Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-09-23
CONTINUED from lst page.)

appears In the product taxed How
often, pray, does the coal mined in
w est Virginia, the oil and gas pro.
duced in West vi ginia, reappear
in West Virginia in the shape of a
product taxed or in any other
shape2 Remember that almost all
of these great natural products are
conveyed beyond the limits of the
state for consumption elsewhere and
for the upbuilding of the interests
of other communities. Under the
United States constitution it is be
yond our power TO discriminate be.
tween these products consumed in
this state and those which are ship
ped abroad. We cannot tax on ac
count of what goes into other states
unless we tax on account of what is
consumed here. In my judgment
we ought not to do so if we could.
If we descend from the broad
view of the interests of the
whole country to a narrower
scene of the interests of West Vir-
GINA, still ii Is true that commerce
between this and other states ought
to be free and unrestricted. But it
is pushing this idea entirely too far
to object to West Virginia taxes on
coal on the ground that that is to
strike at the basis of all industrial
development, "cheap fuel" Fuel
cheap TO whom? Why shall we
withhold the taxing power in order
to permit the coal operators to take
away forever some share, no mat
ter how small, of that which alone
gives value to some of our noun.
taIns, something that can never be
restored. 1t is trne that our coal
operators market their coal In com
petition with the coal operators in
other states. Those other opera
tors, however, have not the advan-
tage of producing coal " hich is
practically free from taxation. |
have no doubt hat a comparison of
the taxes paid by operators in West
Virginia adding in the proposed H.
cense tax, would still be less than
the taxes paid by those in other
states. The same suggestions ap.
ply to oil and gas.
Il
1t is said that eighty thousand
dollars of state tax now paid bv the
railroads would be released and
like amount imposed upon the coal
operators, and 1t has been asked why
this should be. You will all remem.
Der the eagerness with which those
who are supposed to stand for the
railroads rushed to the support of
the tax commissions plan before the
Legislature last winter, and it may
Oe that the explanation of this zeal
Is to be found in the prospect of re-
lief thus held out to the railroads
The coal operators who signed this
protest or such OF them az read
what they were signing, must have
smiled when they came to this
clause. Do they Imagine that the
public have not heard he loud COM
plant of the Independent coal oper-
ators, the few of them that are left.
that the railroads discriminate
against them in favor of the opera
tions of the railroad mines? Now
adays the distinction between those
engaged in producing and those en-
gagged In transporting coal has al.
most disappeared. The very great
maj GRITTY of those interested in the
production of coal in this state are
likewise interested in the railroads
which transport the coal.
These gentlemen seem to forget
that all other taxpayers as we'll az
the railroads will upon this plan be
excused from state taxes. The steel
works and the coal works, the man.
ufacturers, as well as the railroads
and the farms and the dwellings will
be relieved from the present state
tax
There is no time to-
day even TO hint at the economies
which have been suggested in the
collection and disbursements of tar
es, or the forms which have been
proposed in methods of accounting.
In discussing these things, there
is no occasion to upbraid corpora
tions or to excite class spirit. The
cause needs no such aids. In cor
porations | recognize the mightiest
engines for building up the material
interests of the state, hut none can
be blind TO the possibilities of the
misuse of their might. The taxes
proposed by the commission are on
corporation and individuals alike.
The poor man is at a isadvantage
under present methods of taxation.
but j make no appeal to him either
because he IL poor or because he is