The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-05-04
GAS TAX IS
URGENT SAYS
THIS WRITER
On That Part Of the Product
at Least Pumped Out
of the State.
SPECIAL Sc SSlON
Should Have Been Directed
by Governor to Pass Law
on the Subject.
(Tsy ". vi. Morris

VIZ w. we tANAAAo'l
MT. 0LARE, April 2S-The
Daily Telegram OF recent date told
Of Governor Giasscock having called
our state legislature 10 convene in
extra session on May 10 10 con
slider The primary election bill which
failed to become a law at the recent
adjourned session Of that body.
While l have no criticisms TO offer
against the governor in pressing
the passage OF that measure,
deem it a misfortune to the tax
payers OF the state that he did not
include in his call bill to impose a
small tax--say / cent-upon each
1000 feet Of gas exported out of our
state by nonresident corporations,
and not to include the production of
gas by our local independent COM
panies, as the bill that was before
the legislature and met defeat at Its
recent session contemplated, This
tax, instead of being credited to the
school fund, should be used in re-
par MS our country roads that have
oeen almost destroyed by these gas
companies In developing the extern
sive gas territories, sone OF the
ae.s roads Of our county have be-
come entirely impossible FOR any
kind OF teamilg. Farmers living
several miles from railroads are cut
off from the markets with their pro-
duce, except what they can carry OH
their arms afoot or on horseback.
Take the road from Rockford to
West Milford, for instance, SIX miles
of the most beautiful country drive
ways in the county, is about closed
to travel; indeed much or it is dam
gerous 10 horseback travel, and
many horses nave been reeued from
the mud with great difficulty after
hours or hard work.
j. Is a godsend 10 the people Of
the West Fork valley throughout
the region oil West Milford that the
bridge over The river at Mineral
Springs was completed last fall; for
their only oulet 10 The raiironl,
from whence they can get the grain
and hay for their stock besides their
ether family supplies, Is across this
bridge ana over the hill to Byron;
md from three 10 1--WE teams from
the asigliboriocd make daily trips
10 this Ds2cc for supplies Of various
s'nda; and the agents facilities rnd
force Of hands are taxed 10 their ~
most % handle and care for the
freight. All this talk about the
good roads problem is idle, AMI q
waste OF Wind until The dcyclop-
ment OF oil and gas is completed, o.
some restrictions are placed aga nst
such heavy hauling during the WIN
ter season; or impose tax upon the
corporations that destroy the roads,
to help the pnremunerated tax
payers put them in repair again.
will here submit some fgures
that will give an approximate est
mate Of the revenue that would be
realized from my proposed bin:
In his report to the governor last
fall, the state tax commissioner gave
the amount os~g exports from our
state 10y nonresident corporations
at one billion cubic feet per day.
Upon this basis figure the tax ac-
cruing therefrom at $S65,00O for
the year, calculated at cent per
1000 feet. Or II al 80 OF a cent
per 1000 feet, S2l9,0O0 This
would not he large sum to be dis
tributed over the state; but the
counties or communities where the
roads have been so greatly damaged
by the development of gas should re-
HSSANS 5ASaleE puTlloH VI the IuHuS
thus derived, than communities
where the roads have not been dam
aged. And this tax so imposed,
would not be any hardship upon
such corporations, and would he less
than one tenth OF their net profit
on the gas SO exported.
There is no proposition before the
people today that is so vital to the
interests OF the rural taxpayer as
the one to which / have referred; to
have those rich corporations bear
some part in repairing tho highways
they have so nearly destroyed. Al
least four-afths of The families liy-
ing IN the communities so isolated
nom the cities and markets for lack
of roads, do not receive one penny in
benefits from the production Of the
gas which caused the destruction o.
the reads, and are thereby deprived
OF all pleasure as well rs the bene-