The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-08-21
- Ill "a IaxaNon


he eSem1fed Gas n The appropriatfnE
brrnca OF the government, recently
xmpbed 10 G-travaganee On the one side,
and the represenAtives ofthe class COM
plied to pay the tax, on the other help
a bv reason Of their ~nferiority IN
numbers and the fact that the mass Of
the people are unable to feel, and hence
to perceive, the wrong Of such tax-Pay-
ing class. To require one class to pro-
yde what another may disburse must
necessarily lead to oppression and ex
trrvagance, to governmental demorahza-
ton and business disaster.
Complaint Is made that under orr pres
emit tax system assessments are unequal
and tax burdens not fairly distributed,
vet this new scheme of taxation aban-
dons every principle Of fairness and
equality. why should only the coal Old
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, tanneries and lumber
interests7 Why should the great rail-
road corporations be relieved of the $780,
600 per annum State and State school
tax now paid by them, and the burden
of their exemption be saddled on the
coal operators N the form Of a third OF
a cent tax on their 24,Ooo,O00
tons output? Why should the producers
OF oil and gas, who rave expended in the{
deyeFopmemt 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 nom
resident land owners who hold vast areas
of our domain and do nothing to increase
the wealth or advance the prosperity of
the state2
Our coal is sold in h worlds mar
kets Mt prices fixed by competition with
the product of other States. Why should !
we place special and unusual burdens
upon it? Why should West Virginia,
with its future possibilities as a great
manufacturing State, WELD its taxing
power to strike at the basis OF all in
dustrial deveEopment-cheap fuel?
Regardless, however, of the Partic-
ular subject of such tax, we contend
that any tax on production is wrong IN
and contrary to enlightened
public policy. 1t is in effect a tax upon
the same capital over and over again as
often as 1t appears in the shape of the
product taxed. 1t is a tax on energy and
enterprise, tending to retard develop
ment and Industrial growth and to drive
pway capital or force it into idleness.
Tbpre are other features of the pro
posed system which, in our Judgment
condemn it as a practical and rational
scheme of taxation.
II strikes down about 100000 of the
states revenues. and by its own best
showing. with all its determinations and
ineomlIties, fails by at least 2Oo,ooo I"
s,,pnIv the deficit. and wen then it re
the counties to pay at least 20
per cent of the cost of maintaining the
humane institutions and IS per cent OF
the ciIninal charges, now paid by the
state.
We submit that if the state can dis
pense with 100000, or one-fourth OF
the present state and state school tax
without Gripping its finances, it were
better to cut down the present tax rate
and 10 continue under the old system
and Nv constitutional methods to sup
mort its charitable and humane instItu'
tions and meet its criminal charges. Ger
tainly nothing is gained by pretending TO
lift the burden of state taxation for these
purposes by way of added county taxes
through cumbersome and expensive
of collection and settlement be-
tween the state and the counties.
Moreover. we believe it to be a chief
function of state government to prop
erly safeguard the peace, order and Sc
curity Of society by h punishment OF
its felons and the care for its insane.
and this duty to society at large should
be shifted in whole or in part upon
the counties, any more than the latter
should in turn place the burden upon the
individual citizen. The temptation ia
let criminals go unmolested to save the
costs Of prosecution, and to abandon tho
insane and other u~nfOrtunates to save
the expense of their proper care and
protection, would be difficult to resist
under conditions prevailing in many
counties in West Virginia.
The new plan provides for annual ns-