fur its carelessnsss and
extravaganza others. while agreeing in
the general assault ana bearing out the
committees report to an extent cautioned
against rRppinR the chatter revision in
full and the result was an order referring
the matter back TO the legislative commit
tee. which is to be increased by two MEM
hers. The COMMITTEES is under orders 90
hurry up a report scratching out various
phases OF tiIe5 new charter relating to an
increase OF the tax burden and to report
at a special meeting OF the exchange sat
urday.
F. ID. Wead. chairman. ana c. P. Harri-
son. OF the original committee submitted
the report against the charter, John w.
Robbins. another member expressed him
self as not concUrring in il. and Byron r.
Hastings. the fourth member was reported
being out Of the CITY.
Mr.. Wead. in reading the report. pre-
sented figures showing how the city has
been oppressed with special taxes. declar-
ing that the public has received nothing
near to proporti0nate benefit from taxa
ton. He srraigned the street clraning de-
partInent in particular setting forth thar
the department spent SeO.5a0 in 1913 and 81
80 in 1910 and that apparently the streets
have not been kept in any better condition
than in the FIRST year.
Robbins Thinks "a Is Toe Late.
Mr. Robbins addressed the exchange ex-
planning that he did not concur In the op-
position 20 the amended charter, for the
Heason that il mad become too late. He
remarked that he was emphatically against
the several radical raises in the approprta-
tons. but that certain items in the amend
ment were all right. ana that relating 20
the whole question the exchange has per
mitted its proper chance TO object TO go BIZ.
he explained that the council committee
had given the exchange an ample oppor-
tunity TO take action in the early part OF
January and that having neglected that
chance, the exchange would appear stupid
in rising with a word az this time.
A division OF opinion arose on this point.
and the discussion ended with the res0lu-
ton that the committee revise the charter
with the general intent AZ modification
Mr. Wead took occasion 10 remark that
he had the highest respect for City Attor-
ney Rine and members Of the council but
he believed they had accepted the requssta
for funds from heads OF the city depart
ments without investigating their reason
abieness.
This thTeshinE cut Of municipal affairs
had the further result OF hriHEing talk OF
a commission form OF government. a reso-
luton was passed ON motion Of Ernest
sweet declaring for an enabling act from
the legislature permitting the city 10 vote
on the question Of adopting the new
municipal government form.
10 Is probable thar the revision OF the
charter hv the exchange. the r1nd for the
school system ard the lighting aud uark
systems viii be approved, All other tn
crgases viii be opposed.