The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-03-10
THE IVIAY1

TILE lNlOlINO [, [! !. !. i. !! WAY
Continued From : lrss3 PAGE,
tiles sars, tho eturns GRO ,pfoperly;
made's would jrsac Slar,er nlnoimtS5
\ I'M. We must also reinenbe TINT
while these oil and gas companies
have practically escaped for she past
| fifteen years, on all their oil and gas
fixtures; the farmer has been paying
The aSes5GponsthSS lands S@hefo; those
oil and gus fixtures are located. and
the oil companies have escaped pay.
Ing taxes on$their3 entire oil and gus
products. Z, s5,,j
Now, under Section 60, of Chapter
2aSofsthe Code the assessors Of this
county will not have the right 10 tax
these fixtures for this year, bntSit lis
heir bounden duty to go back and as
sess them for five years anil under
tie statute5add interest thereon; or,
in other words. IL we have I've hun,
dred wells and we assess the fixtures
at only q thousand dollars for this
year, or for five years back taxes,
which the oil companies have escaped
would meanStwo million i've hundred
thousand dollars for taxation, which
ought to be assessed against these
great corporations and trusts.
II Ills were done, 1t will not, lie la
the mouths Of the gentlemen, who
own the stocktin these great corporp.l
lions; to complain, for We would 3be
applying. the same law to the oil and,
gas companies that each one OF us
hlanble citizens Is applying to our.
selves. 5. q /, " .s,. ,5S
As commissioner of the county
court. holding this Office for many.
years, well remember when a farm,
or in this county died CHS estate DO.
ing settled before mol, that! lie had
only been assessed with i've thou,
sand dollars Of personal properly
anil when his estate was settled, he
had t%enty.one thousand dollars OF
personally. The assessor civilian
phl,lips) assessed for five years back.
the other sixteen thousand dollars,
which had not been returned, and.
the bncl8taxes aginst tho farmer were
eleven thousand dollars the following
year. It was paid by the adlllnistra3
tor. The assessor did his duty IN.
derithcg law, as provided by The con-
lstilution and statutes Of the Statc.$
The oil producers for .fftccn yenrs
have escaped taxation on their oil
products and their leases absolutely.
challenge any one $Sin this county
10 prove a single instance 10 The con.
trarS. | have been unable % find IL
searching the Erecords, to discover
where any Toll company, corporation,
or persons have paid taxes on thalI,
leases for$oil and gns or on thcirSoil
PRODUCTION, other than the farmer or
one of our citizens who own The one.
eighth, commonly called the royalty.
Yet leases arc worth many,imcs the
value Of the farms from which the
oil is pumped. The farmer pays tax!
es!! or: his farm and also on his prod.
ucts, from his chickens 10 his cattle.
Should tie Oil producer not do tho
same?SThey farmer, the nome owner,
the laborer have grown tired, for5the
burden has been SO 4 long on their
shoulders, that theySfeel II is time
to shift part OF the lead on tho
broad, sleek backs Of The. wealthy
corporation. Ia; Y
We have treated the Oh, producers,
operators and owners wlthftheS great.
est consideration for fifteen; years,
until oil magnates have grown AFRO.
Gant8with their power and wealth.
Like a35well.fed, petted colt. TOO vel!
kept, they have turned to strife their
benefactors. Not content 4 to 20 scot.
free Ct taxation on their great wealth,
they infest the halls OF our Legisla:
ture and dictate what legislation shall
or shall not be enacted, which In any.
waynight affcct+them In their pence
ful enjoyment and 5contentlnent, freed
from the burdensGof taxation. N
THE bill to tax oil and gas was de.
featco in our State Senate, although
presented In several diliercnt FORMS
/ any Of which bills would have been
a great blessing to the tai payers Of
lie States. The bill to protect our
great gas fields from speedy exhaus.,
ton was likewise killed iii our
State Senate. twas simply The pow.
er, the oyershadowing Influence Is OF
the great Standard Oh Com pany,
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