The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-01-27
Speaker George Abandons
Efforts For Extra Session
OF The State Legislature

CHARLESTON, W. Va, Jan. 81
No extraordinary session of the West
Virginia legislature will be held the
present year unless called by Cover
nor Henry D.: Hatfield. The move
nent inaugurated a few weeks ago
~ William Taylor George, speaker OF
the house of delegates, to have the.
members Of the legislature force the
governor to call special session, has
met with failure. and it is now5up to
the executiye. who is expected to con-
yene the lawmakers about May or
June.
Speaker George did. not ask the
lawmakers to sign a call. but did adj
dress letters to the members of both
the state senate and house of dele
gates asking IL they would join in
such petition. He has returns
from most of the members, and as a
Jesuit will not send out any call for
signatures, the necessarylthree-fifths
Of each house not having shown a
willlngness to go over the governors
head. According to Sneaker George
majority of the members of the
lower house favor the action, but the
members of the seRate oppose it.
'one thing the letters received
rom the members of the legislature
10 DISCLOSE says Speaker George, lis
that there is an overwhelming &nti-
nent in favor of the enactment of a
primary election law and LAWS Inn
posing a production tax and q trans
portation tax on oil and gas. 1.-THE
members realize that the oil and gas
ire fast disappearing from thes state
md they agree with me that We
'hould gather an equitable revenue
from these valuable resources before
hey are exhausted. The matter Oh
certain deficit in the state treasury
inless some revenue measure is
adopted is one in which the members
ire much interested. On the whole.
hey favor an extraordinary session
u consider these measures"
Governor Hatfield has since his In
.uguration let 1t be understood that
evil likely convene the legislature
r. extraordinary session before the
inc for the regular session next
January. In his inaugural address
asst March he stated that "a primary
lection law. a corrupt practices act,
county salary law, legislation econ
,mizing the running of the state gov
rnment, together with the adjust
1ent Of taxation and finance, in an
equitable way, will come in the no
Instant future, and after a full and
rec discussion has been had at an
,xtra session of the legislature, and
.fter the plans have been carefully
worked out, taking the business and
working people alike into our conf
ienee." ~
The governor was inducted into of
ice in the thick OF the bitter indus
rial struggle in the Paint Greek coal
ields and for several months was
forced to give his attention to clear.
ng tie clouds from that situation.
other important matters demanded
lis time, else an extra session would
nave been held before now. The vir-
sinia debt suit, which comes up in
he supreme court Of the United
states April Is. may demand legisla-
i've attention and there is proba-
oility that the extra session will
await the action Of the court. 1t is
understood that many members OF
healegislature, including President
sam Woods. of the senate, who
vas said to be figuring with Speaker
george in forcing the session, want
t delayed for two or three months
n case 1t has TO come.
| The prohibition amendment. which
becomes effective July 1, will cut of
crom the state revenue estimated at
from 100000 to $1,000, 900, leaving
i deficit according to the last appro-
priation bill. The legislature will be-
called upon to figure our ways and
means of meeting this, and herein
lies the most important reason at this
time for the extra session. Whether
Il will be- a tax on oil and gas. or