The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-18
Shameful Waste Of Public Money In Wild Orgy Of
Extravaganza, Interests Willing to Spend and
Waste, but Not Willing TO Pay
Predicts the Gross Sales Tax Will Fail. Farmers,
Small Merchants and Workers Will Bear Head-
est Burden Of Taxation :"''~. ,~ ':,7@:'7..

Gross sales tax bill could not have
passed the Legislature without the ac-
| tive interference and support OF Gov
ernor Morgan: nor Is II too much 10 say
that tho influence OF the Governor
office throughout the entire session
was at'thc disposal OF the coal opera
tors combine, and was used by them
Tor their own purposes whenever they
wanted It
Kopt the Mine Guard
I'm support OF this statement ! want
to point out his action upon two pre-
vious matters. The first OF these was
! the mine guard bill. The Republican
party was pledged by It's platform TO
legislate for the abolition Of the mine
guard system. 4 bill was introduced
TO make this possible. 1t was acted up
on by the judiciary committee of the
senate and was brought out on the floor
Of the senate where It rema ined on the
calendar for 4 few days. II could not
have been defeated from the floor of
either house, but the coal interests were
against It's passage. They feared the
loss Of their political control in the
counties where the mine guard system
Is most fiagrantly in force. and accord
! lngly brought pressure to bear upon the
governor. He in turn passed it on to
senate and succeeded IN having the bill
taken back to the committee room under
pretense that an amendment was to be
offered. The mine guard bill died there
It was tabled in the committee room
and never again mentioned.
Moro Police Tor Coal Operators
~ scant two weeks later there was
another manifestation OF the influence
,irk Dot A,y ~ fpfA ncfg
the governor Of the state. The increase
recommended for the department OF pub
, lie safety was being held IN the COM
mitteo room. 1t would probably not
have been reported out. Morgan went
! TO the committee and cXerted his intiu-
ence to have 1t brought out. II was
! taken from the hands OF the committee
, and passed the senate before the op-
position had time to crystalize.
The politics played In the pa ssage OF
the gross sales tax bill were of the
most dcspicable sort Men having bills
J of purely local Importance wcrn in
many cases forced to play into the hands
! OF the coal interests or suffer the Oppo.
sition OF those forces to their bills. IT
was current talk that such methods
were employed to force Senator T. \.
| Hill OF Middlebourne to fall into line. A
|
| the fact that Senator Hills bill provlG-
Ing for the establishment OF Il state nor
nal school in Tyler county was not re
ported out OF the committee until after
, he had taken his position with the sup
/ porters OF the sales tax and that there
after II passed the senate. 1t Is also
matter OF record that the bill was there-
| aftrr defeated by permitting ii to die 4
natural death on the calendar Of the
house OF delegates.
Used 8tgw1rt'0 OEhea-
Il believe that the department or ag-
riculture was used as \ tool OF the cual
! interests to cut down tho opposition IN
the lower house. and eventually TO in
sure the passage Of the tax bill This dc
pArtment under the leadership OF Corr.
missioner James H. Stewart. collected
last year foes amounting to $65.2&5.71.
Sot one cent OF this money was ever
, turned over to the state treasury but
was administered by the department -
keep on the payroll the immense army
OF attaches maintained by Commissiontr
Stewart This money comes from the
enforcement OF the feed fertilizer and
Seed inspection laws which cost the
state a total OF $24,5o0. This leaves
about $4,000 a year for the department
70 expepd as Il Will introduced b.il
which would have made it neces8ary for
the commissioner to turu these fees over
(c0nEtnnGG On PAg0 BtnA)