The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-10
SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS
AND ROADS IN NEED
State Has Been Miserly in
Supporting Its Institutions
Schools and Hospitals
Inadequate Natural Gas
Tax VIII Give Funds for
All Purposes.

Hon.. Jesse \. Bloch. state senator
from the First District. arrived in the
city saturday on q short business trip
and returned to Charleston last night.
Mr.. Bloch is serving his first term in
the state senate. He has hal leSisla-
tive experience in the house OF dele
gates. and is one of the most active
members of the legislature. He has
taken a keen interest in legislation and
is a strong advocate OF progressive
measures. He feels that the state in
stitutious of West Virginia are not
supported on the scale that they ought
to be; that many of them arc not dong
the work that they ought 10 do; that
their facilities are inadequate, their
help insufficient. and that often the
buildings. themselves. and equipment
are absolutely unworthy OF the state
Before leaving for Charleston. Mr..
AN interview, expressive Of his opinion
upon these subjects. He said:
TOO Little Revenue.
my study of the state institutions
and Of the financial situation in West
Virginia. convinceS me that we arc rals-
ing entirely TOO little revenue and that
VIC arc doing too little. for the people
Of the state. The state Of West Nir-
Einia raises revenue only TO about the
amount of S2.S5 per capita. Only lar""
or four Of the poorest and most unpro-
xressiSe states in the Union are taN-
ing on this basis. Many of the eastern
and more advanced states. raise rev.
enue to the amount OF from S>.0O 10
$500 per capita. and the states that do
this have good roads: good state instl-
,utions and good schools. and they
serve the citizenship as state gov
srnment ought to serve it. wish to
say to uYy own constituents. that tho
condition of some of our state iustltu-
tions is a shame and a disgrace. Not
that any money has been wasted. be-
cause We have very little to waste. but
simply because We have not approprl-
ated and spent il for the needs Of our
citizenship At the Weston insane as
ylum last year. I am informed that pa
tients. many of them in feeble health.
were compelled to stay in bed for days
at a time. because of an HadeQuate
heating plant. The plumbing At that
institution. is very defective. and the
conditions threaten the health or the
;nusates. am blaming nobody for
this. other than the miSerly. cheese
pairing policy that has been followed
in raising taxes and approprlatihs
money for our humane Institutions
Men who. are interested in the state
who have worked faithfully 10 ouHa
them up. tell me that it is almost an
invariahlc rule that when they develop
a teacher of a high grade. some otner
state comes along and offers him Il
much larger salary than West virginia
pays. and he is gone: many or the sons
and daughters of West Virginia, have
left this state to give their services TO
other states that have not been so
economical in their conduct. Be IT SAID
10 the credit of some loyal West Eir-
sinians serving in these schools. that
they have declined higher salaries OF
fercd by other states. in order TO stay
in West Virginia and live in West Elr-
Sinia This condition ought not to eN-
ist West Virginia is one of the rich
est states in the Union. Its resources
are infinitely greater than those OF any
other state east Of the MISSISSIPPI
river. and all those resources. in various
WAYS. are turning millions of dollars
into the pockets OF their owners we
ought to maintain the schools OF west
Virginia on as liberal basis as the
schools Of any state east of the Mis-
sissippi river are maintained. and It is
our shame that We do not do so.
.Tubercu1osis Santtar1um-
From a talk with the superintendent
of our excellent tuberculosis santtarunn
at Terra Alta. learned that we have
facilities there for taking care OF TWO
hundred tubercular patients. and yet
they estimate that there are over one
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