The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-20

3
tIlfs Vas brought TO n peace nl end
within a few weeks. there came Inn
tmediately disastrous food III tbs
Ohio valley DEMONSTRATING Immediate
iFeltrf to many vino were, destitute
The Virginia debt case. the gov-5
ernor Dointed out, had ia ken much
lime. but this had been opened and
the riginaI amount Of more than
| s. 4. 90 I. with interest amounting
4 osthree times that amount, accord
ing to- Frginia's claims. was reduc-
ed one-hnlf with an attempt being
made for further reduction.
II he Workmen's compensation de-
I paTfinent. he said is protecting
| 800 700 laboring men. while the pub
| nc service commission IS protecting,
prior to that time went On witt out
regulation.
n Referring To the litigation over the
Light and Heat Com
parry, rate case and the charges III
Hconr1eetion thersMit b, including the
indictments against A. Leo Well,
iscounsei for the company. charging!
/ th.t he attempted to bride members
icf the commission, Governor Hat
field declared these so-called sensa-
iiations had been developed BY the
tcnmpany's repEese nt atives with 2
dishonest purpose. 2 He said the
people Rave waited patiently for tho
true situation, but through the ef-5
forts or Heifs counsel every effort Is
being pitt forth to prevent the de-
cision of either the civil or the Grim
iDal case. the one involving rates.
and the other involving his own lib
lerty Adorned in the robe OF re-
former. how long has he been able
TO fool the people Of tho sister state.
Now that the cloak Of deception has
been dismlntIed and the real truth
has, been permitted to prevail, let
tsponslbiItty where II rightly belongs.
and a.sUlution TO those entitled trI
IT,
Continuing as to the We'll case
Governor Hatfield said:
The real facts will mean utter
disaster TO those responsible for the
colossal temple OF corruption and
crime upon which this unholy al
lliaHcc had built Its hopes of de-
stroying regulations as well as those
an whose hands the administration OF
the law was left. From the acts at
tempted by the chief performer Of
this big and corrupt institution. the
people have q chance to see for
themselves what an awful combina-
lion greed and money make in the
hands Of unscrupulnus and dishonest
men. ! have naught against this
man or his company. know moth
Ing of the merits OF the case that
was passed upon by the public seTv-|
Ice commission Of this state
Governor Hattie made the state
ment that West Virginia has been
fair to corporations and that it has
the union, MAJ :eossiEEs ~ .s- ~axII
reform which wan adcsteu by Rel
publican legislature some ten years
ago. and -through the development
OF this reform since 1906 no corpor-.
alton has been asked to pay on an
average OF more than bne cent Of di-|
rect tax toward defraying the ex-
penses Of the state government, not
Withstanding that many OF them had
many considerations extended toE
them by the state at NO pdditional
pitfalls, mining departments COM
pensation department and the ma
tional guard These items amount I
to tat least s250,0OO a year under
ordinary circumstances and TO muchE
more than that in times Of turbulence
and dissension.'' t
u He pointed out that ii. 1914 a ten
cent direct tax was assessed, four
cents OF which went to the coun ties
in support Of the free schol system.
Taking a large trunk line railroad for
comparison (narne not given) the gov
ernor showed that this concern oper.
ates 27F miles IN contiguous state
and paid under a gross excise tax law
a tax equivalent to an assessed valua-
ton OF $196 per mile and under di-5
rect tax of 4.61 cents sum equal to |
an assessment OF SAL per mile, total
of 1926 mile. The tax now levied |
on this same corporation in West Vir-al
gfnia is $13 per mile for state purposes
and r. the same excise tax law were
in operation in this state the total |
assessment would be $128 per mile in
West Virginia as compared with 1896 |
in the neighboring state.
This railway company, it was point
ed out, gets seventy per cent OF It's
tonnage from West Virginia.
Governor Hatfield declared himself |
IN favor OF government regulation Il
based upon intelli gence and equity /
and opposed government ownership as
NOT being practical.
The governor said that Tailroads i
are taxed higher in this state than any
OEheF#ciaS OIL AcDfpofauOnS8 unless 1t H
is the banking interests.
Taking up the com paTtson OF ane
cost OF the state government with that
of other states having about che same /
population, Governor Hatfield showed
the per capita cost in West Virginia
at present to be Sl.55. Other states
show the following Connecticut,
s5.5S;; Kansas, s2.S6:: Maryland, $50
Nebraska, $3.50; Washington, $4.47::
Virginia, s3.2... Last year the costst in
West Virginia was SITS.