Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-09-15
pent Commission PLANNING

mat the virginia Debt Commission
Is planning To take drastic stems 10
force settlement Of The Virginia debt
is the news that comes to the capital
from Richmond. Charges have been
made aud published in the Virginia
capital that the Mother state is con
WINGED West Virginia intends to treat
the supreme Courts decision with
contempt aud one OF the members Of
the Virginia commission has declared
that the "strong arm cf the court need
be invoked The commission is 10
meet at Richmond some time in Sep.
iemoer to determine upon the steps to
be taken against West Virginia.
News of this attitude on the part of
the SO called creditor state In the Iliiga.
tion, while coming as surprise has
caused no official stir here. However,
II odds weight to the opinion in some
quarters that, with this additional
pressure, Governor Glasscock Will call
a special session of the legislature pro-
badly in January to determine upon
course of action. In the meantime it is
not believed that the conference which
Virginia is demanding is 20. sible.
The press of Richmond has been
teeming with brist ing articles charg-
ing West Virginia with violation of
the solemn request of the Supreme
Court, and with violation of courtesy
it beng declared that West Virginia
has not even given Virginia reply To
her overtures for settlement.
Discussing the proposed steps of Viz
GINA in the premises, the Richmond
Times Dispatch says:
Nv may be said with reasonable Ger.
tainty that the next step will be an
application to the Supreme Court to
pass upon the question OF interest due
V1rghi, and TO enter a judgment
against the younger state. Having
once done this, little doubt is express
ed that the court will find way to
make West Virginia pay
9Th Virginia debt comm isson has
endeavored in every way within It's
power to begin negotiations looking
toward settlement. Following de-
clsion OF the Supreme Court that West
Virginia owes Virginia more than
s7,0O0,000 of principal, and recon.
mendiug that the matter of interest
should be amicably decided at con-
ference the commission met and took
aclion. a communication was address
ed to Governor w m. e. Glasscock ask
ing him to lay the matter before the
legislature of West Virginia.
"lhis message was delivered in per-
son in Charleston by Judge VIM. Il.
Rhea and IL. Il. Downing, of the COM
mission. The executive received the
Vlrginians courteously and promised
to present the proposition to the law
making body Ii WAS expected that a
| com mission from the sister ate would
be named to treat with Virginia as to
the amount of interest and as to the
nature of the settlement TO be made.
"But the legl stature met and adj
journed and took no action. The claim
of this state was utterly ignored as it
was for forty years before the decision
was secured. Virginia was not given
the courtesy of a reply to her overtures.
"Ihe patience of the commission is
now exhausted. One of the members
said yesterday that the strong arm of
the court need be invoked. The pro-
liabilities are that in the end West
Virginia will find it cheaper to have
had conference and to have arranged
a basis of settlement. The creditor
state.is not now III mood TO listen to
the admonition OF the highest court in
the country that there be comEro-
mise.n
The article liz the Times Dispatch
gives history of the forty years of lit
! igation and is full of threats ostensibly
on the authority of commissions that
Virginia is to tske steps Immediately
! to collect on the basis of the Supreme
Courts findings. Gazette.