Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-26
NEBRASKA TAX
PROBLEMS ARE
SIMPLE AFFAIR
Neville CamoufIages Condition
in Nebraska by Attacks on
MCKelvie for Tax Dis
CuSSi0nS.
From a Staff Correspondent.

From a Staff Correspondent.
Lincoln, Sept. 24.-(Spccial. y
The attempt OF Governor Neville to
camoufage the business affairs of
the state by charging that $. r.
McKelvie. republican candidate for
governor, misstated facts when he
said the taxes of Nebraska were
greater than ever before, is not
borne out by the records which have
been under supervision and direct
control OF the democratic party for
four years.
Call Burden Excessive.
The average voter these days
wants facts and the democratic REQ
ords disclose that the last republic
can legislature, the memorable one
OF 1907, pronounced even by demo-
Gratis as being one of the most pro-
gressive in the history OF the state,
made appropriations for the bienuium
of $5,75S045.02. The last democratic
legislature made appropriations
amounting to $9.6q4. 1901 So it
is readily seen that the last demo-
cratic legislature incurred greater
burden on the taxpayer by $5.94l,-
1902 than the legislature OF 1907,
the last republican legislature,
OF course as the state grows the
expenses will grow and the taxpay-
ers will be called upon to pay more.
That is to be expected But the
governor attempts to make political
capital by saying the tax levy is
smaller this year than last. This is
due only to the fact that the assess
ed valuation is a great deal larger
than ever before. and not due to
any supreme effort on the part of
a democratic board to cut down
taxes.
Simple Arithmetic Problem.
1t is a simple problem i'll aritll-
metic 1t costs $9,o94, 1904 to run
the state of Nebraska. Last year
the assessed valuation was $528,89l,-
424. This year it is $567,9E,9l9, be-
ing $39,056, 400 larger than last year.
What should the board do? They
have larger sum to raise. IT is
true, but they have much larger
valuation on which to raise it. All
they had to do was to get out their
pencils and figure and this is what
they found.
=, On account of the war and the
going of the Nebraska National
Guard into the government service,
the state was saved the greater part
of the guard maintenance appropria-
ton. Another large appropriation
was not used and in one or two
other instances funds appropriated
were not needed. These lapsed
back into the treasury and conse-
quently would be available for this
year. They thus discovered that it
would not take quite as big mill
levy this year as it did the year
before, because of the lapsed levies,
the larger valuation, etc. Simply a
pfoblem in arithmetic which most
any school boy could understand.
The Official Figures.
The following letters are self-ex-
planatory and show the real facts
and figures in the disputes and argu-
ments which have arisen over the
legislative appropriations:
Lincoln Sept. 25.-Nebraska
State Legislative Reference Btu
reau, Lincoln, Gentlemen: Some
time ago w. T. Thompson re-
o,,ested of your legislative bureau
a statement showing the approprla-
tions of the legislature in 1907, as
compared with the appropriations
of the legislature in 1917. These
figures have been disputed by vari-
Gus people and I would like at this
time to have you verify these fig
ures as to their correctness. Very
truly yours, Z. D. BEACH,
Chairman Republican State Com
mittee."'
Lincoln, Sept. 25.-E. D, Beach,
Chairman Republican State Com
mittee, Lincoln. Dear Sir: Ac-
rording to the published statements
Of the state auditor the aggregate
appropriations by the legislature OF
1907 were $4,367, 257.5l, and those of
the legislature of 1917 totalled
So,6o4,18o04. These sums include
any money raised by direct taxation.
Respectfully.
N EBRASKA LEGISLATIVE
REFERENCE BUREAU.
by EDNA d. BULLOCk.