The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-03-11
TAX
BILL is PASSED
MEASURE TAXING COAL. OIL AND
Gas asses Lower ROUSE
BY VOTE or - TO -
Delegate Duty Makes Strong Speech
~ Favor Of the Measure
Coal Interests Opposed
(ey W. r. KEYSERl
star Correauonder

CHARLESTON. v. Va. March 10.
-After one OF the most powerful
speeches ever heard In the West Vir-
glnia Legislature. made By Delegate
n. X. Duty OF Richie county. IN sup
port OF the proposed production TAX
on coal. OIL and gaz. the bill was pass
I'd D. the lover house. today. b. a
vote OF 40 TO 81, three members beink
absent. The bill proposes a tax OF
one-half OF one per cent on value of
coal mined and two per cent on value
OF oil and gas produced IN this state.
and n II estimated u would produce
revenue 20 the amount OF nearly one
million dollars annually.
The vote on the bill Was as follows:
Ayes-Allen, Bales, Ballard. Barlow.
Beard. Bender. BlackwOod. Board.
Boone. Brown, Burr. Clark. Cline.
Courts. Davis. DAVIDSON. Dotson. Duty.
Eyerhart. Garretson. Glover. Harman
tof Grant,. Hinermsn. James Kel-
baugh, kittle. Markey. Moore, Null
Inns. McCauley. Oto, Parsons, Pierce
Pilchard. Porter. Rinehart. Sigmond.
Sinsel. Smith (of DoddridgeJ. smith
tOf Tyler, Smith (of Wood, Swiger
Talbot lof htehiel. Talbott( OF W.
sterl, weiss. Wertz. Wolfe. Yaeger.
Noes Atkins. Anderson. Bloch. Burn
ham, Curry. Hall. Hartman OF Mellow
ell, Hersman. Hiner. Honacker. Hud-
dleston. Hughes, Layne. Lemon. Lily.
Marsh. Monroe, Moreland, Murray. Nc
Collum. McGraw, McKimmie. Pricn-
ard, SAMSON. Scherr, Shafer. Shaver.
Sullivan. Thomas. Thompson. Thur
mond. Waldo. Weir. Yesger of Poca-
hotas.
Absent: Bailey. Bland. Reynolds.
Discussed at Length.
Standing at the head OF the calen-
dar. the bin was the FIRST taken up for
consideration. IL was discussed at
great length as 20 the merits OF the
bill, and several delegates also took
la - hnN
reached
Delegate Duty was the first TO speak
and occupied the floor considerably
more than an hour. Stating that origi-
nally he was opposed TO such a tax.
that al hrst he did not believe one in
dustry should be singled out over an
other, he said his opinion has changed,
ana urged the passage OF such a bill.
lie argued that very slight ad-
vance In the price OF these products
shipped out OF the state would more
than pay the tax imposed by the bill.
He pointed out that sixty-fiv per cent
OF the gas produced in West Virginia
Is transported outside the state. ana
that IL would require an Increase IN
price of only tvO-hfths OF one cent per
thousand cubic feet on the market
price OF gas sent outside the state TO
pay the tax on the gas industry. lie
based his calculations on the fact that
feet OF gas Is produced annually,
which, II sould at an average price OF
ten cents per thousand. Is valued at
500. OOO. 900
lie applied the same principle to the
oil Industry. and taking the annual
production OF oil at ten million barrels,
with market value at 81 p per Barrel,
II would take only a slight increase
in price OF oil sent outside the state.
he said, to pay the tax on that in
dustry.
The Coal Industry.
As 70 the coal industry. the produc-
ton, he said, Is 65.0OO.O0O tons per
year, cighty-hye per cent Of which
goes outside the state. Placing a value
OF eighty cents per ton. II would re-
quire an increase OF only one-twentieth
OF one cent on the ton, OF coal shipped
out OF the state. TO pay the tax Inn
posed by the bill on the coal industry.
BY the imposition OF such tax on
these industries. he declared. the peo-
pie or the state would not be hurt
while by increasing the direct tax, the
people would be forced to help main
tain the department of mines, hos
pitfalls, and pay charges OF labor strifes
for which the coal industry is respon-
sible without receiving any benefit IN
return. He referred at length 10 the
fact that the coal. oil and gas opera
tors are rapidly depicting the state or
It's natural resources without restor-
ing anything, while the farmer would
be greatly affected by the direct tax,
Is increasing the natural wealth The
burden Of taxation therefore should
fall on those industries which destroy
the natural wealth Of the state, be de- /
Clared
Mr.. Duty declared that the proposed
tax on uaa DrOha bly would uroduga