The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-11-11

I. fcnnfinhelI from ~ 9

CCoE tlnled fEnft rage
"a fS II - X & Is
wen alIy hing mo re We
haze ma slri ms net tlis
lea rs the pliGslRt Eesf i
FiHfa dtiIer7 from t1pott
ant coal produei14g st4ste.s In tlie &.
speet that Itlet q qqal "
r1lfes "A siaf eli filtsi q q q the litl -
while PenFs ftsluit G1fo and tfii-
noIs IN their factories consume a
large portion OF their output Tie
thus secure a double benefit from
their coal. as these factoFies nd 10
the wealth and prosperity of tile,
known statistIeIan Of the Geological
survey, in his annual report for 1907
on coal. fefeEflng 10 THIS faet says
The question may Wei BE asked. Is
II not time for West VIrEinlR to de-
velop a Pitf5buFS CHICAGO H6r q ST
Louis within Its borders.s II these
questions ore being pTopounded by
people outside Of the State. and pre-
sent themselves as natural con-
clusion Of a study on the subject, how
incumbent It Il upon such q Body as
this to do All, IN, is pQAe towards the
utilization within the State OF its great
and varied .natural reRources. With
the exception Of IIffnofS West Ntr-
Sfnfa has more square miles of coal
area than any OF the coal producing
states. and In proportion to the size
of the States. even more than Iiffnois,
where not more than one workable
seam Is often found, While III West
Virginia there are frequeatiy several
veins OF excellent coal one Above the
other. Seventy per cent of che State
of West vfnelhf4 Is. uIidef Eyed with
-g-r NJ
thirty-tWo per cent? of otiasy and thir=
ty-one per cent. of Pennsy lvania-
West Virginia has, a fifth more coa4
area than @Pennsyfvania4
Railroads. Increase :K6Ines.
The development OF die State has
been, and, in a large measure. must
continue to be dependent upon us
They are, after all. the es-
sentlal factors in It's growth. With
out them, manufactures could not
exist, and the coal mines would be OF
little value. They are much more
than mere transportation agencies,
They bring commercial life and &C.
tivfty. create values. stimulate buSi-
ness enterprises, improve the moral
and advance the general prosperity Of
the State. They not only aid direct
ly In the development of the State,
but they pay a large portion Of the
taxes thereof. The effect of rail-
roads in increasing values Is we'll IL
Illustrated. in comparing some of the
counties of the State with an without
railroads. The total assessment OF
the property in Hardy county in 1880
was double that OF Randolph county,
but in the, meantime a railroad has
been built in Randolph county. and
In 1907 the total assessment there was
i've times that of Hardy county,
which county Is still Without rails
roads. Pendleton county had to-
tial assessed valuation in 1SS9sof three
times that of Tucker COUNTY, Sgut IN
the meantime 4 rafIroad has been
built therein, and last year, Tucker
that OF Pendleton. These two coUn-
ties without railroads increased In as
sessed valuation an average OF IS per
cent, while the counties named,
which railways have been
Increased IN the same
period 1888 per cent, more than 90
times as much, and these counties arc
all in the same section of the State.
West Virginia needs more railways,
and she was getting them until q few
years ago when hostile legislation on
one hand, and unfavorable trade con
ditions on the other, discouraged fur
Their building. Every mile OF new
helps the State in many ways
and instead of making it harder 30
build and. maintain railroads, wise
policy would be to help and eucour-
age them by fair laws and just tax
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