The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-13
HatfeId and Business


= I, 7
people Of the state may come from
the action of the chief executive IN
taking q position on matters pertain
ling to. the state,s welfare and giving
full information as to the actual con-
dition OF the states AFFAIRS and then
lurg:ng means to correct any financial
or other condition affecting the well
fare of the state can; bring about a
loss Of friendship for Governor Hat
held then he has unQuestionably lost.
The Post does not understand.
however. that business men who are
really interested in the welfare offtlie
state. have assumed any position Of
that Kind. It may be the case with
a few-not representative or even
typical OF West Virginia Business
menTonly those, who are here for q
limited period Of time to accumulate
wealth and then renounce their az
legiance lowest Virginia. Those rep
resenting this type who will be. found
among our business men, Of any
principle or plan that Will recourse,
will not be In sympathy with any
principle or plan that will require
them to assume a greater amount Of
obligation in the way of taxation
than they have heretofore been re-
CURED to pay in; order to develop this
wonderfully growing state aud give 1t
the permanent improvements along
the line of good roads and other mat
tiers Of civic development.
Was 1t wrong for the chief execu-
Tive of the state to. take the position
before the legislature that made pos
sible a solvent compensation fund or
was he to be admired for advocat-
ling the delegating Of power 20 a
commissioner of compensation to fix
a rate for each industry proportion
ate to the liability thrown upon the
fund from that particular industry
and thereby assure that there. would
not ensue a deficit in that fund from
which hundreds of widows. and
orphans and other dependents.
are being supported now? Will
anyone say that it was not
the duty of the chief executive to give
This support to the mining depart
ment and that class Of coal operators
who stood for law that assured
more substantial. protection Sto the
miners as well as the mining proper
tiles?
What could have been said in COM
mendation of his administrator IL
The had permitted those who took the
position that the state was not in
need Of additional revenue and were
willing to see our public Institutions
closed, to have had their way, there
by precluding further development of
the states magnificent institutions
and permitting the state treasury to
lag in the mire OF bankruptcy, while
those opposed to the successful work.
ing out Of statewide prohibition might
have pointed finger Of scorn at their
native state as "a horrible example"
of what prohibition brings?
| Was it not his duty to favor a. re-
vision of the public service commits
sion law which would make certain
that the peoples interests would be
protected in the regulation of public
service corporation in this city?
Was he not right when he aGvo-
Gated the passage e4athe budget sys-
TEN law which requires that a full
land complete financial statement
shall be rendered quarterly bye the
Estates accounting department, giving
in detail the liabilities nnd assets as
well as the expenditures? Are there
any real business men VINO are going
to object to the states business being
conducted on a business-like basis?
| All Of these things come home"
to mind when a resume of the situa-
ton of what has transpired during the
present administration Is taken. We
do not believe that any person can
| point out where Governor Hatfield
has taken a position at any time that
was biased or inclined 10 favor any
faction or interest. His whole eff
forts have been directed toward a
general betterment of the state and
his earnest activities have been to-
ward that end.
| He has stood with the whole people
of the state and has not been resprn-
s.ve to any clique OF interest. He
quickly brought to end arter he as
sumed the reins of state government
the Paint and Cabin creek coal strike
and thug terminated the great finan-
cial drain on the state treasury from
the maintenance of martial law,
which was an inheritance of his adj
ministration and was the nucleus Of
the deficit that confronted him for So
luton. 1t was the chief executive
again, who after receiving an appeal
from the operators of the New River
and Winding Gulf coal field prevented
a strike involving some thirty tnou-
sand men and millions Of dollars
worth OF property He continued to
show his desire for the maintenance
tof peace N the g1aat Industrial sec
ton by giving two years of faithful
tservice in arbitrating all differences
that arose between the employers and