Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-09-30
Denouncing Tax Laws Recently
Enacted by Legislature.
SPELLS RUIN FOR FARMERS
I. G. Lazzelle and George G. Stur-
giss Have Warm Talk in Which
Former is Successful-A Few
Sample Expressions.


Democrat than a dishonest Re-
publican. 1.-The party has been
sold out by the corporations. u.
G. Lazzelle to Geo. G.. Sturgiss
on Court House square this morn
ing.
The above statements were
made during a heated colloQuy
between these two well-known
Republicans this morning while
they were standing on Chancery
Row under the shadow Of the
court, in Morgantown, says the
Dominion. The words were loud
and carried with them the emo
tons of a nature hitherto in
tensely loyal to party but impell-
ed by the irresistible logic Of facts
to denOunce the action OF the
special session of the Legislature
Mr.. Lazzelle cited the purchase
of a lot in South Park by his I'M
Gle. The price paid was $4,000.
1t is absolutely unproductive, but
must pay taxes on that valuation
after the first of next January.
The Joseph Lazzelle farm in Cass
district was recently sold for
1892 an acre. 1t will be assessed
at this figure after the first Of JAN
uary.
The property is row assessed at
little over $40 an acre. On this
basis a profit Of barely go re-
manned after taxes and expenses
were paid. 1t will not raise
enough to pay the taxes,' said
Mr.. Lazzelle.
Mr.. Sturgis displayed his usual
smile, but he soon took refuge in
flight leaving Mr. Lazzelle master
of the situation. He went into
his office and continued the dis
cussion of the matter until bust
ness called him away.
Many of the lawyers on Chan
Gerry Row have been examining
the law. Those who will talk de-
nounce it unless there is some ul-
terror reason which prevents.
"It will make it impossible to
own real estate in this county. .
said one.
"It will reduce the value of
property 1884, said another
Other comments equally caustic
were brought out by the law
which says that property must
be assessed at it's actual. value and
not what it might bring at forced
sale. There isn't a piece of farm
= land in the country that will not
have it's valuation increased five
times. and some of it will GO as
high as twenty times.
Another thing that mas raised
an indignant protest is the man.
ner in which the oil interests
have escaped taxation. The paid
lobbyists of these operators have
inserted in the law that a lease
hold cannot be taxed. This means
that the oil which is produced
in the county escapes taxation
and seven-eighths Of the oil goes
without paying one cent of taxes
The farmer gets it good and
hard. and has to pay for his own
barrel. This is held to be part
of the free hold while the oil man
gets out through technically in
the fact that his lease is indeter-
inmate in it's terms.
"Look at the Standard Oil
company. 1t has 100000 stored
in the tanks on 60 acres of land
in South Morgantown. This is
half the valuation of the whole of
Monongalia county. Not one cent
of taxes is paid On this. Why
Because the corporation has seen
to it that this bill was killed while
the burden was placed on the far
mer and land owner These
statements are made by we'll
known Republican lawyer whose
name is withheld for sufficient
reasons.
-Four lines of pipe costing
more than 81 a foot run through
this county from one end to the
other. The valuation on it is not
as much as the value of the big
o,,oDs :, tho p,mnipp station