Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-09-16
10y G. c. McIntosh.)

the entire assessment on real estate
and personal property in the state. To
be exact, their proportion is 31.6
(thirty-one and six-tenths) per cent.
This statement, verified by the re-
ports of the state auditor, shows in
impressive fashion what the coal de-
velopment has done for West Vir-
yinia's government.
The counties taken into considera-
ton in this finding are Mcdowell, Fay
stte, Marion, Logan, Kanawha, Harri-
son, Raleigh, Mercer and Mingo. They
are named In the order of their tom
mage yield.
The amount of assessment returned
10 the state for state purposes for the
year 1914 from these counties, was
s303,547,172. The total assessment re-
turned by all of the counties for 1914
was $959,094,435. AS calculation will
show, there remained of the total as
sessment for. 1914 the sum only Of
t645,547,26 to be distributed among
all the other forty-six counties Of the
state, and including the cities Of
Wheeling, Huntington and Parkers-
burg, as we'll as others OF less size,
wealth and Importance.
1t will be equally interesting to
know that the nine counties named
paid more than one-fourth of all the
capitation taxes collected for the year
1914. The total capitations collected
for that year was $247,250 OF this
sum the nine typical coal counties paid
1921. In this connection 1t may be
remarked that the coal producing
COMPANIES of the state greatly facili-
tate the collection of capitation taxes
by lending their Office organizations
to the work. In some of the coal coun-
ties, at least, the assessors place
their capitation tax tickets against the
workmen in the hands of the company
officials and, in course, the amount Is
deducted from the wages of the men
and returned to the assessor A state
law provides for this manner of col
lection.
Mcdowell county affords the most
conspicuous example, showing the
WOAuCl LUZ GAtcH5lOA VI DuSlHGSS
brought about by the coal develop
ment. The Norfolk & Western rail-
road was completed in 1889, giving an
outlet both to the west and seaboard
for Pocahontas coal Four years pre-
vious to that time the total assessed
property valuation in Mcdowell coun-
ty amounted to the insignificant sum
Of 1866. 553; six hundred and four cap
itations were collected. The small
county of Brooke at that time carried
valuations on. the tax books about two
times greater, being $662,447. Now the
valuations in Mcdowell county are
S34054,014, while those of Brooke
county are s10.275, 208 The 1914 cap
ttations were 1880 At the tax rate
Of six cents, which was in force in
1914, Mcdowell county was assessed
tor the use of the state fund the sum
Of $20.432.4O This vast and prosper
Gus development of the banner coal
county came only when railroad was
projected through the extreme south
ern territory of the state, and an oppor-
tunity was given to take the product
Of Mcdowell county to the market.
Mcdowell county produced in 1914
over fourteen million tons of coal.
The same avenue Of transportation
developed to an amazing extent the
counties of Mercer and Mingo Prior
to the opening of the coal mines in
Mercer county the property valuations
were S1,09S,426 now they stand at
s26,511,528, development brought
about almost wholly because of the
coal deposits of that and contiguous
counties. One of the most prosperous
and thriving cities of the state. with
numerous wholesale and banking in
terests, is located in Mercer county.
Splendid permanent pixies are being
built, radiating out of Bluefield and
Princeton. Mingo was not organized
as a county until about 1900, which
municipal entity came about because
Of the prominence taken on by reason
Of the coal development Ten years
after its birth Mingo property valua-
lions had swelled to S1,221SS5 Now
Mingo county pays taxes on a valua-
ton of s14,502,347.
AS to Fayette county, which stands
second in coal production, the figures
at hand do not tell the whole story.
Coal production in Fayette started
with the completion Of the Chesapeake
& Ohio railway along about 1872.
Property values then were far from
significant Along about that time the
sheriff of the county traded tax tickets
for the hides of wild animals The
lands of the county, except those in
the immediate front of New River had
very meager value, and not until
1890 was there any development Of
the coal land in any of the territory
now traversed by branch railway lines.
In 1885 the property valuations had
grown to s2,400,544, and 1904 capita
tons were reported. In 1914 the prop
erty valuations had been boosted to
s25, 49, 1886, and 10000 capitations were
assessed
Kanawha county, wherein is located