Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-18
Hospitalsto
Fight State
OnTaxatiion
Managers Claim Institutions
Are Elecmosynary and Con.
Quoted Wholly Without
Financial Profit.
Will Go To Highest Court


About $4,000, 900 will be added to
the taxable property OF Douglas
county IL the state board of equali
zation decides this week to collect
taxes from 65 hospitals, schools and
institutions in the county. Douglas
county taxable property is now
about s5s2,00O,000. ~.
= The last week. was spent in
Omaha by Deputy Tax Commits
sioncr Harry Scott, poring over tax
records in the Douglas county
court house and obtaining list OF
institutions which are not paying
taxes.
This list has been placed in the
hands of w. II. Osborne. state tax
commissioner, who plans to call a
meeting OF the board to decide
which, OF the institutions shall be
taxed. ...
Number Not Taxable.
"A number on the list undoubt-
cdly are not taxable" Osborne said.
After the board culls out the in
stitutions it believes to be taxable
under the new law, the officers will
be given an opportunity to appear
and present arguments why they
shouldn't be taxed.
Osborne denied that he gave out
the names of institutions included in
the list and declared he has kept it
under lock and key, awaiting meet
ing of the board.
mo doubt, if such list has been
obtained, it came from the Douglas
county court house," Osborne said.
"And hope that the heads of in
stitutions named in the list won't
jump at conclusions and think im-
1nediately that they are to be taxed.
We took the names of all so we
would have a complete list to begin
cur investigation with"
The same procedure will be fol-
lowed by Osborne in culling out
charitable and scmi-charitable insti-
tutions throughout the state to de-
termine which Of them should be
taxed under the new law.
The estimate of the value of these
institutions was made yesterday by
County Assessor Counsman.
THE valuation must be made be-
fore December l." he said. "That
would be for the 1921 county and
state and the 1922 city and school
taxes.
Il expect, Of course, that all these
institutions will carry the case into
the courts and fight it to the highest
court. The movement to tax these
institutions which have never before
been taxed is based on senate file
65, passed by the last legislature.
This bill is so worded that even if
one of its clauses is held unconsti-
tutional, the rest of the bill is not
affected BY the decision.
Obeys Orders Of Board.
my part is to do just what the
state board of equalization tells me
to do. If it says l shall make
valuation, shall do so. / have heard
that the state board intends to call
the representatives Of these institu-
ions to Lincoln, separately, and give
them opportunities to show what ex-
cmption they think they are entitled
to-"
Representatives of the institutions
in Douglas county listed yesterday
by Mr.. Osborne with the state board
OF equalization as taxable declared
that there will be a long fight in
the courts before they pay any taxes.
Officials admit that it will be hard
to draw the line at property which
is used exclusively for religious,
charitable or educational purposes
without profit.
Institutions Charitable.
An attempt to collect taxes ON /
most Of the hospitals of the city will |
be fought in the courts on the
grounds that they are not profit |
making institutions and they will
claim exemption on the ground that
poor patients are taken in for treat |
ment without pay.
Rev. G. A. Luce, chairman of the |
board of control of the Methodist
hospital, said that institution was
charitable. hospital and hundreds OF
patients treated every year without
compensation and that any attempt
TO collect taxes would be taken into
court.
The management of the Deacon.
ess Institute hospital will hight all
attempts to collect taxes, as we
claim exemption as conducting
charitable hospital and our several
are open for admission
to all,' said Rev. Emil G. Chinlund,
of the Deaconess
In the absence of N. P. Fell, presi-
dent of the Wise Memorial hospital
board, Leo Rosenthal, a director,
authorized the statement the direc-
tors would fight the tax ruling.
"Of course we accept pay patients
in addition to our large number OF
charity cases, but we can show that
The institution has never made 81
since its inception"
The hospital is annually subsi-
died to the extent of 5000 or
5000 by the Jewish Welfare fedora
ton, he added.
Samuel Ravitz, whose wife is head
OF the Daughters of Israel Aid So
eiety. which operates the Jewish Old
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