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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1903)
12 THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. FEBRUARY 5, 1903. THE LEGISLATURE Adjourned to Febrnarj 9-Rnne Com mute Working on New Meiiure- CorDorations Busy . On Saturday (January 31) the leg- Islature adjourned to February 9, in i order to give the joint committee on revenue and taxation an opportunity to draft a bill. This week the commit tee has been busy and so have the corporations! The two open meetings of the com- mittee, Wednesday and Thursday night of last week, were curiously enough devoted almost entirely to a discussion of one point whether the city tax commissioner in Omaha should be permitted to assess the railroads for municipal taxation, or whether the law should stand as it , is, permitting the tax commissioner to assess all property except what the stat, board has assessed. In behalf of his railroad. John N. Baldwin, Nebraska's non-resident boss, instructed his members of the committee which seemingly includes about the whole push, except Loomis (fusionist) of Dodge regarding the "distribution" theory; and J. II. Mc intosh, in behalf of the Omaha Real Estate Exchange, made a masterly appeal for local self-government. Of course, Baldwin will win. The Independent is still of the opin- om The 467 miles of the Union Pa cific pay city taxes on but a com paratively few miles; but state and county taxes are "distributed" accord ing to the mileage theory. The law should be so amended that all cities and villages not Omaha alone should, for municipal purposes, be allowed to assess the railroad property within their jurisdictions without regard to any other portion of the road outside, because a large part of the burden of municipal taxa tion is for fire and police protection, and other services of that nature, which apply to only that portion of the property lying within the jurisdiction. ion that no satisfactory solution of the problem will be had until the state board is deprived of its power to as sess railroad property. It should be empowered to secure all the necessary information which will enable it to arrive at the fair cash value of all railroad, telegraph, telephone, express, sleeping car, dining car, and freight dispatch company property and fran chises within the state. The mileage method of dividing up this valuation among the various counties, works all right with most of these kinds of property, although some modification perhaps ought to be made in the case of telephone property. Then the board should certify this fair cash value to the county authorities. When the county board sits as a board of equalization, it should then assess the railroad and other such property in accordance with the stand ard of valuation employed in assess ing other property. The state board's certificate of "fair cash value" would simply be a guide for the county board. In determining the levy for state taxes, the state board would have a substantial guide as to the standard of assessed valuation employed in the various counties, and the levy could be made hign or low in accordance with the standard used, the chief aim being to require the same amount of state taxes to be paid on each $100 of "fair cash value" ho matter in what county it may be located. If a $50,000 mile of road in one county should be assessed by the county board at $10, 000, that would be prima facie evi dence to the state board that all prop erty in that county was assessed at 20 per cent (or 1-5) of its fair cash value. If another mile of that road in an other county should be assessed at $15,000, it would be evidence that all property was assessed at 30 per cent of fair cash value. And so on for all the counties having some railroad i mileage which would include all but , five counties. Now, a levy of 6 mills on the first county and 4 on the second would equalize the state taxes. Each mile of road would pay $00 state taxes. Each . hundred dollars of "fair cash value" in either county would pay 12 cents . state taxes. For municipal purposes the munic ipal assessor should be allowed to as sess railroad property within his ju- 1 risdiction without regard to the mile age theory. State government covens ; the entire state, and, consequently, every foot of railroad within the state; hence, for state purposes, if it were possible to do so, the entire mileage : of any given railroad ought to be taxed as a unit; bmt as the constitu- tion seems to prevent that, state taxes ; must be levied upon the returns made from the various counties, and the di vision between the counties can best be made on the mileage theory. Be sides, this is amply sustained by the highest courts in the land. County government covers every foot of the railroad within the county, and as state and countv taxation are so bound together, there is no escape from the mileage plan. Collectively the various county governments cover every foot of railroad within the state. But this is not true of municipal government. It covers a few miles of Jine in one city; then there are a number of miles running through ter ritory where no municipal government obtains; then the next city is reached and there is more municipal govern ment; then another portion without, until another city is reached; and so Frank A. Harrison, the Union Pa cific's "all-round" handy man, and understudy to John N. Baldwin, has been busying himself sending out edi torials to country editors trying to befog the public as to the real merits of this municipal taxation fight. Mon day's Omaha Bee publishes the corre spondence between Harrison and George L. Nelson, editor of the Hart ineton Herald (rep.) a rather amus ing incident in the history of the new bulletins being "issued under author ity of the railroads of Nebraska." Harrison offered to "send check" to pay for inserting his "editorial,' which was a shrewd attempt to scare the country school districts by making them think every additional dollar of Omaha taxes levied would come off them. Nelson was not so green as Harrison had a right to suppose, and handed him an "open letter" in which he said: "In conclusion, dear Frank, permit me to say you are in mighty small business when you undertake to act as co-between in buying up the in fluence of the country press in behalf of the railroads of this state, and per mit me to exhort you to turn from the slimy path of political and corporate corruption before it is eternally too late." Some days ago the revenue commit tee allowed it to be understood that they expected to write an entire new measure, using the present law as a basis. But Wednesday the reporters discovered that the committee has gone bade to the Kansas "abortion" for their basis. This, as it seems to The Independent, is simply part of the prearranged plan to have no rev enue legislation. The Kansas bill will not pass in Kansas and it will not pass in Nebraska, A few amend ments to the present revenue law would suffice but the legislature will not venture enacting an out and out new law drafted on a week's notice County assessment of the railroads, municipal assessment of the railroads for municipal purposes, removal of the nonsensical 5-mill limit for gen eral fund purposes, a more accurate method of equalizing state taxes by varying the rate of levy, and better methods of collecting taxes, will cure the patent defects; and all these can be had by making a few amendments. for damage to my crops by hail. I want to eay further that this is the third year since I have bought a pol icy in your company. I have had two losses and I must say that they have been promptly and satisfactorily ad justed and paid. I believe the company deserves the support of every farmer and grain grower, and I shall do all I can to extend the usefulness of the as sociation. Wishing you success in all your efforts, 1 remain, respectfully, "C. H. ADAMS." "Carlisle, Neb., Nov. 23, 1902. Mr. John F. Zimmer, Sec'y. Dear Sir: Replying to yours will say, was very glad to get the $105, which I was not looking for until "next month. I shall do all I can to help the order along. This was the first time I had ever in sured. Some of my neighlwrs laughed at me, and said I would never get any thing for my loss. The same ones who laughed at me are going to in sure next year. I shall do all in my power to keep things booming. Yours truly, SAMUEL GILBERT." "Elgin, Neb., Nov. 30, 1902. Home Office "of the United Mutual Hail Ins. Ass'n Dear Sirs: I received check as pavment in full for my loss by hail to my crops for the present season. Would say that I am well pleased wit, the association and its promptness hnth in nriinsi ments and payments of claims. Had I not insured I could not have met my obligations. As it is, I can pay every dollar I owe. For this I am much obliged to tne asso ciation, and remain, respectfully yours, "B. F. HKN KIT. ADVANTAGES OFFERED BY THE UNITED MUTUAL. Insurance carried at actual cost. Full control is in the hands of the members, each member being entitled to vote at the annual meeting of the association. There is but one assessment each year, and that only for such sum as is necessary to pay losses and in no case to exceed the amount specified on each member's contract. All policies are written for five years, thus making a decided reduc tion in expenses from year to year, the one policy fee standing good un til the expiration of that time. The United Mutual has paid $63, 606.70 more for losses than has been paid by all other companies combined in the state during the past four years. GOOD WORDS FROM GOOD PEOPLE. HIGHLY COMMENDATORY AUTO GRAPH LETTTRS TO THE , NUMBER OF 200 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY : THE BANKERSjESERVE LIFE From the Best Bankers, Business Men and Professional Men in Nebras ka Since January 1, 1903. Mr. Chas. Spahr in his book "The Present Distribution of Wealth in the United States," says that for $4,650, 000,000 shares (railroad stock), now in existence the original investors cer tainly paid no more than $4,650,000, or 10 per cent of their face value, and probably less, hence shares reputed to return about two per cent per an num, are really returning about 18 per cent on- the actual investment Pueblo Courier. The Independent makes this guess: That by the first of April the only im portant revenue legislation effected will be the removal of the 5-mill limit. Reliable Hail Insurance Can be Pro cured. Notwithstanding the fact that sev eral hail insurance companies have in the past four years ceased doing busi ness with practically nothing paid for losses, there is at least one company doing business in this state that can be relied upon. The United Mutual Hail Insurance Association, of Lin coln. Neb., was incorporated January 4, 1899. " Since that time it has paid to 1,949 policy holders the enormous sum of $147,326.70 in losses. It has paid a loss of $1,577 on one policy. It would seem from the above figures that this company is perfectly re liable, and further that this class of risk is one for which every one rais ing crops should have protection. This company has divided the state into two districts, the division being be tween ranges eight and nine west of the sixth principal meridian. The av erage cost in the eastern part of the state the past three years has been 2 3-4 per cent upon the amount in sured, while the western part has cost 4 per cent. In the eastern district the limit of assessment is 3 1-2 per cent, and is not called for until October 1. while in the western it Is 4 per cent, and must be paid May 15, or before the risk is assumed by the company. The following are a few of the hun dreds of letters received from members who have had losses. They speak for themselves. Seward. Neb., Nov. 22. 1902. United Mutual Hail Ins. Ass'n. Lincoln. Neh Sirs: Your favor of Novpmbpr 2i) to hand. Permit me to thank you for your prompt settlement ot my claim Select Good Seed It is barely possible that farmers do not pay the amount of attention to se lecting seeds for planting that they ought to. It is an evidence of good farmina: that, a large number ot larm- ers, and always the successful ones, are paving strict attention to the kind of seeds they plant, especially that of seed corn. This year corn grown on the bottom lands as a rule will not erow and the very poor season of last year makes good seed corn a matter of more than usual interest as only corn crown under most favorable circum stances and by thoroughly experienced seed men will grow. One ot the most conscientious seed firms in this whole western country and in fact in the United States, is Van Sant & Sons of Farrasut. la., whose advertisements are running in this paper. Mr. Van Sant says that he would rather not have a single sale during the year 1903 than to make one mistake and have one farmer disappointed in the seed corn bought of him. This is the char acter of a man who has a conscience and when the seed corn season is over he has a feeling of relief as the re sponsibility he feels of supplying only good seeds to his customers has been lifted off his shoulders. Any one deal ing with a man of this character, es pecially when he has had thirty years of actual experience in growing seed corn, will not regret it. Another thing, all of the qualities which he attributes to his corn will be found in the grow ing crop next year. A careful reading of his advertisements will pay any farmer and a postal card sent to W. W. Van ant & Sons, Farragut, la., will receive by return mail samples of his seed corn, free of charge, and a neat pamphlet telling the qualities of his corn and other items of interest to corn raisers. Write them today. The boy who is tied to his mother's apron-strings may not go as far as the boy who is not, but he usually lands . safely. Nothing succeeds like success. This trite saying is amply exemplified by the commendatory letters voluntarily; handed the Bankers Reserve Life As sociation since the publication of the annual report of the president and the financial statement of 1902. The man agement of this aggressive home com pany is justified in the pride shown over these honest tributes of honor able citizens. THE ADVISORY BOARD of the Bankers Reserve Life is some thing more than a feature of adver tising. The high-class men who con stitute that important auxiliary force of the company's corps of agents are not content with mere approval of the methods and plans of the company. They cheerfully render the company such personal assistance as is oppor tune and they are so well pleased with their company that they cheerfuly go on record in black and white as con sistent, efficient, persistent friends of THE BANKERS RESERVE LIFE. Probably no recent statement from an experienced life insurance executive officer has awakened more interest or brought to its author more words of encouragement than the annual re port of the president published in this newspaper last week. Men of intelli gence and influence in all walks of life have read the somewhat lengthy discussion of home life insurance with an unusual interest. B. H. ROBISON, PRESIDENT of the Bankers Reserve Life Associa tion, made a ten-stroke in that report. Already the quick intelligence of the west has begun to respond to its sen timents and the January record of the field force is a record breaker for new business. Words of commendation please, but actual ducats are a far more conclusive proof of the .indorse ment of the people. The annual report and financial statement will be mailed to any applicant Send for a copy. NEW TERRITORY TO BE ORGANIZED. President Robison has positions for several first-class special and general agents in Nebraska and other states to be opened, with choice of territory on very liberal terms. Persons desir ing an opportunity to better their po sitions will find it of advantage to ne gotiate with him. Correspondence in vited. BANKERS RESERVE LIFE, OMAHA. isms IDAHO IRRIGATED LANDS. Good climate, healthy location, rich and productive lands, abun dant water from the famous Snake River, never failing sup ply; good crops always assured; you govern your own moisture; no cyclones; no hail storms; no rains to prevent gathering of crops; more sunshine in the year than any other state in the union. Land with good wa ter rights for sale at from $10 to $15 per acre; one-third cash balance in six annual payment at 7 per cent interest. Address, M, PATRIE, Market Lake, Idaho, .sz T7
