Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-21
DEMOCRATS DODGE
STATE TAX ISSUE
Ostensible Reduction Leaves
Big Standing Levies Yet
on Higher Valuation.
TRY TO FOOL THE VOTERS
(From a Stan correspondent.)


Lincoln, Aug. 20.-(Special.) -"Who
is the democratic who at the state
house?" is the question frequently
asked since the war broke out again
among the state officials who begin
to see the end of their jobs in the
year OF our Lord, 1917.
Since the democrats came into
power at the state house there has
been little harmony on some of the
boards. This was brought out again
last week, when State Treasurer
George Hall inserted some political
advertising in the papers, alleging
that he had saved the state 81 100000.
This is denied by other members of
the State Board of Assessment, of
which Mr.. Hall is a member, who as
sert that if this much has been saved
it has been done in spite of Mr.. Hall
and not by any act of "his'n."
Mr.. Halls Position.
According to his associates, Hall
opposed reduction in the tax levy
last year and also disapproved of a
reduction of the railroad assessment.
They admit Mr.. Hall pulled off a
good stunt when he compelled county
treasurers to remit monthly, but they
insist this money would all have
come in sooner or later anyway, and
so really Mr.. Hall has done no more
than any well-regulated state treas
urer ought to have done.
Others again make light of the
claim of Attorney General Reed and
his valiant able-bodied deputy, Dexter
Barret, that his department has
swelled the state treasury more than
100000. They point to the PROPOSE
ton with quivering finger and say that
if that amount has been saved by that
department that the state has not yet
received it. True, if the courts favor
the state on several will contests the
treasury may be enriched, but still
the attorney general and his deputy
are recklessly counting their chickens
before they are Matched.
To Make Showing.
However, the democratic Board of
Assessment this year agreed upon one
proposition, and that was that some
thing had to be done to make the
voters believe real economy was being
practiced and that the taxpayers were
being saved lot of money. So they
reduced the state levy little, so that
$Z7l 1902 less money will be paid into
the Golfers of the state the coming
year on valuation $20000,000 larger.
While this looks good on the face
OF it and makes good campaign talk,
the voters must understand that the
increased valuation simply means that
on this increase will be applied the
regular standing levies made by the
legislature for state university, for
special building fund, for normal
school fund and bridge fund, an in
crease on those four special funds
alone of $5l966.89, in additional
amounts as follows:
University Il MILD N $40 el7 TX
Special building fund " mill). 81. 1884 IL
Normal (.sb MILL ................ 16,3So7a
Bridge 10 MILD .,.......,....... 1,s24.o6
Had the state board really wanted
to save the taxpayers money they
could have reduced the valuation Of
the state and thus have lowered in \
stead of increased the taxes on the
four regular funds, and besides would
have lowered the taxes paid on county
expenses. In stead of doing this they
raised some counties and lowered
others, in an effort to equalize, and
when they were through with the
equalization stunt had really raised
the valuation of the state as a whole.
But it looked bigger to say to the
voters, I'VE, your democratic Board
Of Assessment, lowered the state
valuation and saved the taxpayers
S27l ,0OO," when, in fact, the taxpayer
will find his tax bill just as big and
probably bigger when he is called
on to pay in 1917.