The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-01-02
NATURAL GAS TAXATION IN
West VIRGINIA.

- Il WEI JINSt%NIAA ~
From the Wheeling Inteliigencer.
The lntelltgencer Is n receipt Of
some interesting figures covering the
development and the TRANSPORTATION Of
natural gas IN West Vlrglnia.
IN the fiscal year ending June 80.
1913, . grand total Of 2S4 billion cubic
feet ofSnatural gas was produced IA
this state. OF this amount 9S billion
was consumed in the state. Only 90
billion Of the 90 billion, however, was
used for manufacturing and domestic
purposes. Twenty.four billion was
used In field and main line work.
Twenty-four billion was consumed by
carbon black plants. One hundred and
ninety billion cubic feet was taken out
OF the state to enrich other commu-
mites.
There was once IN this state q fond
belief that our natural gas resources
would be the means OF creating great
industrial prosperity, and for q time
this promised to be the case. Impor-
ltant manufacturers were attracted TOT
Clarksburg, Fairmont, Morgantown
and other points in West Virginia by
cheap natural gas. Then the pipe line
came; the big pumping station came
Year after year, West Virginia gas
poured out in increasing streams to
other states. with the result that only
little more than one.sixth OF all the
gas produced in the states is now
kept in the state to be used by West
Virginia manufacturers and citizens.
And mark this significant fact: The
production OF gas in West Virginia for
the twelve months ending June 80,
1918. was 16 billion feet less than in
the preceding twelve months, but the
net transportation from the state was
only six billion cubic feet less. In
other words, while the production Of
gas In West Virginia suffered de-
cline of about 5 per cent, the amount
consumed by West Virginia manufac-
turers and citizens in their homes and
public places declined over 16 per
cent, while the amount taken out Of
the state declined only about 8 per
cent. 1t would be hard to prepare fig
ured more convincing as to the policy
Of the great natural gas companies
Year by year they are depicting the
resources Of West Virginia and year
by year they are choking our own in
dustries, taking from our own citizens
this great natural wealth and trans
porting 1t to other industries and to
other cities outside Of West Virginia.
The time is not many years distant
when the natural gas Of West Virginia
will be gone. Natural gas production
is destructive industry. The pipe
line company comes along, leases o
piece OF ground, drills Q well, obtains
gas, pumps 1t out Of the state, ex-
hausts the field, and then moves on,
leaving West Virginia that much poor.
or Unless West Virginia soon obtains
some material advantages from the
development Of its natural gas wealth
this great property will be taken from
us, and to our children it will be only
memory. Soon the opportunity to
enrich and improve West Virginia by
the use Of this splendid fuel will be
gone. We have already lost much
valuable time, but IL our law makers
are courageous and honest they can. /,
AA4tstAO VI NAAIo R1OkVASy q 5SOuAS0s04 ASsfI
enue which will meet every require
ment Of West Virginia and provide
every need Of our state institutions for
some time to come.
Natural gas is today selling in Chic.
and Pennsylvania cities at from 80 to
40 cents per thousand cubic feet. "A
tax equivalent only to cent per thou
sand cubic feet on the gas carried out
OF West Virginia would bring reve-
nue. of close to to million dollars per
year more than twice what is neces.
sary to take care Of the Virginia debt,
enough to help make West Virginia,
in the course Of few years, one OF
the best equipped states in the United
States; to take care Of our humane In
stttutions, to help in the development
Of our schools. to make better roads,
and to contribute to all thiGg5 which
great state ought to have for It's citi-
zenship.
Now is the time for West Virginia
to take decided action On this great