The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-10-20
Judge John w. Mason Reads
Scholarly Paper on
the Subject.
SESSION TO END TODAY
Nominating Committee Sub
mits List of Officers
to Convention.

THE Virginia Debt" is The subject
of an exhaustive and scholarly paper
read by John w. Mason, former Judge
OF the Marion county Circuit Court
and member of the West Virginia Debt
commission. before the morning ses-
sion OF the eleventh annual conyen-
tion OF the West Virginia Board OF
Trade in session here.
The afternoon session brought the
convention TO close with the election
OF officers for the ensuing year. In.
teresting committee reports took up
a large portion OF the time at the al.
ternoon session which was held In the
Watson building.
A large audience composed OF dele.
gates to the convention and rs high
school pupils from the Fairmont high
school gathered in the assembly room
on the fourth floor OF the Masonic
Temple to listen to the instructive ad.
dress by Judge Mason. The high
school pupils, two.thirds of them girls,
comprise the senior class OF the school.
They were in charge of Miss Dora
Newman, instructor In history and
civics.
The officers for the ensuing year Sc.
lected by the nominating committee
this forenoon and which will be voted
on by the convention late this after.
noon are as follows:
President, G; G; Lewis. Of Charles.
ton. Y 2
Honorary President, H, G. Davis, Of
,Elkins.
yice.president at large, Congress.
man Howard Sutherland, Of Elkins.
Secretary. two nominations, Roy B.
Naylor, of Wheeling. and H. H. Arch.
er,lof Parkersburg,
Treasurer, W. b. Irvine, OF Wheel.
ing.
General Counsel, 2. T. vinson, OF
Huntington.
Assistant General Counsel John
Marshall, Of Parkersburg.
District vice president: First dis.
trict-GeoTge w. Lutz. of Wheeling,
and Thomas |. Brett. of Fairmont; Sec.
sond district-W. G. Wilson, OF Elkins.
and Thomas E. Hodges. OF Morgan.
town; Third distrct-Vtrgil Z. High.
land, of Clarksburg. and J. NJ. Hamii.
ton, of Calhoun county; Fourth dis.
srict-R. L. Archer OF Huntington, and
John B. Finley, OF Parkersburg; Fifth
district. E. Tierney, OF Powhatan,
and Isaac 4. Mann, ofBramwcIl; Sixth
district-G. Hogg, of Fayette county,
4 and J. w. Dawson. of Charleston.
Commissioner Williams. chairman
sofSthe committee on agriculture, made
aninteresting report this afternoon on
the work of the State Board OF Trade
( lnlpromoting farm improvement In the
state.
Congressman Sutherland, chairman
of the good roads committee, told OF
the splendid progress OF West Viz.
ginia In constructing good roads
throughout the state and especially in
Marion county.
J. c. Mckinley, chairman OF the
committee on labor and immigration,
made an interesting report on the
$ problem of foreign labor in the mines
and factories OF West Virginia.
Judge Mason in his address on "The
Virginia Debt" said:
..sWhatever knowledge | have OF pub.
lic affairs belongs TO the people OF
West Virginia. The morning papers
say Governor aHtfield has received a
dun for the small sum of Sl2,000,0 900.
We'll, what OF that? suppose there
are very few OF us who have not re.
ceiyed dun at some time in our
lives
Judge Mason outlined the history OF
the Virginia debt contracted by the
old commonwealth as early as 1928
when a, plan was entered upon for
financing internal improvement com.
panies and backing institutions locat'
ID in different parts OF the state, and
alsoltol aid in the construction Of turn.
pike roads and bridges. Mr.. Mason
said:
"The method adopted by the state
was the issuance of interest bearing
bonds which were sold and the pro.
ceeds applied to the purchase Of capi'
tai stock or bonds OF public or semi.
public corporations, or loaned TO cor.
porations directly.
For about Is years there was no
security for the payment Of these
debts except the mere promise OF the
commonwealth. But the assembly In
1888 passed an act pledging and ap.
propriating the stocks of any Joint
stock companies. subscribed for or
purchased with moneys so borrowed,
together the dividends and other
net income which might accrue there.
from to the commonwealth or to the
fun9 for Improvements. to the pay.
psnt Of the interest on and the final
redemption of the principal OF the sum
so borrowed.
sVirrifiia adoptefi n new consfitutio,