The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-13
,feonfinuel from 7 aEe one.)
80 lS'it IN -iihlfH
Totaltnsue .. tEassll. k....

1.-THE fututadfd the most desirable and
Equitable method OF raising suficient
funds to properly take care OF a great
land growing state like ours:
The new tax laws have accomplish.
led much in the right direction to solve
land make more plain the path which
leads to justice and equal taxation I'M.
der the bale supervision, first of Hon.
Ic. w. Dillon. second, of Hon. A. B.
White, and, third, of Hon. T. G. Town
send, the present incumbent, but much
more can and Will be accomplished.
We will push forward. We must give
the boys and girls OF West Virginia
as good opportunities in the way OF
education as other States. We will
continue to help the blind and deaf in
preparing them to be self-sustaining.
The unfortunate insane must continue
to. have proper treatment. Our reform
school must be continued and made
better. Our home for girls and the
different educational institutions must
be well taken care OF. Roads mus:
be improved in substantial manner
and we will need more money each
year to satisfy the demands of a pro.
gressive people. The question then
| is, now this money can be raised in
order that each individual or corpora
ton may pay their Just proportion. l
have shown from what source the
State receives the money at present
necessary to conduct the affairs of
the state Government, and also for
what It was paid out. How can we
raise more money without increasing
the State tax beyond the present rate
and treat all interests fairly2
Tue real estate as whole. in my
Judgment, is pretty well assessed SO
we cannot hope for m1cn increase in
revenue for the State from that source
There is probably more license col
Ilected from the different license priv
iaeges now than will be collected in
1.-THE future, and we have likely reach
| ell the acme in this line. The revenue
from collateral inheritance taxes has
Ebeen for time about $1O0,oO0.Oo
year. We cannot expect great in.
crease flere. In fact, think the tax
should not be made any higher. no
matter how badly the State needs
funds.
Production Tax on Gas.
The public service corporations.
with one exception 1 think, are pay
ing their fair share. The Board OF
public Works assessed the public ser
vice corporations at their true value,
or as near that as they could from
the information they had. Under the
law 1t is impossible, from the reports
required to be made to the Board Of
public Works by pipe line COMPANY.
for the Board to have any intelligent
idea of the true value of a gas wen
which they assess, when 1t belongs
to the property of the pipe line COM
pany. They report the tangible per-
sona1 property, such as the pipe lines
ETC., and about 100000 for each gas
well, including the casing in the we'll
but that gives little information as to
tne value Of the gas itself that is really
being produced. A law should be
passed. by the next legislature extend
ing the power of the Board of Public
Works so as to include the assess
ment by the Board of all the gas wells
| in the State, whether owned by
pipe line company or not. The Board
now assesses pipe lines and any gas
wells that pipe line companies own
in connection with their line. Then
REQUIRE the owners of all gas wells to
report to the Board of Public Works
under the supervision OF the Tax
Commissioners office, the number Of
cubic feet of gas produced in each
well and place production tax on gas
that win be equitable as compared
with the value OF other property. This
tax should apply to all gas wells that
are producing gas, whether. it is pasb
ing through a pipe line or escaping IN
the air. Then, when you have assess
ed the pipe tline and other tangible
property. together with the gas ITSELF
you have rdoned all ncthat justice de-
mands, and have treated a great In
terest fairly. BY methods along this
line I believe the revenues of the
State would be materially increased
and no injustice done the gas inter
ests. and we would atl1en have bet
ter knowledge of tins class of proper
ty, The tax from this revenue could
be applied Exclusively to the State.
Now, iflt is Fight to go further aft.
err this property is assessed as other
property, and add a license tax be
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