West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-05-27

taxpayers OF the state. met its fate
In the State Senate Monday, and show
cd an unholy alliance between the
state house machine, No. 26 Wall
street and the oil and gas interests.
The bill which had been sent to
committee on Saturday was not re-
ported out OF committee Monday and.
on Senator Humps motion to take the
bill up for immediate consideration
the motion was lost, the sixteen Re
publicans who have stood for every
thing that is unjust in these meas
ures, standing this time arm In arm
with the oil and gas interests and
choking to death this infant before 1t
really was born.
Rumors that the sixteen Republi-
cans had met In the morning and
agreed not to permit the bill to come
out OF committee were abroad in the
morning, and Senator Kump openly
charged that this agreement had been
made and that the agreement was
the omnibus bill. which provided rev.
enue, and gave no opportunity to the
Governor to sign the oil and gas bill
IL 1t had become a law. It left the
loophole for him to crawl through
that there was sufficient revenue. But
II the pipe line bill had passed before
he signed the omnibus bill he would
nave chosen between the two, which
would have left him in very en-
oarrassing position, especially after he
had treated with the oil and gas inter-
ests for support on this bill, which
practically exempts them from taxa
ton.
These senator's are the ones who
voted against even permitting the bill
TO come from the committee:
Senator'S - Gregory, Goodykoontz,
Godbey. Carter, Keim, McAboy, Nc
Chung, Miller, White, Parrish, Nc
Crum. Billings, Blessing, Gray, Steed
and England.
All the Democrats and the Republi-
can senators, Rosenbloom, Hawley,
Coalter, Marshall and Strother in fav-
or OF consideration of the measure.
The bill was called up at 2:3O In
the afternoon when the senate con-
Vened after noon. Following the call
ior report on the bill, Senator
Goodykoontz read long statement
charging every one with Inconsistent
cy except the sixteen Republicans.
he tried to place the blame on the
Democrats, when Rosenbloom read a
long statement into the Journal and
served notice on the oil and gas in
terests that the people would have the
mai say in the matter and then they
would find themselves asked to bear
the burden OF this taxation.
Senator Kump, before the Republi-
can machine members had even voted
on the resolution for immediate con-
sideration charged that they had form
ed combination and all agreed not
10 permit the bill to come up for a
vote. But Kump called for the ayes
and nays on the question and put ev-
cry senator on record in the matter
In explaining his attitude and that
OF the Democrats on the bill Mr.. Kumr
had long statement entered in the
journal, part of which is as follows:
IL Will be recalled that early in the
regular session OF the legislature, in
troduced in this chamber, senate bills
Nos. go and 81, providing for a license
tax upon the business of producing
gas and oil and in the latter bill there
was created state permanent road
Iuhd' The purpose OF those bills was
10 benefit the public school system OF
THIS state and to establish some COM
prehensive system of permanent road
improvement and to leave to posterity
some permanent benefit from the
splendid natural wealth that is rapid
~ being depleted by it's exploitation
and believing that unless some Wig
orous effort is made to leave some
thing OF a permanent nature I'm this
state, 1t will be only a few years until
all OF that great natural wealth is gone
forever with nothing left but its mem
DRY. Eighty per cent OF the real pro-
Mt from the oil and gas goes out OF
thls state never to return.
1 am in favor Of an indirect tax
Tor the purpose OF permanent i'm
proYements so as TO in a measure re-
imburse future generations for the ex-
ploitations Of this generation"
Senator Morton, during the debate
on the bill, sent to the clerks desk a
Dill which he intended as an amend
ment to the Pierce pipe line bill. If
mat matter was brought from the com
mittee room. The amendment OF Sem
ator Morton provided that half OF the
sum Of money 70 be raised by this
measure should 90 into a permanent
high school fund and the balance into
the public state road fund. He ex-
planned that this would be HIS amend
ment but the bill died and so aid tho
| amendment
l E
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