The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-01-13

campaign or 1914, financially or QUIZ
erwise, and some say they did not
vote: but both were on hand bright
and early in 1915 to organize the leg
Islature against Governor Hatfield
and, as was evidenced later to the
most dense, in the interest Of special
privilege. In this they also failed.
The real "anti-Hatfield" faction
was matured after the governor took
the position that more revenue was
needed to take care Of the impover-
ised condition of the state institutions
and that 1t was necessary to provide
additional finances for the dissemina-
ton of knowledge In combating in
fictitious and contagious diseases and
for other purposes In the state, and
to provide revenue to take the place
of that amount lost by the elimina-
ton Of the saloon from the state. He
was in no way responsible for the
loss Of this license revenue: 1t was
the people who expressed their will
In this regard by a majority OF more
than 10000.
LiIly's Opposition.
The "anti-Hatfield" crowd took the
position that the state needed no ad-
ditional revenue. Even the attorney
general wrote a treatise on the sit
nation to the effect that it was the
duty Of the governor to borrow, al
though 1t was admitted by the state
auditor and the accounting depart
ment that he could not pay it back
until a legislature, to be elected some
time in the future would provide ad-
ditional revenue laws to take care OF
the situation. This stand was taken
Notwithstanding the fact that the
statute which permits the governor
to borrow money only gives him au-
thority to do so for a period not to
exceed eighteen months, when at the
time the demand was made that the
governor borrow the money 1t would
have been twenty-four months before
the legislature could be regularly con-
vened. And besides. the Senate pass
ed a resolution to the effect that the
state did not need any additional fl
nances.
After this resolution had been
adopted by the Senate the legislature
adjourned sine die. Two weeks lat
er the state suspended payment of It's
ordinary expenses. z. 7. Vinson. coun-
sci for the coal operators association,
who opposed all revenue measures,
was interviewed and asked to inter-
vene and lend his aid in cleaning up
this unfortunate situation, which he
refused to do. Mr.. Mann was inter-
viewed in Washington by at least two
gentlemen and by one in Huntington,
but in each instance he refused to
give his assistance in relieving the
states financial difficulties.
People Are Addressed.
The governor went before the peo-
ple and gave them the situation. An
address was prepared and published,
and finally sufficient number OF
state senator's became awakened to
the situation and assured the COVER
nor that II the legislature was recon-
vened relief would be forthcoming
The lawmakers were called together
with the happy result that the state
was relieved OF its financial embarass-
ment.
The additional revenue measures
adopted we're in the way Of COM
promise and were not those most
strongly advocated by the governor
A fourteen cent levy was permitted
by the legislature. The charter tax
was double, and not corporation
has been lost by this act, but on the
contrary, many new ones have been
added since the act was passed. One
half of one per cent of the net earn
ings Of all corporations, In keeping
with the federal law, was authorized
to be collected from corporations OF
the state, proceeding upon the theory
that any concern doing business In
the state would be willing. II it made
500. 900 n year, to contribute an ad-
ditional $500 over and above any tax
cs 1t might pay to assure the build
ing up OF the commonwealth. and in
case no net earnings were realized
there would be no obligation to pay.
Az an evidence that such a law is
fair and equitable 1t was cited that
majority OF the states In the union
have identically the same law. or one
more stringent than has West Vir-
ginla.
To Reduce Tax.
An audit has just been completed
by the state accounting department.
which reveals the fact that $1,000
one will soon be expended to relieve
the crowded condition Of state instt-
tutions. Such an expenditure has