The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-08
OIL TAXES.
A Bill to Tax Oil Companies
Operating in This State.
Telegraph, Telephone and Other SINH
lar Companies TO be Taxed-At Pres.
ent they Escape their Just Burden Of
Taxation-Senator Fast has Some
Things to say About This-rhe Bill
Proposed Will Likely Pass.

Proposed VIII Likely Iass.
The Wheeling News has the follow
/ ing OF interest TO the people of this
senatorial district. 1t was sent from
their special correspondent at Char
lesion:
The question of taxation involved a
good deal of the time of the legisla-
ture The inequality of taxation in
West Virginia, and the valuable pro-
ducts which are being shipped daily
out of the state without paying a
cent Of tribute, are matters which de-
nand and will receive the best consid-
GRAFTON of which the body is careful.
House bill No. 2, introduced by Mr..
w. L. Mansfield, of Wayne county,
providing for reassessment of the
taxable property of the state. aims to
get at the untaxed industries of the
state.
Among the industries which are es
Gaping without paying their just pro-
portion Of taxes, are the oil companies.
During the past year there were ship
ped out of the state $lS, 900, 900 worth
Of oil for which the state got nothing.
Mr.. Mausfeld's bill will get at the oil
companies as well as other concerns of
like nature, but not until the corpora
tions have made bitter fight. Al
ready the Standard Oil company has a
lobbyist on the grounds, and there
will be plenty OF excitement before
the session adjourns. The bill will
be championed in the senate by Mr..
Fast of Monongalia county, who al
though corporation lawyer believes
in equality Of taxation, and that the
Standard should pay its share. To
the News correspondent, Mr.. Fast
said: 81 was correct in my figures
the other day when / said $lS, 900, 900
worth of products were shipped out of
the state without paying cent of
taxes thereon. When | made the
statement | was referring to oil. Oil
is not taxed in the state now because
1t is product and the assessors can't
get at products. The taxation in
this state is not equitable and all
should pay their just share.
sit requires new law to tax these
concerns such as oil companies. Mr..
Mansfield's bill in the house reaches
them. | believe it is constitutional
and should pass. They should be re-
quired to make returns to the state
board of public works on the amount
of business done annually by them, aud
they should be taxed ia accordance
with their volume of business. The
state board of public works should be
given charge because it can get at the
companies better and cover the ground
more thoroughly than the local au-
thorities can. All express, telephone,
telegraph and pipe line companies
should be taxed in the same manner.
s'It is not strictly correct TO say
that oil companies pay no taxes at all.
They pay taxes on the property they
own such as real estate and equip
ments, but that is insufficient, and
they would pay the same amount II
they produced 100000 barrels of oil
or $4,000, 900.
81 do not believe in harassing cor
porations or in imposing burdensome
exactions upon them. | am in favor
of corporations, and believe that they
are often needlessly and thoughtlessly
attacked whereas they are an absolute
necessity and a benefit. Neither can
any blame be laid upon the oil COM
panies for not being properly taxed
for there is no law for it. and they are
not going around hunting up assessors
to make returns to them. At the same
time, however, | believe they should
pay their just share.
''If all the companies referred to
were made to pay fair amount on the
volume of business done, it would be
vast increase to the revenues of the
state, and would be ample to justify
a reduction of the state levy. The
burden of the taxes now falls on the
small property owners, and they
would be relieved by the passage of
Mr.. Mansfield's BILL"
Mr.. Mansfeld's bill has been report
ed favorably by the committee on tax
alton and finance, and will come up
tomorrow on its first reading in the
house. Sentiment fayors it's early
passage, but there is strong and pow
erful opposition to it from certain