The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-02-02
GOV. GLASSCOCK WOULD HAVE
sOIONS ADOPT ECONOMY AND
CONSERVATION"
States Big Balance
Receives attention, repeal Of state
property tax Is recommended,
production tax on gas urged and
primary election law advised in
message.

Quoting the political platform of
the state conventions of the -Demu=
cratic and Republican parties, Gov
| ernor w. E. Glasscook Monday in his
first biennial message to the West
Virginia Legislature, suggested va
rious reform measures for the con-
slueratIon of the -law-ma aking branch
or the state government, embracing
practically every pledge made by the
TWO parties, and including his indi-
Vidual opinion Of so-caIled proares-
tsive legislation.
The message of the Governor was
transmitted to the Legislature Mon-
day. after the delay occasioned by
the failure Of the Republican Sena-
TORS to enter the Senate chamber In
the document the West Virginia Ex-
ecutlVe recommends to the consider
atlon or the Legislature q direct 'nri
, mary law, strict county salary law
a~pfeduetIon-taKo Oh natural free
textbooks, a uniform municipal code
the submission of the prohihition
amendment, county unit local op-
tlon law, an employers liability act
an antl7fobby law, the enactment Of
an antitrust statute, the creation, of
a Public Service Commission and
the abolition of all criminal and in
termediate Courts in the redisttrict-
Ing of the state
Governor Glasscock, in his mos
sage, dwelt emphatically upon the
need or the conservation of the re-
sources of the state "I under
stand" says the Executive, "that
the watchword of this Iegis1ature
VIII be economy, and 7 sincerely
nope that you will couple with it
conservation and let the slogan here
atter be Economy and Conserya-
tion.'" ~|-',-
States Big Balance.
IN MS presentation Of the financial
condition Of the State Treasury the
Governor shows that at the close of
the last fiscal year the balances were
the largest in the history of the
state. He shows the sources from
"hlch the revenue Of the state is de-
rived, explaining that there has been
an almost complete separation be-
tween state and local revenue and
the state government is maintained
on revenues derived from sources
other than direct tax on property.
lie advocates thel repeal of the state
property tax Of Il cents.
A considerable portion of the Gov
ernor's message is devoted to a dis
cuss1on OF the proposed tax On the
natural gas produced within the
borders of the state, and he ouotes
the report Of State Geologist + G.
Whlte to sho" that 100000 Gu
Die feet of gas is being wasted each
day in the gas area Of the state. In
ADDITION to the recommendation for
the production tax the Executive
asks for the enactment Of a law linn
lLlhg the pressure at which gas NAV
De pumped from the state, stating
that he believes 100 pounds to the
square, inch to. be the proper limit
TOT the maximum pressure
On the subject Of a direct primary
law, the Governor says that there is
practically no division of sentiment
among the people Of the state on
this question and that men Of all
parties have realized that the nres-
eht methods Of making nominations
are unsatisfactory. Both the Repub-
lican and Democratic State Convenn-
tions have declared in favor Of di-
rect primaries and after quoting
planks from the two platforms, the
Governor says:
Guilt Is Personal.
EeVery member Of the Legisla-
ture belongs to one or the other of
these two great parties, and is there
fore committed and pledged by his
party to vote for a law that will give
to the people Of tho state the same
privilege to express their preference
for nomination that they now have
for recording their choice Of candi-
dates for oftile at the general cleo
ton. A candidate who uses corruDt
methods to obtain q domination
should not be declared the nominee.
and if the violation is not known
until after the election he should
| forfeit his office. No man should be
permitted to hold an office when his
certi1cate Of election is tainted with
fraud or corruption"
In recommending the enactment
OF a law to protect trade and COM
merce against un1a wRul restraints
and monopolies and against collu-
sion in the lettering Of contracts for
public and private work the Govern
or says that guilt is PERSONAL, and
that the penalty for a violation Of
the law should be the proper punish