The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-06-16

N
ind recorded /, tlienl would it¬ be
j groatiwrong to compel Mr.; Barrickal
man, and his neighbors farmers,$to
aysnot only all the taxes on his one.
eighth, (which he owns as royalty,
under HIS land, but also upon the
seyen,eighths, representing some
$4,000, and which in fact is owned |
by the Standard Oil company, or by
one Of It's subservient companies?
Who Shall Pay.
The Supreme Court having deter
mined time and again that ,a produc-
ing leasehold for oil and gas be.
comes a vested estate,' and the con.
stitution providing that taxation
shall be equal and uniform through.
out the State, and that all real and
personal property shall be taxed,
how Is It possible after the Supreme
Court has decided that a leasehold
becomes vested estate" upon the
production Of oil or gas, that the
farmer would have to pay these
taxes? II he does, It undoubtedly
means, either that the seven.eighths
OF the oil and gas owned by the cor.
porations will escape taxation,
(which will be in the teeth Of the
constitution), or the farmer must
pay upon that oil and gas which he
conveyed by a deed Of lease years
ago, and which lease Is worth many
times the value Of the farmers own
land. as somebody must pay the
taxes. II the farmer has to pay the
taxes on ell the oil in and lunder
the land, after oil is found then tits
means absolutely conhscation. Of his
farm, for 1t is with trouble; now
that he pays his taxes, and II he has
little to hope on which to anchor his
to shoulder also the taxes on the
seven,eighths of the oil, then he has
financial future.
- Refuse to Make Returns.
The several branches Of the Stan
dard Oil company, representing the
South Penn OIL company, the Eureka
Pipe Line company, Che Hope Nat
ural Gas company, the Marion Oh
! company, and other corporations
have, within the last ten days or two
weeks, made a return to the assesso
on a part OF their property for as
sessmcnt, but not dollar on thei
) leases and leaseholds, which repre-
sent so many million dollars o
wealth in this and other counties
Of the State, and absolutely refus,
to make any return for assessmen
thereon, and say SO on the face o
their returns. Yet their return
show that they have hundreds of oil
and gas leases in this State, witt
= numberless oil and gas wells, an
yet they do not make return TO
assessment thereon. 1t Is the sam
in all other counties in the State
They absolutely refuse to pay tllel
fair share of the taxes.
Necessarily their representative
: know that under The constitution
: somebody must pay on this oil an
: gas, and they know that they, tn
| companies, are escaping absolutel
| on these leases and leaseholds, fc
r they say so upon their returns mad
y to the assessor in writing, which al
!. sworn to.
:. Is It Fair?
/. Now, when these oil and gas COZ
n panies are taking so many million
d OF wealth out Of the State, and ha'
e. been since 1868, and have new
1t paid one penny's tax on these leas
$, and leaseholds, which are worth mo
ii than the farms themselves, doesl
n It seem at least little ungenero
Or for them to come in here and be pl
Is, tected by our laws and our Officer
in and in the meanwhile to drain t
y. wealth from US and pay no tax
Do and admit 1t in writing, and file
oh with our records?
ed These corporations are the {
he spring Of the people; simply CT
Of dren of the Jaw, and can have
lis higher rights than their parent, a
es aren't they ungrateful children?
fact prohigate sons of a most s.
erous people, who for over TIL
DIS Of century have patiently paid
i'll the taxes for these corporation
100 Isn't 1t time that the milk Of hum
ire. kindness, to say the least, sho,
Ike reach these cold blooded officers
i'll these trusts and induce them, in t
he year Of our Lord, 1905, under