The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-03-18
ecIare too Much Attention
Has Been Paid to vir-
girlia's Interest.
llHN BILL ON CALENDAR
Imposes Privilege Tax
{ On Oil and Gas Trans
portation.

CHARLESTON, W. Va, March 1S.-
Nearly four hours were spent by the
Senate yesterday afternoon in consid'
eItng amendments offered to the com.
mfttee bill on the settlement Of the
Virginia debt, though most of the pro-
posed changes were voted down. The
amendments were offered by Senators
who took the position that the bill
81 drawn considered too much the in
forests Of Virginia and not enough OF
those Of West Virginia.
The hardest fought contest was over
the proposal to change the revenue
feature Of the bill. AS drawn the bin
provides for the laying Of direct
tax on all the property Of the state
to raise the fund for retiring the bonds
and paying the interest on them an
nnally.
The first amendment was to strike
out the section which makes this
provision, offered by Senator Harmer
and supported on the floor by Sena.
tors Duty and Morton. They con-
tended that the hands Of future leg
islatnres should not be tied in regard
TO the manner Of laying the taxes to
retire the bonds, but he left free to
lay some other kind of tax for that
purpose II they should find proper
source for such revenue.
Opposing the amendment, Senator'S
Sanders and Fox contended that II
future legislatures found other means
81 providing the revenue, that could
be done, but in order to make con-
tract satisfactory with Virginia under
which she would accept West Vir-
ginia's twenty year bonds in full set
tlement OF the debt, the bill must
show on its face a means of raising
the revenue which would be available
X necessary to the end Of the term
o. the contract.
Senator Sanders further declared
hat the main question to be consid,
Bred was the passage OF bill that
would satisfy Virginia on the terms OF
settlement she had offered, by which
West Virginia would escape the five
y per cent. interest imposed by the court
ind he relieved Of paying millions of
dollars she would have to pay under
he execution of the court judgment,
The amendment was defeated, after
which Senator Morton offered another
proposing that the money be set aside
bg the Board Of Public Works each
rear from the general revenues Of the
state Il sufficient funds not otherwise
appropriated were aVailabue, and II
such moneys were not available In the
treasury from other sources, then the
direct tax should be laid. This amend,
laent also was defeated.
The bill retained its place on the
calendar on second reading for fur.
Their amendment today. A new bill
was introduced by Senator Arnold IN
permit the purchase Of bonds from
state funds at their market value
though 1t would not affect the pro.
vision OF the settlement bill by which
this state is to retire the bonds as
presented, at par value. An effort
10 amend the debt bill to provide for
the retireent OF the bonds by the
state at market instead OF par value
was defeated.
The house yesterday was the scene
Of hard contests ,one in the morning
over the adoption of the Wysong anti.
league OF nations resolution; the other
this afternoon over the finance CON-
mtttee's report on the John bill, pro-
posing privilege tax on the trans.
portation Of oil and gas.
BY q vote Of IS to 81, the minority
report Of the committee was adopted