Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-12
REAL ESTATE BOARD
CHIEF HAS PLANS
President Slater Makes PERTH
nent Suggestions About Tax
alton, City Planning, Laws.
SAYS LET US LOSE NO TIME

Ed M. Slater, newly-elected presi-
dent of the Omaha Real Estate
board, on the occasion of his inaug-
uration last Wednesday, delivered the
following address;
AS your new president, it becomes
my duty to lay before you some plan
or program for our work during the
coming year. We have a wonderful
record for past deeds. Let US make
fully as good a record for 1917. The
work is here, the men of action, en-
ergy and ability are likewise here,
then let us lose no time The fol-
lowing suggestions have occurred to
me:
Legislative Work.
THE legislature convenes in Lin
coin this winter Our legislative COM
mittee must carefully watch all bills
affecting real estate directly and in
directly. We have had in the past
copies of each bill introduced. This
practice should be continued.
Taxation.
That world-old subject. Surely
nothing comes closer to our work
than this one. 1t is a serious ques-
ton, growing more serious each year
more serious today than it was yes
terday. Can not this board by coop
Grating with the city and county Of
ficials help to hold this increasing
burden DOWN. Is the present system
of taxation correct one, or has the
single taxer better one to offer? At
any rate, let US study and work on
this subject and in so doing we will
have the cooperation and help of
each home owner and property own
er in the city.
City Planning.
"Our city is indeed fortunate in
having progressed so far as to have
a city planning board organized and
working. We are to derive great
benefits from this work and cannot
support it and encourage it too
strongly; in fact, the real estate men
should be leaders in this direction.
While great mistakes have been made
in the resident districts of our city by
our past city fathers, yet we are in
deed fortunate in the we'll laid-out
streets of our down town section,
which value is being brought more
to our notice each day, as the num-
Der Of automobiles increases. The
widening Of Twenty-fourth street. the
opening of Douglas street, the grad
ing of Dodge street are all interesting
subjects and will be brought closer
to our notice by Our committee on
city planning.
New Industries.
Our Commercial club recently in
augurated campaign for new indus
tries. No one seems to know the
magic used, but they seem to have
at last acquired the trick, for our daily
press is announcing at regular inter
walls the coming Of this industry or
that. In connection with this we
must not overlook the fact that one
of our members is chairman of this
committee of the Commercial club,
which is doing such good work. l
am informed that one of the prob
lens that this committee has to deal
with is the question of proper hous-
ing, at reasonable rent, of the work.
ingman who is coming to Omaha
with these new industries. The state
ment has been made that there is a
shortage of workingmen's homes in
this city, the truth of which was
brought out in the-recent census of
vacant houses taken by this board.
If the Commercial club can bring
these new industries to Omaha, surely
we real estate men can cooperate to
the extent of seeing that sufficient
houses are provided and at reasonable
rents. Another of their problems is
that of securing trackage at its fair,
honest value. A strong committee
will be appointed on new industries
to cooperate with the Commercial
club in this very important work.
Interurbans.
THE bringing in of electric inter
urbans to the center of our city and
the locating of terminals in the down
town district are vital to its develop
ment and to real estate values and
rents. The city of Indianapolis is a
striking example. Here the electric
interurbans have had much to do with
the development of the down town
eSStioA' liz pCopiC Vi SUIT OuNulI1S
towns are landed in the center of the
city. As result Indianapolis has
shown a rapid growth and real estate
values have advanced materially. The
expiration of our street car franchise
may make more easy the question of
terminals and tracks for interurbans
into Our city.
Street Signs.
"In our new building code there is
a section which provides that when a
building is erected on a down town
corner there shall be engraved in the
stone or brick of such building the
names of the streets on which the
building stands. Are we to wait I'M
til our down town corners are graced
with new buildings before we have
proper street signs, or can we not in
some way secure the marking of these
streets with good signs, both down
town and in all the resident districts
Strangers are at loss to find their
way about the city. l believe a good