The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-10-06

IRepnbiiean administratiops.
We are i great and GROWING STATE
lana While our expendi tuI Is nave
deem Increased, naturally 50, Is stlis
ipopn1ation OF our, state instttH tons
bias Increased and new depart
Ithaye been created by be- Iegisla tuTe'
orr sources of rev htie have ont hf
other hand been lessened! Hardly
had We covered rom the half mil;
lion dollar expend itt1re 20 restore or
der IN the gKanawha strike field,
than our state treasury felt the loss
|.ofs approximately $40 q, 900 from the
saloon license this year due t4 the
passage Of the prohibition amend
ment.
s"With this condition. We arel con-
,fronted with an appropriation bill,
passed blythe last legislature. carry
ing nearly one million dollars for the
construction Of new buildings at the
various finstitutions. Many OF those
buildings were needed quite badly
ON. account of the rapid increase in
population and 1t would have graft
fled me immensely to have seen ev-
cry one constructed, but the rev nge
was not available to construct all
and 1t has been necessary for the
state administration to proceed with
precaution. We have taken care of
the most urgent needs, including the
erection of the new buildings at the
West Virginia Institute, the Tuber-
culosts Sanitarium, the Keyser Prep
atory school, and the school for the
deaf and blind at Romney.
There. has never been any nues-
lion but that the state would feel
for time at least, the loss OF reve-
nue. from the licensed saloon. Ev-
cry man in West Virginia who voted
for the ratification of the prohiDi-
tion amendment realized that fact.
but they were willing to bear little
more burden of taxation In order to
make West Virginia better state
for all OF us to live in. But, the
Democratic partisan press seizes on
this as an opportunity to create the
impression that the peoples money
is being squandered. The older res
idents of the state have not forgotten
the fact that during the administra-
tion of Wilson. Fleming and Mac
Corkle in "the good old Democratic
days" extending from 1885 to 1895.
the rate OF direct taxation for state
and general school fund was 50
cents, three and one-half times the
l'rate about which the Democratic
press is now raising such wall. You
no longer pay a special school tax or
special road tax as you were COM
PEELED to do. during the years that
1.-THE Democrats were in control OF the
Estate government. .
"Among the items in the year
1914 which were in excess of 1912
are, first, the Public Service Com
mission, which was created by the
Legislature of 1913, effective May l..
1913. in part, and in part on octo-
Der 1st OF the same year.
"Thc administration of this COM
mission, which includes the Work
mems Compensation Department, has
cost for this fiscal year ending June
'3Oth, S7,262.O7. One decision alone
rendered by this commission in the
Manufacturers Light and Heat Com
pany case will save the people of the
NORTHERN panhandle more than $780,
900 a year, and this was the only
method by which this company could
/ be prevented from putting into eff
feet rate which was, according to
the decision of the commission, far
Fin excess Of q reasonable and equita-
bile charge for the service rendered
ITO the consumers in the territory in
which this company operates. There
are other decisions rendered by the
commission regulating public SER
vice corporations too numerous to
mention, which show beyond ques-
ton the great results to be obtained
Through this very progressive and
Just law which some OF. us have been
striving to write upon the statute
books of our state for u great many
years in the past. ri#. ST.
"Not only has this commission
regulated the public service corpora
'tions of this state and made possible
railway connections and railway
accommodations not heretofore
granted. thereby giving to the peo-
pie a great many comforts not to be
obtained in the past. but the commits.
sion has had under. its administra-
Ition the. Workmen's Compensation
law, as well as the protection of the
only natural asset left - the great
water powers in our state.
Another item in excess in 1914
over the. expenditures of 1912 is the
appropriation, made for the state
BOARD of Health. which was $4,000
! for the fiscal year of 1914. For the
first time in the history OF our state
the legislature. appropriated modest