Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-10
AFFAIRS AT SOUTH OMAHA
Raise Of Small Taxpayers Rate
Causes Tremendous Protest.
EQUALIZATION BOARD IS SCORED
AnnezattOnists Believe that the
Present Conditions WIN Work
60 Union OF Two
cities.

Never In the history OF the Magic City
have the common people been so outraged.
with the city council and the mayor
| fighting in the courts to get at the back
taxes. while City Treasurer Martin fought
to Keep them for the taxpayers and City
Attorney Murphy forced the mayor and
council to respect the taxpayers rights
tie council. sitting as a Board Of Eouali-
"a ton and review, calmly raised the taxes
on the small property holders and the
business men OF the city and lei the
packers and the stock yards 60 scott
tree of any raise. Two men, p. ]. Martin,
city treasurer, and J. NJ. Fitzgerald, city
tax commission, fought the council in its
action. Martin and Fitzgerald fought
against the action OF the council to the
last and Martin refused TO sign the re-
port Of the board yesterday.
Martin contended that II the taxes had
to be raised the burden should be placed
on the shoulders of the corporations as
well as upon the poor taxpayers and small
business men. Fitzgerald fought side by
side with Martin and the mayor,
although he had introduced the measure
to let the stock yards go at the same
figure as last year. refused TO be party
to the wholesale trade of the taxpayers
ard voted with Martin and Fitzgerald at
the last.
Council stands Pat.
Yesterday Martin tried 20 get the
n after reopened. but his efforts were
vain. Not a man on the board would
second his motion to reopen the case.
The action of the council sitting as n
Board Of Equalization is unprecedented.
In the face of gathering annexation senti-
n ent the council coolly placed several
hundred thousand of extra taxation OF,
the backs of the small taxpayers and re-
leased the packers and stock yards from
the payment of an extra penny over last
year. The metropolitan water bill took
sG0O,Oo0 OF Omaha water plant property
out of taxation in South Omaha and
placed the burden on the people Of South
Omaha. The packers get not a cent Ut
extra assessment.
Hear Word of Barrel.
Besides the extra assessment by rea-
son of the Omaha water bill of r. b.
Howell the city has to furnish quar-
tiers in the city hall for q water office.
In this office 1t is said the hirelings Of
the Omaha water boss are holding daily
conferences in the hope of lining up a
vote for r. b. Howell. Foreigners and
paid workers are said to have received
the word that there is a barrel opened
at the water office for the men who
will support Howell for governor.
Thirty Per Cent More Taxes.
Between the Metropolitan Water Dis
trict bill of r. B. Howell and the city
council of South Omaha the taxpayers
of the Magic City are carrying 30 per
cent more taxes today than they did
year ago. Not in a decade have the
taxpayers of South Omaha been SO out
ragged. Tonight and nil day yesterday
there were violent protests or the part
of the taxpayers and the threats of an
nexation have passed into a certainty.
The citizens of South On aha are wrathy
today beyond expression against every
member of the Board of Review except
City Treasure p. ]. Martin and Tax
Commissioner Jerry Fitzgerald. The tax
payers win have to pay at least thirteen
mill levy and perhaps fourteen this year
and the corporations will not have to pay
another penny assessment than they did
one year ago.
| ne bHldll anu NhS bNoAiNSS
men have had to stand $4,000 raise on
personal tax assessments and $4,000 on
real estate. The packers have not had
to stand one penny of raise on either real
estate or personal property.
Mayor Hector, astounded at the whole
sale action of the council, voted with
Martin and Fitzgerald at the last, but
he introduced the motion to let the stock
yards go free.
Among the many hundreds of notes OF
sympathy which will be sent during the
| coming few days to President woodrow
/ Wilson during his time OF grief, will be
a beautiful and consoling motion of SYM
pathy written and passed by the mem
bers Of the congregation of the local First
| Presbyterian church. The motion is In
written form and is signed by the pastor
Robert L. Wheeler. and also by Perry
Med. Wheeler, clerk OF session. The mo-
| ton:
| To Mr.. Joseph Tumulty, Private Secre'
| tary to Woodrow Wilson, President OF
| these United States of America. Greeting
First Presbyterian church at South
| Omaha, Neb., having learned OF the death
at Washington. d; C.. on the sixth day o.
! son. beloved and honored wife of Presl'
| dent Wilson, desire, through you, to ex'
/ press to our bereaved president our sense
1 of sincere sorrow for him, with many
prayers unto God that His sovereign
grace may be freely bestowed In this
! the hour of his LIES greatest need.
We as a loyal people, shall ever pray
that the shadow thrown across your do
mestic life, shan in no wise hinder YOU
| services of righteousness to other world
powers than ours, who look to this oul
II is also our pleasure that you assur,
| the president that we are able TO see, with
| a great multitude OF American citizens
| the type and vision in Mrs. Wilson'S
| life, of that greater glory OF American
womanhood. the Christian wife and th'
| Christian mother.
| Therefore, to the president and to hi!
| family, we bear these greetings from Ne
| braska, i'm terms OF Christian considera
| ton and Christian respect.
| Done at South Omaha, Neb., on thli
| Sabbath day OF August 3. 1914, and unani
mously approved by the congregation as
RoBERT L. WHEELER, Moderator.
PERRY Med. WHEELER, Clerk OF SEES
| sion.
south Side Improvement.
The South Side Improvement club met
last Friday evening at the Madison street
school in Albright. The club decided &C
change its boundaries so as TO embrace
the whole southern section Of the city
! Hereafter the club will be known as the
South side Improvement club.
A number OF. property owners from Y