State Capitol News . . .
Pridefully Point to Lower Levy
By MELVIN PAUL
The Frontier's Statehouse Correspondent
LINCOLN—For the first time
this summer events dropped this
week to the usual slow hot-weath
er pace at the statehouse.
With Gov. Robert Crosby
scheduled to be in Seattle, Wash.,
for the annual conference of state
governors, and with many other
officials taking their vacations,
the barrage of news—which had
mostly been connected with tax
assessment problem—tapered off.
But this summer saw one of
the most widesweeping events
in recent state history — the
announcement concerning ad
justments of county by county
assessments.
After six days of closed ses
sions, the five-man group an
nounced adjustments which in
one swoop increased the state s
total assessed valuations by
$473,432,970.
This was done by:
1 Raising town real estate val
uations in 70 counties, cutting
them in 10, and accepting the
assessments of 13 counties. Some
counties were boosted as much as
200 percent over last year.
2 Increasing farm land valu
ations in 48 counties, lowering
them in Id, and leaving 34 count
ies unchanged.
3. Boosting the assessments of
business inventories—-stocks oi
goods merchants had in their
stores on March 10—in all but
10 counties. Some counties were
boosted 10 percent in this cate
gory, others 20, or 30, or 40.
4. Hiked valuations on house
hold goods and personal equip
ment in all but seven counties.
The boosts were either 50 or 100
percent jumps.
Effect—
Every county had to change
valuations on at least one item.
Some counties such as Adams,
Cass, Dakota, Deuel, Dodge, Ham
iliton Hooker, Keya Paha, Logan
and 'Saline which made a big
effect to raise valuations but ap
parently went too far got de
creases in the town real estate
I category ranging up to 19 percent.
Although some counties were
check of the valuations placed on
several counties showed they
were between 43 and 45 percent
of what the state tax commis
sioner’s office figured was 100
percent. Taxation this year of
course, is on 50 percent of value.
Illustration—
To explain just what the per
centage increase meant, Govern
or Crosby gave this illustration:
Taxpayer A owns a $10,000
home in county X. Comparison
figures by the state tax commis
sioner’s office show that assess
ment of towfai houses in thiat
county has been about 35 per
cent of actual value. That means
taxpayer A has paid taxes on
about $3,500. So to reach some
where near the 50 percent mark
called for by the new law, the
state board boosted county X
valuations by 30 percent. This is
$1,050. Added to $3,500 it means
that taxpayer A will pay taxes
on $4,550 for 1953. (Note: This
is still below $5,000 and that is
what Crosby meant when he in
7
Bisted the boosts were conserv
ative.)
Although the western cattle
counties were given some con
sideration because of declining
land values, they got the biggest
jump for the most part. That is
because their assessments have
rarely been changed since the
rock bottom depression days.
City real estate also got boosted
in most places. This is because
most counties farmers have been
paying higher taxes in relation
to the value of their property
than have their city cousins.
Explanation—
Along with its announcement
of county adjustments, the state
board issued a statement.
It said, “We have complited
with both the letter and the
spirit of the law to the extent
that available information has
made it possible ... It is neces
sarily on the basis of assessed av
erage values that we must equal
ize among the counties and the
different classes of property. The
law does not permit us to equal
ize within a county among the
owners of a class of property,
nor can we even equalize among
the towns in a single county.”
The board's statement admit
ted that equalizing on the basis
of average has been "extremely
disappointing" in most counties.
That's because "the county
officials in those counties have
not equalized among their in
dividual taxpayers ... In most
counties it would be easy to
find two citizens owning the
same value of property where
the assessment of one of them
is two or more times greater
than the assessment of his
neighbor.
"Of course, in this circumstance
the highly assessed citizen is
paying double or more the taxes
that are paid by his neighbor,”
said the statement.
It continued, “Even more glar
ing injustices have been dis
closed to- us in the areas of busi
ness inventories and of house
hold goods and personal belong
ings. In the same town one busin
essman may be assessed at the
actual value of his inventory of
merchandise and another on the
same street may be assessed as
low as 10 percent of his actual
inventory. Even on the basis of
average assessed values the in
equality among counties is fan
tastic: For instance, in some coun
ties, the average schedule
for non-exempt household goods
and personal equipment is as
high as $127.50: in others as low
as $11.68.”
Advice—
The board statement then
thundered, “In the name of sim
ple justice the local county offic
ials in most counties must begin
their duties. Again, in fairness,
we recognize the officials of a
small number of counties who
have discharged their duties in
a commendable way.”
The board said it had strong
recommendations in connection
with the increased burden on
real estate.
“Because much personal pro
perty literally escapes taxation,
we strongly suggest a severe
program of law enforcement.
There is no excuse for the fla
grant omission of personal pro
perty from many schedules. Be
cause of the extreme unfairness
to those who make honest per
sonal property returns, we sug
gest that criminal prosecutions
be initiated this year against as
many as possible of the worst
violaters.”
For citizens the board hammer
ed away at a point its members
have made many times: “Assessed
values do not cause taxes. Assess
ed values simply determine the
sharing of taxes among the citi
zens. Taxes are caused by the
spending of public money by
officials. If you are interested in
reducing the tax burden then you
'is a citizen should express your
self at the budget meetings of the
school board, the city council, and
the county board. The budgets
that are adopted determine the
amount of taxes that will be
collected.”
The board said that in counties
where its orders increase val
uations, the local governing bod
ies must, of course, reduce tax
levies accordingly.’’
The state board then pointed
out that although it had increas
ed the state’s total valuation to
$6.741,838,926—of which half or
$3,370,919,463 will be taxed—the
year’s 6.98 mills to a 1953 figure
of 5.75 mills. And that includes
two new levies—the University of
Nebraska medical college quart
ermill levy and the teachers re
tirement fund half-mill levy
passed by the 1953 legislature.
This new figure means a tax
saving of $1 23 on every $1,000
worth of P'operty.
The board said citizens and of
ficials should work together to
see that mill levies drop this
way in those counties where
valuations were boosted.
Uhl in Japan
Marine Cpl. Norman L. Uhl
(above) of O’Neill strolls
toward the marine barracks at
the Yokosuka naval base. The
Japanese influence is apparent.
Corporal Uhl attended O’Neill
high school prior to entering
the marine corps. His mother,
Mrs. Elise Uhl, lives at O’Neill.
Circle C Show,
Garber Featured
Parade Will Launch
’53 Hay Days
ATKINSON—The famous Jan
Garber orchestra and Circle C
ranch show from Chicago, 111.,
will feature the main events of
Atkinson’s hay days celebration
Monday and Tuesday, August 10
and 11.
One of America’s top dance
bands on radio and television, Jan
Garber’s orchestra will play for
the Coronation of the 1953 hay
king and queen Monday night
and for the dance following the
coronation performance.
Tuesday night will be the spe
cial attraction of this year’s hay
days featuring the Circle C ranch
show. This show has been ap
pearing on radio and television'
with the WLS Barndance and the
WSM Barndance in Chicago.
They have a star-packed cast of
12 which will present five fast
moving acts of western music and
entertainment. The stars include
the Sun Valley Boys, western
band; Hal Thorsen, emcee and
cowboy singer; Lucky Caroline,
petite cowgril soloist; Arizona
Jack and Texie, roping and bull
whip artists; Jack Baggett, fam
ous western comedian; and John
ny Powers, accordion soloist.
Hay days at Atkinson is the
scene of the biggest annual pa
rade in north Nebraska. This
year’s parade on Monday after
noon at 1:30 will have marching
bands and over 80 floats compris
ing a spectacular pageant unfold
ing the story of “Nebraska—99
Years of Progress.”
There will be baseball games
both afternoons. Atkinson vs.
Oakdale Monday afternoon at 4
o’clock and Atkinson vs. Bassett
Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock.
Both games will be a battle for a
60-40 purse. Before the Monday
afternoon game, a 75-piece ac
cordian band composed of Martha
her accordian students will play
a half-hour concert.
5 Inches Rain
Received in Week
AMELIA—This community re
ceived about five inches of lain
the past week.
Sunday evening, July 26, a
small twister struck Amelia and
nearby. Branches were tom from
trees in Amelia. At the home of I
Mrs. Bertha Sammons a large
tree was torn down, falling across
REA lines, and a windbreak was
also torn down.
During the week Amelia had
a severe electrical storm. Some
horses .and cattle were killed and
several* stacks of hay wjre burn
ed.
Other Amelia News
Mr. and Mrs. Duane Miller of
Chambers were Sunday dinner
guests at the home of their daugh
ter, Mrs. Forest Sammons and
family.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed White return
ed home Friday from a visit with
relatives at Greeley, Colo.
Mrs. Jennie Adams returned
to her home in Atkinson Satur
day after visiting with Mrs. Julia
White the past week.
Rev. J. L. Jay was guest speak
er at the Amelia Methodist
church Sunday morning. Several
from here attended ihe first
quarterly conference held at
Chambers in the afternoon.
Mr and Mrs. Art Leach of Om
aha visited at the Ed Jungman
home last week.
Mrs. Kaipn itees nets uccn en
joying a visit from her sister
and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Har
ley Deems, of Charles City, la.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Doolittle
were guests Wednesday evening,
July 29, at the home of their son,
Art Doolittle. It was a birthday
supper in his honor. Pat Ken
nedy and Art Waldman were
also guests.
Mrs. Gloria Landrum and Sally
came from Omaha Friday eve
ning and Sally will visit her
grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Blake
Ott for a week or more.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Blackmore
and Luanne visited his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Blackmore,
last weekend.
Miss Zoeyllen Gilman spent
Sunday afternoon with Leone
Fix.
Mr. and Mrs. P. L. Strenger
and Marian came from Omaha
the early part of the week to
visit the' Lindseys.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Consentino,
Sharon, Peter, jr., and Deanna
of Omaha were guests last week
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. El
mer Oetter. Mrs. Oetter and Mrs.
Consentino are cousins.
A large crowd attended the
auction sale at the Amelia hall
Friday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. John Cearns and
son, Donnie, and cousin, Dale
Cearns, of Scottsbluff visited over
Sunday night with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. William Fry rear.
1 The Cearns had attended a fam
ily reunion of the Cearns families
I
at Ray Ceams of Atkinson on
Sunday.
Mrs. William Fryrear was in
O’Neill Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hiatt and
family and Mrs. Viola Travers
were dinner guests Sunday at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Pierce.
Henry Travers and son, Harold,
visited Mrs. Henry Travers at
Norfolk Sunday. They all plan
ned to attend the races at Wayne.
Jay McConnell, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Howard McConnell o f
Emmet, is spending a leave here
after completing his boot train
ing at San Diego, Calif. On Fri
day he will leave for Norman
Okla.. where he will be stationed’
His wife, the former Ellen Butter
field, will' join him there about a
week later.
DRS. BROWN &
FRENCH
Eyes Tested—Glasses Fitted
Broken Lens Replaced in
24 Hours
Other Repairs While You
Wait
Complete X-Ray
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O'NEILL DRIVE IN
Fri.-Sat. Aug. 7-8
Allen Ladd & Irene Dahl
“Desert Legion”
A technicolor feature of ad
ventures of the Foreign
Legion.
ADDED SHORTS
Sun.-Mon. Aug. 9-10
Gary Cooper & Grace Kelly
with a big cast.
“Hi Noon”
The third academy award for
Cooper in an outdoor .action
feature.
NEWS & SHORTS
Tues.-Wed. Aug. 11-12
Joyce Holden - Glen Roberts
with a big cast.
“Girls in the Night”
A shocking story of our teen
agers in the cities.
ADDED SHORTS
Thursday. Aug. 13
Family Night
An all-star special cast
“Untamed Breed”
If you like action, scenery
and a good story—B HERE.
Bring ’em all—$1.00 per car.
Congratulations!
To the People of O’Neill on the
arrival of Natural Gas
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