Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-08-20
As Proposed By the Tax COmmissiOn==Many PrOmis
nent Citizens of the State Approve New System.
They Think Plan Proposed BY Tax Commits
sion Is Objectionable Upon Many Grounds
for Many Reasons--To Abolish State
and State School Tax.

necessarily tempted to extrava-
gance. on the one side, and the
representatives of the class COM
PEELED to pay the tax, on the other,
helpless by reason of their inferi-
ority in numbers and the fact that
the mass of the people are unable
to feel, and hence to perceive, the
wrongs of such tax paying class.
To require one class to provide
what another may disburse must
necessarily lead to oppression
and extravaganza, to government
al Generalization and business
disaster.
Complaint is made that under
our present tax system assessments
are unequal and tax burdens not
fairly distributed, yet this new
scheme of taxation abandons every
principle of fairness and equality.
Why should only the coal, oil and
gas interests be required through
the pretense of a license to pay tax
to the State, and not also the iron,
steel and tin plate mills, glass,
pottery and brick works, steam
and electric railroads, pulp mills,
tanneries and lumber interests /?
Why should the great railroad cor
porations be relieved of the SO, 600
per annum, state and State school
tax now paid by them, and the
burden of their exemption be sad
died on the coal operators in the
form of a third of cent tonnage
tax on their "a, 600. 600 tons out
putt Why should the producers
of oil and gas, who have expended
in the development of our produe-
ing fields money capital largely
greater in amount than the aggre.
gate value of all the State oil and
gas production, be Disseminated
against in favor of the non-resi-
dent land owners who hold vast
areas of our domain and do moth
ing to increase the wealth or adj
vance the prosperity of the State.
Our coal is sold in the world s
markets at prices fixed by compe-
tition with the product of other
States; Why should we place
special aud unusual burdens upon
it? Why should West Virginia,
with it's future possibilities as a
great manufacturing State, WELD
it's taxing power to strike at the
basis of all industrial development
cheap fuelp
Regardless, however, of the par
ticular subject of such tax, we con-
tend that any tax on production is
wrong in principle and contrary
to enlightened public policy. II
is in effect a tax upon the same
| capital over and over again as
often as it appears in the shape OF
the product taxed. 1t is a tax on
energy and enterprise, tending to
retard development and industrial
growth and to drive away capital
or force it into idleness.
There are other features of the
proposed system which in ou1
Judgment condemn it as a practic,
al and rational scheme of taxation
It strikes down about $500, OO(
of the States revenues, and by its
own best showing, with all its dis
ordinations and inequalities, fails
by at least $500, 900 to supply the
deficit, and even then it requires
the counties to pay at least Is pei
cent of the cost of maintaining
the humane institutions and Il
per cent of the criminal charges
now paid by the State.
We submit that if the State car
dispense with $500, 900. or one.
fourth of the present State anG
State school tax, without Gripping
it's finances, it were better to cut
down the present tax rate, and tt
continue under the old system ane
by constitutional methods to sup
port it's charitable and humane in
situations and meet it's crimina
charges. Certainly nothing il
gained by pretending to lift the
burden of State taxation for thes,
purposes, only to re-impose i
again for the same purposes by
way of added county taxes through
cumbers >me and expensive meth
DDS of collection and settlement
between the state and counties.
Moreover, we believe it to be {
chief function of state government
to properly safeguard the peace
order and security of society BY
the punishment of its felons anC
the care for it's insane. and this
duty to society at large should no
be shifted in whole or in part up
on the counties, any more thar
| the latter should in turn place tn,
burden pom the individual citi
zen. The temptation to let crimi
nails 60 unmolested to save the cos