The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-09-25
Gas QUESTION
IS THE TOPIC

to turn our attention to the practicing
of rigid economics. and the introduce
ton of strict economy IN every de-
partn1ent. If We don't, in my judg-
ment. something decidedly unpleasant
Is going to happen. Raising revenue
in excess of what is actually required
means more offices created. more eX-
erava gances. more waste.
IT had the honor to personally rep
RESENT the present governor during the
INST legislature before important com
nlfttees. One bill upon which he set
his heart on having enacted into law
was the one creating the state Board
Of Control. We promised committees
officially. and used the argument on
Individual members, that If they
would create this board and keep
down appropriations twenty per cent.
below those of the preceding biennial
period, by the practice of economy
t11e state government could be salts
factorily conducted financially. One
of our offers was accepted-'tte Board
of Control was created; but the other,
asking for twenty per cent. less APP
was turned down. In
stead, appropriations were increased
from twenty ITO twenty-five per cent.
above what we asked. One of the
points in this is THAT since then, We
have heard nothing along the line of
practictnE strict economy.
Asks Big Question.
..NT,, may tax gaS-taX 1t heavily
and the direct state tax of six cents
may be abolished. and new school
houses. may flourish. new roads may
be- built. and other dream-like plans
rorccazteSl be realized. but l have my
very serious doubts Rather. what we
will probably see will be a host OF new
offices created and reckless e9ctrava
cameo predominant. Experience
teaches me that. But should all these
things come to pass-no direct state
+ax new school houses, new roads.
and desirable improvements of that
kind rraDore-an from imposing heav-
Ter taxation on gas. whats going to
be done when the gas is gone? Going
to rcbnpose a direct state tax on the
Deople? Rather hazardous undertake
ing that. Shall we then turn to coal
OIL will be pretty we'll gone. too. by
that time. There won't be any timber
left to speak of. OF course, there are
the big iron, steel. glass and pottery
interests in the Wheeling district. IT
IS suspected that they don't pay what
they should based on their immense
capitau zatfon- There Is Col. John A.
Towards great consolidation of indie
pendent telephone lines in which
Z we11tv-ave thousand West Virginia
farmers are. Interested. Shall we turn
ITO them? Wen have to meet that
question, for once the people are re-
lIeye1l of their taxes by making gas
nav them. they won't brook any at
tempt to reimpose them after gas Is
gone.
I'VE may he the gamer by our ten
years agitation over the readjustmcnt
of our tax system-'the gamer in the
end. think we will be. But never
theless we have suffered not little
Temporarily. The state hasn't gone
forward as 1t should. Our credit is
had among 1nonied men who develop
our country's resources. Distasteful
ais II may be to some, eastern capital
lists still regard West Virginia as a
southern state" prone to the vagar-
les I'm legislation, unsettled and un-
certain in its policy toward invest
ment We at home do not thing this,
nor do we believe II true. but that ts
the impression that now prevails
among the men to whom we must
look for our states Development and
progress. I think we should rest up
awhile from agttattng new tax
schemes, new laws of every kind. and
ASCERTAIN what those laws are which
we now already have and how they
are working. we should get down to
business; down to strict economy In
the administration of our government
tai affairs; and work hard and pull to-
gether for the development, progress
and prosperity OF the state. Biennial