West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-10-29


late the part of the county north
OF 1t from the rest of the county;
the road 10 the county seat will
be wiped out. If one is built at
Miller Hill, in this county. how
will the people from the lower
end OF Tucker be able TO get to-
Parsons? Cheat River Valley
will be flooded, Bridges, public
roads and public buildings de
stroyed, all for one purpose-to
swell the bank accounts of the
stockholders who live in brown
stone fronts and own private
yachts.
The law also makes it possible
for one large company to abso-
lutely create a monopoly: there
is no time fixed in the law in
which they must build on the
property acquired; it is possible
Tor large company like the
kuhns to acquire one strategic
point, say along Cheat River,
hold it indefinitely, and prevent
any other company from devel-
oping the power. and thus limit
the supply and also the price of
heat, power and service. The
large Kuhn interests, the same
concern that wrecked the Third
National Bank of Pittsburgh.
and the auxiliary banks, are the
same interests that propose to
develop Cheat River and move
our citizens who live along that
stream out of the valley. and
they and such as they are the
ones who will receive the loot of
the steal. Do not be surprised to
see, perhaps in few years, the
Cheat River Valley and the
Canaan Valley inland lakes. You
say, what will become of the
people; they answer. TO
with the people, we have the
right TO do this, your legislature
gave 1t TO us, and what are YOU
going to do about it1
What does the state get i'm re-
turn! A paltry tax on the fran
chise and then certain sum after
the concern is going one, not
based upon the horsepower de-
vcloped, as it should be, but up
on an unjust and unfair method
that will enable the company to
beat the state.
AT the recent State Bar Asso-
citation, held in Wheeling. the
Hon. John Cornwell read
most valuable paper on the law
IN question, condemning it i'm no
uncertain terms. The Associa-
ton, non-partisan, was united i'm
its condemnation, all EXCEPT
w. ID. Payne and A.. Bliss Nc
Crum, both paid attorneys of the
power companies. Senator Nc
Crum was put in the embarrassing
position of having to admit that
while he was supposed to be
serving the people in the Senate,
he was the PAID and RE-
TANNED attorney of the Kuhn
interests, and that admission can
be found in the records of the
association as reported.
/ The lobby that fosted this
iniquitous law upon the people
is said TO have been the most
powerful that ever gathered at
Charleston; there may have been
other legislators who were ere
tanned" The first effort TO en-
act such law was in the session
of 1909, when Mr.. McCrum, then
in the House, introduced a sim
liar measure, but it failed TO pass.
Ever since the forces Of exploita-
ton have been busy, and, have
succeeded.
| Not a single paper along the
/ Cheat River Valley has said a
word OF condemnation, except
the Tucker Democrat. Can it be
that they, too, have been re
tanned?
1t rs reported that our repre-
sentative, +. M. Glenn, when the
bill came up on its passage was
absent and not voting. Absence
is as bad and more cowardly than
an actual vote for il. If this re-
port IS not true, we shall gladly
correct it, for any person is done
an injustice TO have it said he
even lent secret aid 20 such a
measure. 1t is up to the voters
of Tucker and every other county
to see that their next representa-
tives are committed TO the repeal
OF this law, and let the water
power Of the state, the last Of our
great natural resources, be used
and developed for the people of
the state and not the alien finan-
cial barons. Properly used, the
water power of the state will
support every school in the state.
Ante Nests.
| To destroy ants nests near pIauta