The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-06-01
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The 3. q 9, Is Taxes.
Ex-Governor A. B. White writes to
the Charleston Mailto correct the
false statement that the B. & o, rail.
road pays oneeleyeath Of The entire
taxes Of the State Of West Virginia.
Governor Whites communication GOV.
ers the point SO thoroughly, TINT we
take pleasure in printing It; in full.
II Is as follows:
Editor Daily Mail:-Tn an editorial
in your issue OF May 18th you make
the following statement:
"This is what really took place. At.
torney Wesley MollOhan In addressing
the board claimed that the B. g. o.
pays one.eighth OF the taxes, and was
interrupted by Tax Commissioner
White who stated that the correct ra.
to is one.eieventh."
] think your reporter or Informant
Is In error as 10 what Mr.. MOlIohan
claimed, and especially as 10 what
stated. Mr.. Mollohan was speaking
Of the assessed value OF the B. & o.
railroad property as compared with
the assessed value OF all other prop.
erty In the State, and It was In that
connection that ]. stated that the B. &.
0. railroad was assessed at about one.
eleventh OF the valuation OF the entire
property of The State.
y But this Is quite n different thing
from the question of payment In taxes.
AS matter of fact the h. & o. rail.
road company contributed In taxes 10
the support OF the State government,
Tor general and school purposes. nearly
a per cent, or one,twenty.ffth Of the
entire revenues OF the State. Only u
small portion OF the States revenues
for general and school purposes Is now
derived from tax upon the assessed
real estate of the State.
The reason call your attention to
the wrong impression made by con.
f;,sing the assessment for taxation p,lr.
poses with the amount Of taxes paid Is
well Illustrated by an Item from The
Democratic organ edited by John J..
Cornwell, the last Democratic cand.
date for governor He starts of an
editorial screed with the following re.
markable declaration:
"rhe statement made by the officials
Of the B. 6 0. Railroad Company that
that corporation paid last year one.
eleventh OF all the taxes in West Viz.
slnIa, State, county, district and NH.
nic!pal, has been confirmed by The
State tax commissioner. and must
therefore, he accepted as correct.
In the first place am quite sure
that the u. & o. railroad has never
claImed That It paid one.elcveRth of
all the taxes in West Virginia. State,
county, district and municipal, and |
nm equally sure that the State tax
commissioner has never confirmed any
such statement. As a matter OF fact
the y. & 0. railroad pays very Iittle
Of the municipal taxes paid IN this
State, and there are many cities, coun.
ties, districts, etc, which Il docs not
touch ut ali. II would be dfiIiC.ilt 10
state on hand how much of NIL the
taxes In West Virginia, state. counts,
district AMI municipal, the p. G 0.
does pay, but It would be no more
ridiculous to say that they paid them
NIL than to say they paid onc.clcventh.
Il is altogether possible that they do
not pay per cent. of all the taxes
enumerated. and II we take into con.
sideratlon the Indirect taxes, such MS
licenses, ETC, paid 10 the State, mu.
inequalities, towns. etc, would not be
surprising to find that The B. & 0.
pays such small proportion ms TO
make the mitigation Of Editor Corn.
well quite ridiculous. The average
rate of taxes paid by the \. & 0. rail-
rnad on their assessed valuation last
year was for all purposes, ca cents on
the hundred dollars, so they say.
Very truly yours,
ALBERT B. WHITE,
Charleston, May "a, 1907.