The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-20
Pays His Respects to Leo We'll
by Scathingly Denollncing
That Gentleman
DWELLs ON TAX xATlo on
And Declares That Resources
Are Disappearing without
Adequate Return.
~ 7-5----,7. I

MOUNDSVILLE, April 2 De-:
claring that the state OF West IT
ginia has been explored by capital
lists from other rcommonWealthssa and
that !. our great storehouse Of natur
al resources" IS rapidly disappear
ing without the states receiving as
fair and equitable return, Governor
Henry ID. Hatfield delivered an ad
dress here last night to large an-s
dienc. Thy governor appeared on
the program OF the Week gof
Events OF the Methodist Episcopal
church and spoke at leng on Quess
3uons affe ecting the state and nation.
The governor called attention to-
the accomplishments and progress Of
the state the past two years and the
important work OF the last leEisla-
ture. but declared that because Of the
action OF some OF the members of
sures had not been adopted to re-
ieve the state of q deploTabIe fnan-5
cial condition. He dwe1t at length
upon the question Of taxation. oppos-s
ing the direct tax and dec1aTing IN
favor OF the classif ificatton OF proper
Sty for purposes Of taxation. He up-S
posed government ownership on the
ground that It IS not practical and
warned corporations which OPPOSE
paying their share of the taxes o. e
danger OF q sentiment being Great
may. be- disastrous s
Governor Hatfield explained that
he had not borrowed money to re-
lieve the states financial distress be-
cause he does not consider he has an
Ethority tn do so when there is mo-
revenue in sight to repay such a loan
and called attention to the espee
tally low rate Of taxation In VET
Virginia. ia III
The goyernor called attention to@
the states great wealth and poIntsdS
out that there Is no necessity for t1Ie
State to- have a deficit In the treas
sury with such vast resources and So
low a tax rate. ssl
ed. plundered and debauched as
state by those from other common
Wea1ths. n, said Governor Hatfs1ti
and our great store house of nat
iural resources, given to US by Ila
ture. is rap pid1ys disappearing And
who Is reaping the harvest from
these riches What are We laying
away for the Inevitable rainy day.
Why WI II not hose who have large
holdings in our commemorative as
sist In the pbuil ding Of our stafeY
Are We not entitled to al Ii ike treas
.ment by corporations OF our CON
imonWealth as is exacted by other
states contiguous to- Sours25sWhe lla
relief come to us? Will it$ be when
these hills and valleys have been az
hausted of their bountfes Of nature
and when these great mountains have
shed their last stately oak; and
whenSthe hills will resoundwfth emp
tiness because OF the mineral Il beds
that once reposed within have been
exhausted in a market beyond their
borders, and the oil and gas and
their ir@by-products have been yieIdedEs
up and the disarrang ged sol strait
and the natural drafnage have BEEN
rendered as useless, s,unprofitab1e8an and
unyieidimEe as the desert OF sahara as
We should consider 1T y our duty
tc see to it that the state OF which
we are proud and justly so. shall
receive sH fficient coup penaatfo for
the taking away OF It's great store uEsa
acknowledgements to- carry on the de-
Eelopmfnt OF our schools and orr
other institutionso on a apermaneHt ha Wei
SIS We should secure sufficient rev.
enue to help. at least, IN bull ding
system OF highways that vii con-
meet every section OF the state an
VIII serve! as our channels of com
This IS one OF the greatest
needs CT our state today. We should B
likewise e#seesto it that our great tiIu
bersareas. which have been and are
being devastated, !, are reforestedSf fort
future generations. These timber
properties have, in practically eHerys
instance. been bought up for small;
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