Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15
WEST VIRGINIA TAXES
Reform Plan Has Merely Add
ed to Little Mans Burden.
CHANGE Is ANTICIPATED
Hall Probable Candidate to Succeed
Gaines.
LIQUOR QUESTION IS ON TOP
Activities of Anti-Saloon League
Object Lesson for Opposition
Interest.
CHANGE is ANTICIPATED
LIQUOR QUESTION IS ON TOP
nondence Of The star.


II is lust four wears since a revised
system of taxation went into effect In
West Virginia Its fuller operation
threatens to revive the political interest
incident to its inception.
Tax reform. so-called. was the slogan
which made Dawson governor and re-
newed republican success at the polls
then. But now, with various levying
bodies levyins TO the limit, II is aues-
ton if tax bills are not to be higher than
five years ago on the same property. thus
refuting the principal argument of the
tax reform advocates.
Signs are many all over West Virginia
this summer that the tax tickets this
fall will show big increases. In conse-
quence there will he mighty roar from
the people. OF course, it may turn out
that the people will forget this fact next
year, when an election is on, especially
if the county and municipal bodies exer-
else political shrewdness and cut levies
in campaign year
But il history repeats itself the levieS
will not be much lower, il any, then.
Certain it is that the legislature will be
asked to make more changes in the syS-
TEN.
II was on the cry that the big corpora
tions were to shoulder much Of the load
that appealed to the farmer and small
householder. There was a radical senti-
ment in the air when the reform was
perfected whereby the standard of tax
ing was to be the true and actual value
of property.
This sounded good to the little fellow,
who was told that the invisible wealth
of coal mines, oil and gas wells was to be
ferreted out and properly assessed. 1t
looked that way at first, SO the little fell
low did not object to his home being
put on the assessors books at its selling
value, especially with a low levy for the
first year or so But now he is going to
raise fuss at the polls unless there is
some permanency to the cheap taxation
promises.
Legislative Weather Signs.
All of this is some early dope on the
battle for the legislature next year. 1t
is grounded on sure-enough signs.
The state administration will endeavor
to explain away criticism by imposing
the responsibility on county courts. town
councils and school boards. In large
sense this will be true. for the local bodies
failed to make public their Indebtedness
some few years ago and now have to face
the limelight, thanks to a growing senti-
ment for public uniform accounting.
But had there been more fair dealing all
around these facts would have beea
known and could have been met fairly.
instead of leaving legacy that is going
to be embarrassing to some statesmen.
The business interests, on the other
hand. believe there has been far too much
agitation against capital. They begin to
be fearful Of the effects of another spe-
cial session of the legislature, as has
been talked of from time to time.
They date the falling off in the opening
IF new coal mines ana the building of
new railroads to the beginning of the tax
With people unable to
lnalyze causes or take into account a
general panic their argument will be eff
ective.
Nevertheless. the people of West Vir-
session of the legislature with fear and
rembling. in view of some of the statutes
ground out in recent years at Charleston
md the character of bills offered.
Liquor Question on Top.
The liquor men declare they are not 60
ng to be Indifferent to legislative can
lidacies hereafter. and instead of con-
.entng themselves mostly with attempts
10 defeat prohibition after the legislature
convenes that they will start early and
keep up the fight They say they have
learned a lesson from the activities of
the Anti-Saloon League and will like
wise want to know who's who in the
making up of party tickets
populated, rather than agricultural, there
will be hard work done by the liquor men
to nominate and elect men not unfriendly
to them.
In the absence of anything in sight to
make a clear-cut issue between the par
ties and in view of acknowledged republican
supremacy. the prospects are good for
the infusion of several interesting ele
ments in the primaries and conventions
which will name republican candidates
for the legislature. Particularly as the
state senators chosen next year will vote
for a successor to Senator Scott and
hold over to vote two years later for
successor to Senator Elkins. these two
men will have more than an ordinary
interest i'll the proceedings.
Senatorial Contests.
Evidences of state senatorial contests
already are many, and there is a good
deal of premature friction in spots 1t
is perhaps significant that the candidates
for. the senate in nearly every district
want to assure Senator Scott that they
are his friends. and where the situation
is thus the senator must needs be en-
barrassed
There is townsman of the senators,
Albert Schenk, wealthy pork packer
OF Wheeling who says from time to
time that he will be candidate for
Scott's shoes This statement is not
taken seriously. If another townsman,
namely, Representative w. P. Hubbard,
should talk likewise. it would be horse
of different color.
There is a clash on now as to the
appointment of a census supervisor for
the Wheeling district. Hubbard has
recommended Harvey W. Hammer, an
eX-state senator. who did the work for
the 1903 census. Senator's Scott and
Elkins have Endorsed Wade Coffmann,
state senator and. like Harmer, a resi-
dent of Clarksburg.
Harmer and Coffmann train with rival
republican factions in Harrison county.
The final outcome may be the selection
OF compromise supervisor.
Hall After Gaines Place.
Reports from Charleston Indicate that
Grant p Hall may go to the finish in
his opposition to Representative Joseph
III. Gaines. Hall never fights with heavy
gloves i'll political battle, and he would
make it extremely interesting for Gaines,
the prestige of the lat
ter
Every now and then there is gossip
that Howard Sutherland of Randolph. or
Judge Holt of Taylor. may be persuaded
to give Representative George c.
Sturgiss battle for his white alley
There is personal mention relative to
opposition to Hughes. in the fifth. or
Harry woodward. in the fourth districts.
Judge Willis would not mind being a
candidate for Hubbard's shoes in the first
under certain contingencies. Howard N.
Ogden of Marion is credited with like
aspirations.
1t is only with reference to the Iegis-
lature that there is an announced
candidacy so far. One of the latest an
n0JlnramentS Afcn