The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-04

body would conclude that at was nee
essaTy to provide for some method ia
raise revenue other than IS al pres-
Lent available to the state
Discusses Revenue Question.
After discussing the states financial
cond itton the message takes up 4 the
question Of revenue, calItng attention
to the duty OF the legislature 10 pro-
vide sufficient funds and IL that cam
not be done, it is suggested that the
appropriation bill &c the regular ses-l
sion be reconsid ered and curtaiIed to.
come within the states revenues.
1t seems to me = says Governor.
Hatfield, that the methods which.
should have your serious considerat ton
are First, the taxation Of privilege,
excise. income or production; Last,
and certainly the one least desirable,
the direct tax, going back To the old.
ubiquitous method that was copied.
by US from the mother state and which
she in turn acquired from across the:
sea and which she discarded as far
back as 1902 for the new and modern
method based upon classification OF
properties
e It will take an additional five cents
to the already authorized ten; cent
direct levy to take care OF the present
liabilities In appfopria atoms recently,
made by your honorable body, to-
3gether with the outstanding Liabilities,
as pointed ont iii both OF my messages.
to you at the regular session OF the
legislature. This amount, IL yon de-
duct the appropriations already
passed, ten per cent will cover and
permit the state to go along with it's
administration duties aud liquidate an
liabilities for the ensuing biennial per
iod, but if additional appropriations
are made, new revenue is Imperative
Great Good for People.
Revenue for state purposes should
be derived entirely from license, priv
i1ese aud franchise taxes. The value
of untenable properties should not be
taxed upon the same basis as other
classes of property THERE'S no class
of property within our state that pays
as high rate of taxation as do our
banking institutions. My idea. OF
course, in advocating privilege. iii
ccnse and other methods Of taxation
IN my message on taxation. and fi-t
nance, was TODD away with the direct
method Of taxation Of lands, etc, as
far as it applied to state purposes. AS
. pointed out in my message on fiji
nance, Just classit1cat ion Of the dif-f
ferent classes OF property and the
elimination Of tho old direct method
will result in great good for the peo-
pie of the state and assure greater
sources Of 4revenue based upon equit-t
able methods. Not only will it do tt1is.t
but it will insure that that class Of
people who are opposed to paying thefrI
equitable part OF the tax burdens,
known as tax dodgers, will have mo-
avenue Of escape under the systenl.I
It will also guarantee a greater influx
OF capital and of greater magnitude |
than has been experienced heretofore.I
This has been the result Of the adop-
ton Of the classification method in
other states, and why should We not
profit by their experience?
would regret very much to seel
the levy for state purposes raised be-l
You'd the ten cents now imposed. To
do so would be a reversal of the pol
icy upon which the state entered some
ten years ago, and which was to elm
mate the levy upon property for state
purposes entirely
Not q Fair Method.
Governor Hatfield cites the report of |