Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-03-05

Ing for the exercise Of careful thought
and wise statesmanship. In my cpin-
ion the movement for a tax commits
sion to codify our taxation laws, to
provide for equalization boards, both
county and State. with powers to raise
or lower valuations and equalize them,
is a start on right lines. The Legis-
lature Just adjourned has taken the
first step in the right direction by
providing for the creation OF a tax
commission.
The problem which the incoming adj
ministration will chiefly have to deal
with is that Of revenues. During the
past six years the West Virginia Leg
islature has established seven entirely
new State institutions, namely, the
Girls Industrial Home, Home for In
curableS, Bluefield Colored Institute,
Montgomery Preparatory School and
the three Miners Hospitals and the
late Legislature has just created the
eighth in the Keyser Preparatory
School. In addition, a Capitol Annex
costing SIPS, 900 has been started, and,
In the past five years, for every one of
the older existing State institutions.
including the six Normal Schools, the
State University, the P~enitentiary. the
two Insane Asylums, Boys Reform
School, and the school for the Deaf and
the Blind, new buildings have been
erected or extensive additions made to
the old ones Besides all this, with the
growing attendance and more numerous
inmates, have come largely increased
current expenses. The present gener-
alton is prohibited by our constitution
from mourning a State debt for future
generations to pay. So we are, and
been in the very recent years, paying
hundreds of thousands of dollars an
nually out of current taxes and receipts
for permanent Improvements. The re-
suit Is we have a condition confront
ing us that will take all the business
judgement and forethought of the best
minds of our Legislators and public
officials.
In my judgement some of our latest
ventures in new institutions were ill
advised or premature. Even an at
tempt to confine one institution to work
somewhat, at least, in harmony with
that of somewhat similar institutions in
other States and to proven that which
older and richer States, with fully de-
veloped resources, have not dared to
enter upon, has been opposed. The in
coming Executive feels the response
bility OF the situation keenly and unless
the relief hoped for from legislation,
raising the license taxes of corpora
lions and other measures, materializes
some of our institutions may nave to be
temporarily closed down or an ~extraor-
binary session of the Legislature held
to raise revenue. Either alternative is
to be deplored. We can only hope that
our income may, like the widows cruise
OF Oil, fail not in the demands made
upon IT, but carry us through the pres
emit biennial period. The State gives
great privileges to corporations, be-
cause personal liability of stockholders
is not exacted. Such a privilege is
worth taxing and taxing more heavily
than he has done in the past. | am
glad the Legislature has increased the
license taxes on both foreign and do
mestlc corporations. 1t is a tag the
corporations can afford to pay in re-
turn for the breath of life which the
State civ s them.
The question of the proper control OF
corporations and trusts is a live one.
Every year the business of the eo,n-
try, even in small mercantile establish
ments, tends more and more to cor
poratlon rather than the firm or indi-
vidual ownership. The size of the
corporation does not affect the prin-
c1ple involved. 1t is what the CORPORA
ton does or seeks to do which deter
mines its character for public good
or for public detriment. We could
not carry on great commercial enter
prises, banks, railroads, etc, without
corporations. The laws make railroads,
banks and certain other corporations
disclose their capital stock and their
earnings and assets. This is termed
publicity. A certain amount of publ
city may we'll be enacted of ali corpo-
rations, at least to the extent of ascer-
tanning their reliability and whether
they are worthy of credit and conf
dence, and also to aid in determining
their liability for taxation. A list OF
the stockholders and shares held by
them would assist materially il secur-
ing taxation of stocks in West Virginia
enterprises held by nonresident own
ers.
Another reform, which it is time, and
indeed, long past time, to introduce, is
to stop the practice of boards OF pub
lie institutions exceeding their appro-
priations for building and current ex-
penses. Cut the garment according to
the cloth; or else leave the garment
not begun or unfinished. Interest bear
ing obligations created by boards
without authority of law are contrary
to public policy and intolerable.
If the members of the Legislature
were paid a fixed salary instead OF a
per diem, it is claimed that better re-
suits in legislation would be then Sc
cured promptly and extra sessions
would be avoided by the members of
the Legislature as earnestly as by the
Executive.
A constitutional amendment to limit
the irreducible school fund to n mil
lion dollars meets my cordial approval,
turning as it does the available sur
plus and revenue into the public school
fund. The State is spending yearly
many hundreds Of thousands of dol
lars on academic and higher education,
but in my opinion it is not doing its
duty by the public primary schools Of
the State. l am not in sympathy with
fbat cpfrit pf ap1ipbtpna s~nlfShnncr