Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-25
Council Bluffs
TERMINAL TAX MEETS REBUFF
Lawmakers at Des MONIES Do Not Like
It's Looks.
HOUSE MIGHT PASS THE Bill
senate elves Advocates ChFly Rserp-
tisn--Pos-ibIe that Change MiEht
Enable IL e. win In
the End

city Solicitor Kimball. Mayor MalOney,
City Treasurer True and the other members
81 the strong delegation sent from Council
Bluffs 70 labor with the legislature To Sc
cure the enactment Of some measurablv
righteous terminal tax law. returned from
Des Moinss yesterday morning. carrying
varying degrees OF doubt as to the success
Of thair mission They we're Joined in the
fight for such a measure BY all OF the
principal cities OF the state. NUT encoun-
tered the opposition OF a solid phalanx OF
railroad attorneys when they entered the
ways and means committee room. where
the joint conferences on the bill prepared BY
Mr. Eimbsfl IN being held
= They expected this opposition. but they
ala not expect 70 be trfcked and have their
mission partly defeated by the opposition.
a. was the case Nevertheless. they re-
turned with the assurance that the bill
would be reported by the committee with
out recommendation" and with the further
assurances that n there we're some radical
amendments made 70 II Il would be passed
by the senate. r. was ascertained that the
bin as presented viii be approved by the
house. but viii be objected to by the senate
without the qualifying. or. more properly.
disqualifying. amendments
NEm@ "opens Rearing
At the beginning OF the session OF the
Joint committee Wednesday morning IL was
agreed that two hours should be given the
friends and foes OF the bill and that the
Council Bluffs men should open the argu-
mout. BY consent. city Treasurer Frank T.
True made the opening statement. giving a
half-hour's talk bristling with admitted
facts and figures showing the injustice that
IL being done to the citiss By unequal tax
burden placed upon the cities Then the
enemies OF the bill took the floor and con-
stunned all OF the remaining hour and a
half Attorney General Bysrs was present
to plead Tor the approval OF the bill. but
he was thus shut out with all OF the other
representative OF the cities. including Mr..
ISimbaiL It was promised. however that
Ifr. Byers would be allowed to appear be-
fore the COMMITTEES before the bill was
finally reported.
Mr.. Kimhail said yesterday that II was
z doubtful whether the bill az drawn could
set past the senate. There was. he said
q strong opposition among the senator's
which was believed to be sufficient to xiii
the bill.
way To save Bfu.
The leaders OF the senate. however, a..
sured the representatives OF the cities thai
n the bill was amended 20 prevent ans
change In the present method OF taSinl
railroads and other corporations. merely
permitting the cities to add TO the corpora
tion taxes. It would meet their approval A
the present time the railroads and farmer,
are allied against the bill for the reason
that the farmers have been led to beIiev,
A. viii cut off some OF the revenua nov
Derived and give It to the cities. II tn,
bill ~ amended as suggested II viii inspir,
stiil stronger opposition from the railroads
but there Is a chance. Mr. Klmball said
that they might not be able TO kill H.
Such q compromise measure would CIV,
ua some relief" said Mr.. Kimball. "ans
would be- better than nothing. The measure
We presented was a compromise, which o
itself did not give the relief the cities ar
entitled 60, but Il we get anything at ali /
will be- start seward ultimate relief"