Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-02-01

ture What He Believes Should Be
Done-Discusses Many Questions
and Offers sussestions-PIeads For
More Money For the State.
CHARLESTON. w. Va, Jan. Is
Late Friday afternoon Governor Glass
cock sent his biennial message to the
state legislature. He makes many
recommendations. and above all
pleads for more money. In part he
said;
TO the members Of the Senate and
House of Delegates:
Gentlemen: Probably no legisla
tire in the history Of the state has
had to face so many important ques-
tons as will be before you for o I.
sideration. and many OF these sub
ieets are of such vital Importance to
the welfare of our people and the
prosperity Of u state that | have
deemed it wise TO convene you in ex-
traordiuary session a few days in adj
vance of the time fixed by the con
stitution for your regular session in
order that you may have more time
to give to your work and more fully
inform yourselves as TO the needs of
the state and the kind and character
of legislation that should be enacted.
| believe that you viii desire to
rake some action looking TO the final
disposition and settlement OF the so
called Virginia Debt" many of you
are committed to a workmen's com
~uensation law; a primary election
law and a corrupt practices law have
long been promised by all political
parties; the fee system should be
abolished; laws should be enacted for
the conservation of our natural res
sources; something must be done to
secure the CONSTRUCTION and mainten-
ance Of better roads; We ought not
longer postpone the creation pf@a pdb
lie service commission; a well consid-
cred LAW should be PASSED. that VIII
protect as against Industrial troubles
such as have marred the peace, hap.
piness and prosperity of the Kanawha
Valley for the past several months.
The foregoing are only a few Of the
important subjects which will be be-
fore you for consideration and | shall
be happy indeed If each and all Of
them receive at your hands that
friendly and thoughtful consideration
that viii insure just and wise laws,
such as win cause your session to
go down in history as the best and
most fruitful since the formation Of
the state, / shall have much more to
say with reference to the foregoing
and other questions further along In
this message.
The constitution makes it my duty
to give you such information as | have
With respect TO the condition of the
state. and recommend such measures
as | shall deem ~expedient.
The ratification OF the Prohibition
Amendment by the voters OF this state
at the election held on November 8,
1912. will necessarily reduce the rev
enues OF the state after July ], 1914.
and / am of opinion that the license
tax on intoxicating liquors will be
somewhat reduced during the present
year. and | think it the part of wis
dom to provide new sources OF income
at once.
We are receiving about $500,
100000 a year as a license tax on the
manufacture and sale Of intoxicating
liquors and / believe il is not safe to
count upon much more than one-half
OF hat amount for the year ending
September 80, 1913. and the amount
received from that source for the year
=. ending September 30, 1914, will be
very small
To supply this dedci, ! recommend
a tax on natural gas produced in this
state. recommended this same tax
in my regular message TWO years ago
and under the circumstances feel that
Il am justified in insisting upon it at
this time.
l recommend that you authorize
the appointment by the governor of a
bipartisan commission of fifteen mem
bers. one from each senatorial dis
trict Of the state, 10 meet a like com
mission from the State of Virginia to
consider the so-called Virginia Debt. E"
This is d question Of unusual impor-
lance to the people of our state. 1t
involves a great amount of money and
whatever we do should be- done with
~great care and deliberatiou. shall
NOT undertake 10 discuss this ques-
tion at length because : have already
done so in two former messages and
hall coudnc myself TO a recommended