The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-10-27
Unjust Taxation
BY X. |. BASIN.

Her. in Nest Virginia We Boast Of
having the richest state in th. union
IN minera! resources ACCORDING. TO onr
area, and Yet our Inhabitants arr. the
poorest. Why should This condition
"NiSt" Is there not reason Let US
SCI. IN Co..i. oil and gas are won
derfGiiy rich in products, making nit
lions OF dollars annually for some. one
Who i it, No the labor-rS of our
state. but u.n IN New York Pitts
burg and other cities. who conc here
10 Pile up great fortunes. believe
that nine tennis OF This great wealth
goes TO nou-r-siticniS of This Stale
ana they pay no production tax,
whereas The soil being ,-xce-dinsIy
poor. has nearly all the taxation 10
nc2-. There il no wealth in the SOIL
OF Nest Virginia, men and women
may dig out AN existence by hard
work and scanty living; raising thoir
chilIr"n as slaves, bmt as for com
Portable homes but few can attain
'iIcm ana II so il is by extreme *.
eri!"n aud economy. ard ycI this class
has The burden OF the taxation TO bear.
W. might say our poor soil bears IL
all.
"" have two classes of property,
l-.alt! which belongs 10 Land inciud,
( iu@ railroads. coal mines. oil and gas
wells which are assessed az their -.
'iInaied Naiu" and paid in lik" pro.
portion. bUr when ". come 20 personal
property which, bears almost half OF
tie burden, il is far different. Thl5
class may be divided into two classes.
on" including impl!ments tools &c.
{ he. nj La /,
beng produced for the markets. coal
oil. gas, cattle, etc. In this last class
find I'll the wealth that IL produced
ia th, slate and we find The di-cri!mI.
marion in the interest of the great
corporations rorrrullim. the resources
O: wealth For instance liz. assessor
* sworn To assess %ver:tIiu. OF value
he finds on January lsF that is not
included in realities, w';h the farma;
/ his stock. etc.
| To illustrate. the farmer has line
brood mare valued at 5000 and tic
7 assessor finds that Sh" is with fold
inquiries the amount of The insurance
S2-b adds Il 10 II" price OF the mare
. IAN -Iid"nce of valucl, The following
+ wear he finds he colt. aSSessrs il
at So. The next year SIIO. the mex!
: $3.50. the next SCI, and IN" n-xj $"5n
thus ma,sin. in all $Iu0n that TN" FAR,
m"T Las pa I'd taxes on besides the iced
which would amount To $40 max
. ing $1,000" he has paid taxes on 70:
: producing one $40 horse. iiv. times
his value. which caunot be made. more
or i"SS han one pr0duct of the. soil
In raising catil. il is III" same roT
= farmer 20 get til" best results 70:
raising Il Steer h. mist keep him untii
he is f"u! or iiv" Years Old. thus he
paws taN"S four or nv" lines on him
h"sid"- The feed he eats and III" clian.
"-s ~ him dying. How j. it with the
wealth created hr oil. -.IS ana coal.
Ia" day il comes out of lie earth /.
goes into lii" ears or pipe lines aud
al" gone. Al" they mol = i.ruducr o'
the Garth rh- sam" as thu horse or
seer tia; has been taxed four or tive
times their value, common S..msc oE
r"as"nin" wouiG say more AZ they
Civ" a quicker r"turn FOR the labor
that produced them and II wonderful!
profit.
Let us figur" = Iitrte. 7 suppns" our
state i producing about Ioonn. 600
ions ~ coal annually and il Ne tax It
al its selling prize" ahouI SI:,n per
ton il would amount 10 $40, unu.uU0
th!s Taxed a oar rat.. in Eauawh;l
county would amount to SEE .nIn aud
Then add FOR oil ANA gas combined n
Xix" sum We would hav" tn. wonder
fuI sum oi $l.1>+ 400. Can anyone 2iv.
civ" amy reason why this tax would
nnr h'. lust. is there any reason why
Il product thai it requires four or five
years TO produce should be taxed ca eli,
year aud the articles that is produced
III a single day should not If wc
Should look at il in the interest of IN.
common people "" wuuld h. compel
I'd to say that the sourc" of wealth
SHOULD bear the greater part of the
,,ird"u of EaNation aS they ar" IN"
more able 20 pay ana the wealth goes
out Of the stat" aud ~, ucvar reap
anything from II. Whii.- ON thu other
hand ih, soil in or state i growing
poorer. \ few crops ON he mnuniain
sides and the soil j. washed off so
that II will mo; produce. Whereas ii
they Mere .rasS"I (which Is all they