The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-04

70 81 100000 A direct levy OF ten
cents. counting of the fees for col
iections. discounts. delinquent and
erroneous tares. viii realize from this
source at least 81 10000.
THE estimated income for incorpo-
ration charter taxes. license taxes and
other available resources has. In the
past averaged $4,000! There is no
reason why there should be any de-
probation Of this amount Of revenue
received from these sources for the
coming biennial period. This would
make a total of 1885. 900 for the an
nual period in the way OF revenue.
from which TO meet our states liza
bilities.
Your honorable body appropriated
for the period of 1915 81. $3.50, 600. Add
to this 100000, which the record dis.
closes is the average deficit in the
general school fund, and Il will give
total amount In the way Of liabili-
ties OF s2,s30.o00 for the first year OF
the entuing biennial period. Add to
this $l.544.0o0 OF deficit and unex.
pended appropriations brought for.
ward from the past biennial period,
viii give liability OF $4.474 900, with
an available source OF revenue OF ST..
1876 900, leaving an outstanding In.
debtedness amounting to s2.14s.00o.
Add to this outstanding indebted.
ness the appropriation made for that
part OF the biennial period covering
1917, which amounts to s2,447.o00,
making a total Of the two last amounts
$4,5s6.o00. plus the transfer to the
general school fund to take care OF
the deficit in that fund lin keeping
with acts 49,, 100000. and we will
have an outstanding. indebtedness OF
s4,ss6,o00. to which can be applied
the states available resources or rev.
enue for 1917, which will amount to
s2,325,000, leaving an outstanding liz.
bility amounting to $2,671.000.
Take from this liability sS5S,60S.09.
Deduct from this 10 per cent OF the
S5,S27,000, which represents the ap.
preparation bill amounting to S2,530,-
900 for 1916, and $2,447,000 for 1917,
and the ss5o,ooo appropriations out.
standing for the past biennial period
from the deficit OF s2.671,00o, would
leave s2,069,o00. Take from the re-
naming deficit the items vetoed in the
appropriation bill which totals $685..
60s.0s, will still leave deficit of ST.
$40 ,391.91 over and above any avail
able revenue.
$50 1t can plainly be seen that IL
have erred at all in my veto preroga'
tive, 1t has been on the side Of per-
hitting TO so uncared for liability
above the state's revenue income. l
did this after mature elaboration, for
the reason that felt your honorable
body would conclude that 1t was nee
essary to provide for some method to
raise revenue other than Is at pres
ent available TO the state"
After discussing the states financial
condition the message takes up the
question OF revenue, calling attention
to the duty of the Legislature to pro.
not be done, 1t Is suggested that the
appropriation bill OF the regular ses.
sion be reconsidered and curtailed to
come within the state's revenues.
ut seems to me" says Governor
Hatfield, that the methods which
should have your serious consldera-
tion are: First, the taxation of priv
ilege, excise, income or production:
last, and certainly the one least deslr-
able, the direct tax, going back to
the old iniquitous method that was
copied by us. from the mother state
and which she IN turn acquired from
across the sea, and which she dis.
carded as far back as 1902, for the new
and modern method based upon clas-
sifcation OF properties.
at will take an additional FIVE cents
to the already authorized ten cent di.
rect levy 10 take care Of the present
liabilities in appropriations recently
made by your honorable body, TO-
gether with the outstanding liabili.
ties, as pointed out In both OF my mes
sages 10 you at the regular session Of
the Legislature. This amount. II you
deduct the appropriations alreaeS
passed. ten per cent will cover and
permit the state to so along with its
administration duties and iiquldate
all liabilities for the ensuing biennial
period; but II additional appropria.
tons are made, new revenue is I'm
perative."
Revenue for state purposes should
be derived entirely from license, priv
ilege and franchise taxes. The value
Of untanable properties should not
be taxed upon the same basis as other
classes OF property. There is 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, Il.
cense and other methods OF taxation
in my message on taxation and
finance, was to do away with the di.
rect method OF taxation OF lands, ETC.,
as far as 1t applied to state purposes.
AS I pointed out in my message on
finance, Just classification of the
different classes of property and the
att Ae ShA ala .tI.~.A