Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-01-23
GAS TAX FIGHT
AND LIQUOR BILLS
Questions That VIII Come Early
Before Legislators,
EMPHATIC MESSAGE OF
GOVERNOR ON THESE

viii Surely be Followed by Active
contest-state OFFICES Given Out
Pledges and Appointments Which
Give Both Joy and Disappointment
to Many.
Charles Brooks Smith in q special
dispatch from Charleston in the Sun
day papers says:
No intimation is Forthcoming as to
who win draw the chairmanships of
the leading committees of either
branch. It is a good guess, however.
that Senator Miller will continue at
the head OF the finance committee
of TIE senate; that Senator Blue will
be head Of the judiciary; that Senator
johnson will be the chairman of
mines and mining. 1t is likewise a
good guess that in the house Delegate
Robinson, of Richie, will be chair
man Of the judiciary; Delegate Col
cord of finance and Delegate Kings
ley of corporations and ranking mem
Der en- judiciary. Kingsley was
Strickling's strongest opponent for
the speakers gavel,
In tie organization of the legisla-
ture the administration won out hind
lily. 1t showedsup at the beginning of
this session with larger and more
loyal following than at any regular
or special session during the Dawson
administration. This makes the out
look very rosy for the new additional
reform legislation which Governor
Dawson has asked for. and a CORE
spondingly gloomy outlook for the
strong elements which have hereto
fore resisted what they term Daw-
sons radical recommendations
Dawson's Strong Message.
Governor Dawson's message is re-
garded as one of the strongest he has
written. He recommends tax on the
production of coal, oil and gas; a
primary election law, direct law CIV
ing the voters a right to vote for nom
iaess from United States senator to
constable; an appropriation for the
establishment OF a hospital on the
mountain tops for tuberculosis vic
tins: the care of dependent children;
the establishment of public service
commission; laws to make the states
supervision of mines more rigid, ana
to tend to prevent accidents and loss
of life in the mines; important amend
ments TO the present tax laws; the
submission of prohibition amend
ment and the enactment of local
option law similar to the Rose law
in Ohio, and number of other rec
concentrations Of nearly as much i'm
portance and interest.
AS a result Of a knowledge of the
governors position on public ques
tons, it is safe to forecast that the
big fights i'm the present session will
be over the liquor license issue; the
tax on the Production of coal, oil and
gas; the establishment of a public
service commission. and laws that
will place more responsibility for loss
of miners lives on employers. These
issues will bring here powerful lob
bies, repre- enting corporate interests
In fact, large advance guard is al
ready on hand-the oNd-timer', who
never miss an opening of a session,
and never miss anything else If they
can help it. until session adjourns
sine die.
The governors message asks for
more revenues, and the admiaistraa
tion's chief revenue measures at this
session will be bills to tax coal oil
AMI gas The administration is not
so keen for production tax on cosl,
because eoal land can be fairly accur-
ately assessed. but oil and gas prop
critics cannot, especially gas,
Contest Coming on Gas.
The sentiment TO tax oil and gas
has grown amazingly in West Wiz
ginia in the last few years, and the
proposition has gained strength in
the senate, where heyetofore its OPP
ponents have always been in the ma
jority. The fact that two big new
gas mairs have been laid from this
state 10 Cincinnati, and into Mary
land enroute to Washington ana Bal
timore, has been responsible for the
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