The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-26
NEWS :
GOSSIP

the road within her boundaries. and
the other states followed with a SINH.
liar request. Unfortunately state con.
troll did not result in any marked i'm.
provement. The counties which had
charge Of the portions within their
boundaries did not pay much atten-
ton to highway improvements and 1t
was not until the comparatively re.
cent organization OF state highway de.
partments that the old national road
was given any real care.
1t IS somewhat trite to point to the
fact that the movies have become
a large. fixed and influential business
In West Virginia, as they have In
every state, territory and outlying
possession OF Uncle Sam. The atten.
ton Of the West Virginia members OF
Congress was rather bluntly direct.
ed to that fact when the proposal
OF a national censorship was pending
last winter In the committee on edu.
cation OF the House, and again when
the revenue measure was up in that
branch, which bill plasters. SO the
movie managers and the movie fans
say. still another tax on their bust
ness and the common peoples most
cherished form Of amusement. Prob.
ably due to their attention being call.
ed to IT., these selfsame congressman
made use Of the movies for campaign
advertising purposes in the pre-prim-
airy period.
The bill is now pending in the Sen.
ate. and letters and kilograms by the
score are arriving In the offices of
Senators Goff and Chiffon, praying
them to see that the movies business
gets a square deal in the matter Of
taxation, and urging them to back up
Senator Broussard. of Louisiana, who
has u~nsheathed his sword in defense
Of the popular amusement. He charges
that not only is the movie business
taxed double, but he declares that It
Is paying six taxes already, and he
proceeds to prove his argument with
the District OF Columbia as a shin.
ing example, and adds that the Dis.
trict is a fair average Of what pre-.
walls In the states. He enumerates
these six taxes as follows: Theatre
tax, building inspectors tax, realty
tax, personal property tax, income tax,
and corporation tax. II the revenue
provisions in the bill now before the
Senate become a law, he asserts that
the seventh tax will be imposed.
The fact that the fve.cent picture
show almost has disappeared Is a re.
suit OF onerous taxation on this bust.
ness. Senator Broussard contends. II
further taxation is resorted he ex.
poets to see the ten.cent show follow
the "nickleodiums" into RELOCATION.
In place of the revenue that will be
lost by eliminating the tax on amuse.
ments, Sen. Broussard proposes that
all customs drawbacks be suspended
during the continuation Of the war in
Europe. In suspending the drawback,
by far the greater part OF which is
paid on sugar, Senator Broussard ex.
poets to aid the domestic sugar indus
try and at the same time add an addi.
tional S10.000,000 to the Federal IN.
come. This s10,000.000 will supply
the amount OF revenue lost by the elm
nation of the items in the bill plac.
ing a tax on amusements, on cordials
and the bank tax, which was eliminat-
ed by the House, all OF which the
Louisiana man is opposing.
In response to two letters received
from West Virginia farmers who show
the good taste to read this %correspon.
dence, there follows an effort to sue.
cinctly and as briefly as possible, tell
what the rural credits or farm loan
act Is:
The act provides for the creation
Of twelve Federal land banks and per.
mits the establishment Of any number
Of joint.stock land banks for the pur.
pose of making loans at a reasonable
rate OF interest, for long periods Of
time, on farm lands.
A Federal farm loan board has com.
plete control over these banks.
Twelve Federal land banks are pro.
vided, one In each Of twelve districts
into which the country will be divid.
ed. These banks are empowered to
lend on first mortgages on farm lands
In amounts Of 500 to $4,000 for ap-
proved purposes. The loans are to
be made through Farm loan associa.
tons and agents. No loan may be
made for more than 80 per cent. Of
the value Of the land mortgaged and
20 per cent. Of the value of the perm.