The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-06
Development Of the Coal Indus.
try Makes the State of West
Virginia Very Rich.
(By G. G. Mcintosh. J

The nine typical coal counties in
West Virginia bear nearly one-third
Of the entire assessment Of real es-
tate and personal property in the
state. To be exact. their proportion
is BIG per cent (thirty-one and six
tenths per cent?
This statement, verified by the re.
ports Of the state auditor shows in
impressive fashion what the coal dew.
elopment has done for West Yir.
ginia's government.
The counties taken into considera.
tion in this finding are Mcdowell
Fayette, Marion. Logan. Kanawha
Harrison. Raleigh. Mercer and Mingo.
They are named in the order Of their
tonnage yield.
The amount Of assessment returned
to the state for state purposes for
the year 1914, from these counties,
was $303.547,172. The total assess
ment returned by all of these coun.
ties for 1914 was $3.50. 094,435. AS
calculation will show. there remain
ed Of the total assessment for 1914
the sum. only of s645.547,263 to be
distributed among all OF the other
fortw-six counties of the state, and
including the cities Of Wheeling,
Huntington and Parkersburg, as
we'll as others of less wealth and
importance.
Much Capitntion Tax.
1t will be equally interesting to
know that the nine counties named
paid more than one-fourth of all the
capitation taxes collected for the
year 1914. The total capitations col
lected for that year was s247,250. OF
this sum the nine typical coal coun-
ties paid $75,231. In this connec-
tion it may b. remarked that the
coal producing companies of the
state greatly facilitate the collection
of capitation taxes by lending their
Office organizations to the work. In
some Of. the coal counties, at least,
the assessors place their capitation
tax tickets against the workmen in
the hands of the company officials
and. Of course, the amount is de-
Quoted from the wages Of the men
and returned to the assessor. A state
law provides for this manner of col
lection.
Mcdowell county affords the most
conspicuous example. showing the
wonderful extension OF business
brought about by the coal develop
ment. The Norfolk and Western
railroad was completed in 1889, CIV
ing an outlet both to the west and
the seaboard for Pocahontas coal.
Four years previous to that time the
total assessed property valuation in
Mcdowell county amounted to the In
significant sum Of $385.553; six hun
dred and four capitations were col
lected. The small county Of Brooke
at that time carried valuations ON
the tax books about two times greater
being s662,447. Now the valuation
in Mcdowell county are $S4, e54, ola,
while those of Brooke county are
S10,275.20s. The 1914 capitations
were 1850. At the tax rate of six
cents which was in force in 1914,
Mcdowell county was assessed for the
use of the state fund the sum OF
s20,432.40. This vast and prosper
GUS development of the banner coal
county came only when railroad
was projected through the extreme
southern territory of the state, and
an opportunity was given to take
the product OF Mcdowell county to
the market. Mcdowell county pro.
duced in 1914 over fourteen million
tons Of coal.
IncreaSe Wealth.
Tha same avenue Of Transports
ton developed to an amazing extent
the counties OF Mercer and Mingo
Prior to the opening of the coal mines
in Mercer county the property valua.
tions were $1,09S,426; now they
stand at s26.511,52s. development
brought about almost wholly because
Of the coal deposits OF that and con.
tiguous counties. One Of the most
prosperous and thriving cities Of the
state. with numerous wholesale and
banking interests, is located in Mer,
Ger county. Splendid permanent
pixies are being built, radiating out
OF Bluef1eld and Princeton. Mingo
was not organized as county until
about 1900. which municipal entity
came about because of the promi.
nence taken on by reason of the coal
development. Ten years after its
birth Mingo nronertv valuations had
swelled to $1,221.8S5. Now, Mingo
county pays taxes on a valuation OF
$14.502,347.
AS to Fayette county. which stands
second in coal production the figures