Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1921-04-19
WEST VIRGINIA NEEDS MORE
REVENUE.


acquainted with conditions in the
state. The question is by what form
of taxation this revenue will be rails
ed There is now spreading over
the state marked sentiment to place
a tax on gas on the gross revenue of
the gas pipe line companies just as
Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and all other
lgas producing states have done.
Ohio has for years been collecting a
per cent in this way.
This sentiment has been crystaliz-
ed by the failure to collect the trans
Iportation tax on gas which has made
a large deficit in the revenue of the
state.
Hon. Fred o. Blue in recent adj
dress said: 1t is recognized and con-
coded, of course, that every ton of
coal, limestone and glass sand, barrel
of oil, and Foot Of Natural Gas,
when once mined, is just so much of
the natural resources of the state
gone and gone forever, for in the
very nature of these things they can
not be reproduced by human skill.
1t would, therefore, seem that if the
development of these natural re-
sources proceeds simply to enlarge
the output or production thereof,
without such constructive program
as suggested, that the day will come
when those coming after US will in
quire what manner of men we were
to have left no marks or monuments
of wisdom, foresight and statesman
ship, in this, that out of the wealth
of these great natural resources we
built nothing and left nothing to pos
terity. To illustrate and for clear
ness: 1t is said that the supply of
natural gas in the state will last only
a few years and that we have passed
the peak of our oil production and
manufacture of lumber. Therefore,
is it not true, and does it not follow
that as and when the gas, oil and
timber pass, as they must pass, that
there will come-indeed must come
the increased burden of taxation
upon the then remaining main
natural resources, namely, coal,
farming and grazing lands, and ulti-
mately the latter two when the coal
passes?
Ex-Governor John ]. Cornwell in
his last message to the legislature
said on this subject: 1t is lament
able fact that our natural resources,
coal, oil, gas. timber and limestone,
are being exhausted at rapid rate
without the state having derived the
revenue from those resources which
should have been obtained. The
man who owns farm, or town lot,
| is constably improving it. 1t be-
comes more valuable, for taxation
purposes, every year. Not so with
mineral or timber lands. The timber
is removed and much of the land
thereby and thereafter becomes
worthless. The removal of the gas
and the oil is for all time. When a
coal field is worked out desolation
follows, unless it happens that the
surface is tillable, and not infre-
quently the surface of tillable land
| is destroyed in removing coal.
There is for these reasons, marked
difference in the character of the
properties mentioned, a difference
which the state should take into con-
sideration in adjusting its tax system,
| if justice is to be done and if taxes
are not to become unduly burden
some to our agricultural interests and
to owners of urban property"
Governor E. F. Morgan said in his
inaugural address: "The three to
five million dollars needed should not
be raised by levying direct taxes
upon the assessed values of real
estate and personal property of the
people of West Virginia. The direct
taxes of the state, county and city,
he said, should be held down, not
increased. / hope to see no act of
Legislature increasing direct taxes,
unless accompanied by proviso that
such increased taxes should not be
made unless voted and approved by
the people of the locality affected
Since about three-fourths of the
gas of West Virginia is going out of
the state the people are no longer
hoodwinked by the scare-crow that
the gas tax will be passed on to them.
They realize that We have Public
Commission in this state to prevent
that and even if it was passed on
they would be willing to pay any
form of tax, if they can get the
people of other states to pay three
fourths of it for them.
They realize that the local con-
sumption is growing less each year
and the expectation of gas is growing
consequently larger.
Just what action the present legis-
lature will take on this question is
not known but if the people of the
state voice their sentiments by letters
to their representatives and senators
this tax will be imposed and thereby
the uncertainty of collecting the
transportation tax, will end.
The women of the state are taking
an interest in this matter and they
have begun to learn that their letters
are just as effective as those of the