The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-10
NEEDS MORE REVENUE
CONTINUED Prom. Page ons.)

thousand tubercular patients In west
Virrinia who would use this, sanitaflum
II they could be received there. and VINO
have no. place to 80 for treatment.
Possibly worse even than this. VIC nave
not a single institution In the state
of West. Virginia TO which tuocrcular
child can be taken and receive treat
ment. have been told Of horrible
cases Of tuberculosis going. through
whole families, particularly in some Oh
the mining and industrial sections OF
the state because It was not possible
10 send the first tubercular patient 70
any institution for treatment. Our .u,
berculosis sanitarium is doing eplenolo
work with q pitiful small equipment. IL
ought to have Ave times as large or
there should be five times as many SAM
tariums in the state as they now nave.
What Is more, the sanitarium at Terra
Alta is even now only partially equipped.
It has no electric lights; its heating
system is not adequate and the SAM.
tatlon Is not good This is not said
IN criticism Of the management. but
solely as a plea for a more liberal sup
port of state institutions Up a.
short time ago the superintendent.
most capable man, had no place in q.
which to live or to keep his family.
Appeals Denied
II have sat on the finance committee
OF the senate and heard appeals. TOT
appropriations and support made by the
heads Of all these institutions but par
ticularly was impressed BY the elo-
qucnt appeal made BY DR.. Guthrie, head
OF the Home for the Incurables at Hunt
ington. DR.. Guthrie 10 . man OF the
widest experience and IL enthused IN
his work. and capable to the highest
degree. He knows what the institution
needs. and YET with the revenue which
we now have we*had to deny most OF
his appeals: to cut. down the appro-
nrlation which he asked and to give
only a small amount Of. the support
TO this splendid charity which we
thought II ought to have.
A NsturAl oAs Tax. -
III West Virginia were a poor st1te
this situation might be excused, but ftS
is not a poor state. We lack funds
simply because our legislatures have
not had tho courage and the vision
to strike for the right sources Of rcve-
nue.. and to provide funds which our
state needs for its schools. FOR good
roads and other things that It needs.
Personally, am hearty advocate OF
the suggestion that the development OF
natural gns in West Virginia should
pay a liberal revenue to the state. VIC
nre pumping this great fluid fuel out
of the state by the billion Of feet every
day. We are denudinE ourselves OF a
great natural wealth, which goes 10
stimulate the industries and increase
the comfort Of people Of other states.
We ought to have revenue from this.
There are many ways by which VIC can
obtain II. The tax upon gas transporta-
ton in pipe lines, il properly Gradu-
ated and placed. will give US revenue
Of from two and onc-half million 10
three million dollars. II our lawyers
think such q tax Is not constitutional.
we an impose tax on the gross revc-
nues of these companies, such. as the
state Of Texas imposes, and the state
Of Ohio imposes. which will give US
nearly two million dollars Of revenue.
Entirely apart from the need for new
revenue that Is going to arise from
the settlement Of the Virginia debt
question. we need new revenue to build
good roads in West Virginia: to estat-
lish a good common school system and
to pay our teachers decent salaries: TO
increase the number Of our humane IN,
stitutions. such as the asylums, the
hospitals and the tuberculosis SANTA
RUINS. want to say 10 the citizen
ship of this state through the columns
OF The Intelligencer that II the people
of this state could inform themselves
as to what is going on at Charleston:
if they could hear the piteous. appeals
that are made for a more liberal sup:
port OF our hospitals. schools. colleges;
II they could realize how inadeQ"ately
these institutions are performing their
functions, and the amount OF actual
suffering that results therefrom, "
would not be long until mandate went
up 20 this legislature, and a perpetual
mandate would 90 to all other Ieslsla-
lures, 10 impose tax on natural gas
or any other natural wealth. suificient
10 take care OF our public duties IN
the right way.
Il believe that ut the present tme the
tax on tho rHasural gas Of the state
Is the logical one for the state to I'M
pose. 1t will not r SO many years
that we will have this source OF ~eaith
as a means Of taxation and nope that
throughout this section Of the state ana
among our citizenship generally oe-
innnd will 60 up for this form OF taxa
ton for. the purpose OF providing 10!
our state institutions on decent scale.
und that that demand will be heard in
such Il way al Charleston that IT ean-
not be ignored"
Doubtless the returned soldier would
1 with