The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1903-08-28

IL would seem 70 require mo- elAb0rAti
argument to convince fair-minded mel
that any system ( unsound in polio,
which would exempt from State taxation
the great mass of property in the Stat.
| and place the burden OF maintaining th.
State government upon few specia
industries or classes Of individuals. Tn.
burdens and benefits should be sharet
alike, lest reckless prodisality in III,
expenditure of revenues result from thu
lack of responsibility in providing them
A people are Interested in q government,
in proportion and TO the extent that they
share in the responsibilities thereof and
contribute to It's maintenance. 1t is un.
just that any class or classes of people
ON property shall share IN the benefit.
Of government without contributing fair,
~ toward It's expenses.
With numerous exemptions from any
tax, the question Of the amount of such
tax and the expenditure thereof becomes
one solely between the representatives o:
the exempted class in the appropriating
branch OF the government, necessarily
tempted To extravaganza. on the one side,
and the representatives of the class COM
PEELED to pay the tax, on the other, help
less by reason of their infcriority in
numbers and the fact that the mass of
the people are unable to feel. and hence
to perceive, the wrongs OF such tax-pay
ing class. To require one class to pro.
vide what another may disbursc must
necessarily lead to oppression and cx-
travagancc, TO governmental demoraliza-
ton and business disaster.
Complaint is made that under our pres
cnt tax system assessments are unequal
and tax burdens not fairly distributed.
yet this new scheme of taxation aban-
dons every principle of fairness and
equality. Why should only the coal, oil
and gas interests be required to pay a
tax to the State, and not also the iron,
steel and tin plate mills, glass, pottery
and brick works. steam and electric rail
roads, pulp mills, tanncries and lumber
intercstsi Why should the great rail-
road corporations be relieved of the $780,
600 per annum State and State school
of their exemption be eaddled on the
coal operators in the form of third OF
n cent tonnage tax on their 24,0On,000
tons outputs Why should the producers
Of oil and gas, who have expended in the
development of our producing fields
money capital largely greater in amount
than the aggregate value of all the
States oil and gas production, be dis
eliminated against in favor of the non.
resident land owners who hold vast areas
of our domain and do nothing to increase
the wealth or advance the prosperity of
the STATED
Our coal is sold in the worlds mar
kcts at prices fixed by competition with
the product of other States. Why should
we place special and unusual burdens
upon 1t? Why should West Virginia,
with its future possibilities as great
manufacturing State. WELD its taxing
power to strike at the basis of all in
dustrial Misrepresentation fuel:
Regardless, however. of the partic-
ular subject of such tax, we contend
that any tax on production is wrong in
principle and contrary to enlightened
public policy. 1t is in effect a tax upon
the same capital over and over againsas
often a. 1t appears in the shape of the
product taxed. It is tax on energy and
enterprise, tending to retard develop
mex, and industrial growth end To drive
away capital or force it into idiencss-
There are other features of the pro-
posed system which. in our Judgment.
condemn it Us practical and rational
scicr,c of taxation.
1t strikes down about $s0O,Ooo OF the
States revenues. nnd by its own best
showing. with all its determinations and
inequalities. fails by at least 100000 to
supply the deficit, and even then it re-
auires the counties to pay at least IS
per cent of the cost cf maintaining tho
humane institutions and % per cent Of
the criminal charges. now paid by the
state.
We submit that If the state can dis
pense with 100000. or onc-fourth of
the present state and state school tax,
without Gripping its finnnccs. i. were
oct,--- 10 cut down ;hc present tax rate
and to continue under the old system,
and by constitutional methods to sup
port its charitable and humane institu.
tions and meet its criminal charges Ger.
tainly nothing Is gained By pretending to
lift the bur,icr Of state taxaticn for these
purposes by way OF added county taxes
THROUGH cumbersome and extensive
methods of collection and settlement be-
tween the state and tho counties.
Moreover. nc believe 1t to be chief
function of state government to prop
eriy safeguard the peace, order and Sc
curity of society by tho punishment OF
its felons and the care for its insane
and this duty to society at large should
not be shifted in whole or in part upon
the counties, any more than the latter