West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-25
STATES ExTRAvAGANCE
CAUSED EXTRA SESSION
Even With State Levy of Ten Cents
Machine Clamoring for More
Revenue-Not Necessary to I'm
pose More Burdens on the Tax
payers
CBy James w. weir1

| aus OF the legiSla-
ture OF 1911 We're able to reduce the
state levy to one cent on the hundred
dollars valuation while the Legislature
OF 1915 I'm special session was cared
on to furnish additional revenue avor
with state levy OF ten cents illus
trates why IL became necessary for
the administration to summon tho
legislature TO meet i'm extra sessio,
AT total cost OF about $4,000. Tba
1911 legislature was able to reduce
the state tax without imposing anv
| additional tax burdens. The 1918 Log
| islature Notwithstanding a state levy
ten times as large still were to nro-
| Vide additional revenue, going IN
| snow according TO those who have
| made n study OF the States finances
| that there has been an increase I'm tho
| expense OF conducting the state out
OF all proportion to the natural deveI-
opment OF the state. That fact has
never been brought home to the peo-
pie OF the state as fully as IL was dur-
ing the special session with n ton
cent levy the Board of Public Works
Oh the state insisted that $500. 900
more revenue was needed.
II was apparent from the outset of
the special session that with so MANY
revenue bills pending including a M.
Teen cent direct tax as against the
present ten cent tax. bill imposing
personal income tax, a corporation
income tax. gas transportation tax n
coal, oil and gas production tax. n
coai inspection tax. coal royalty tax.
an increased charter tax and a land
tax, 1t was proposed to raise SO large
an additional income with these new
tax bills that no one could foresee
what the result would be or why such
great increase was necessary. With
so many bills pending IL became inn
possible to agree on any one OF them
and the longer the session grew the
further apart the contending Repub-
mean elements grew until on Friday
the day before the end of the session.
mere was an open rupture between
Inc TWO elements. Though possibly
approving some OF the bills proposed
IN theory yet when contributing what
IL had been possible to do In 1911
through the exercise of economy the
minority in both the House and Sen
ate consistently opposed all increases
IN taxes believing that such money
as was raised in that way would only
be construed as sanctioning further
extravaganza. Had there been unity
on the majority side il would have
been possible tor the majority to have
passed all 'he revepue biilsi introduce
ed during the special session since
the minOritv's representation in each
house was only about one-third.
Though some of the state institutions
will suffer through the Governors We
to of appropriations in the general bill
passed at the regular session, It liz
pt lied out a significant fact that
salaries of the State House cn
ploycs went rn' uched tv'ihstand-
ing that To-" a" been an und,c JInt-
able increase in such salaries as point
cd out by Democrats i'm voting against
| the bills seeking further to increase
| taxes. To substantiate the statement
| OF the minority that more economy
was needed and as a reason for the
| opposition of the minority to addition
al revenue bills. Senator Scott Lowe
in speech pointed out that the re-
1 ceipts from all sources for the year
ending September Both, 1904. amount
ed to ,356.26S.35, while similar re-
ceipts for they ear ending June goth.
| 1914. amounted TO S6.964 ,377I7. From
| 1904 to 1914-eleven years the salar-
les Of state house officials and their
| current expenses had increased from
Si09,770 per year 10 $2G6,G10 per year
| or an increase Of S15G.S40 per year.
| During the same period new Offices
have been created which together with
their current expenses for 1914.
amounted to 5000 200, making a total
annual increase in maintaining the
state house OF $357,O40 more I'm 1914
than in 1903. II was also developed
during the special session that the
J 1915 appropriation bill. for salaries OF
state house officials and the current
g ponses Of their Offices amounted TO
SG47100. or IN other words 25 per
cent Of the total appropriation bill.
Votes therefore providing additional
revenue have been looked upon as
countenancing a further increase In
salaries aud the expense ol running
The government. II any Of the reve-
nue bills offered had provided that the
funds arising from them we're 20 be
credited to the state road fund or
some other permanent fund. they
would have secured more votes. That
for instance was the position taken by
Delegate Huddleston OF Greenbrief
when he sought to offer an amend
ment to The coal. oil aud gas prOduc-
ton tax bill providing that "All funds
arising from this act shall be credited
TO the state road fund and used only
for the purpose OF building perman.
ent highways" An objection was
made tn such aa amendment, no op.
portunity was Afforded to incorporate
II in the bill. plainly indicating thai
the money to be derived from sncf
! additional taxation was IN no oeod fr