The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-04-25
|WhyLegislationD Demanded
|BV The Public Is Defeated

~~~~~~~~-~~-~-~~0~ -
! rent iu,,:, ;,!uai in ~ state OF West
| NirE ala "ut ii.utl:eh with any "t the
| interests uqntrl WHO las been bold
| enough !" publicly assert that any OF
! t,r legislation ahny" r"t"rrcd TO vas
! crurc>sd or enacted in favor Of the
! masses. who ultimately hrrc TO bear
! The greater hur'icn Of taxation. such III
/ div!dual has uut Vet boon dlSr"Fercu
! I: : not Thought t'iAt HnI iA!r hhnu'u
! mil, i,luai Will contend t'ot any of tho
! ier;S,,tion referred - WnUld II enacted
! into law NJ, any burden from me
! masses whom /: must i've admitted ihat
! the gross <ai"T tax hill allows ScNcr'i
,nr 80 s;r",al interests 20 pay less tatc'
ard cIerupc cor'HiH Others from INC
: paymSat II any ta\"S az %I'' H"'"''n-
standing the t2v commissioner contends
! ,ha, tho coal. oil AMI gas interests pay
, rnar,v twice Ms much taxes - the
, manufacturing interests the hsureS
, furnished BY his own office show that
all together these interests do nnt pay
az much taxes ne III" coal lnuua'F
alone costs tho state ~ West Virginia
- administer AMI p"o;cc: Y. II -
thought that the interests that are de-
p!e:lnS the taxan," wealth oc the state
and removing :. from The state should
nav 20 the state At lnaSt what y costs
the state - pro:Hr: those interests ana
besides their reasonable proportion or
tho costs % administering the stA'o
government ou;s!d" o. tho lines IN
which they are engaged. In either
event . "a not behaved thsre - any
process OF analogy tina: can he u'ea ny
which x can Re rha s"1cd that IN" onr-
dars OF taSa.!on 70 bs assumed by the
coal. Of! and sss interests on tho one
, o. lOf
on tho other hand are even compa rahle.
as tho coal on and gas interests de-
s,rov the taxable wealth Of the state
IA tax source through tho depletion
OF the state'S n2tura! resources while
tho manufacturing interests create
wealth
! would They Re 1lsoesdf
! Would the gas consumers ot the
! northern panhandle nominate and elect
! mon to the legislature 4f they knew IN
advance these men would vote for
! bill tina. would authorize gas companies
! to charge step-up rate for natural
gas? Il t possible thcro Is any intelli-
gent consumer OF natural gas In the
| state Of West Virginia who believes
! that such legislative policy would
! conserve natural gas for tho use OF
/ West Eirglnians? Until there has been
|
! companies TO furnish n supply or SER
! vice oc natural gas 10 West Nirg'nians
| before anv IS transported from the state
! for consumption In other states and the
! constttutlonahty OF that legislation fin
| ally decided. what eneot other than to
, restrict West Virglnians In tho use OF
gas at a much higher price could such
/ legislation as proposed at the last ses-
sion OF the legislature possibly have?
! Could it he that tho raising OF the
legal rate Of interest from So TO sec
would be benefit To the homo owners
| Of the state whose homes are covered
| by deeds Of trust and those whose
business requires them 10 be continually
borrowing money from tho banks In
! this state? In whose interest would
! this legislation hn except those engaged
! In tho banking business or those who
! had money 10 loan" Could anyone
| argue that the exemption from taxation
OF notes or bonds secured by deeds OF
! trust would benefit the man on whose
! home there was deed OF trust or
property II tho corporation mada liable
| by the lien securing the payment OF
the bond: The only possible result Of
| such \ policy Of Legislation would b..
the making Of heavier burden OF tax
alton for tho borrower and oHemptinE
! wholly from taxrtion tho lender. Can
! Z 30 hat an Intelligent electorate
! would vote n exempt tho bankers ana
! tho money class from taxation and
4 place alt the burden OF taNat ton upon
, those least able - bear it?
! How Many votes!
! For example. suppoS" on~. ~ thA
/ states population -cpuId BE- classed A.
! money lenders This would l"av. NnT
, to BE- claascd as borrowers. Under tho
| proposed legislation ,this 2n"- or ono
! NTH Of the people would secure al OF
! their loans by specific lien (de"ds Of
: trusD. in which event this one hfLh
would pay no taxes n AL as thry would
! convert all OF their taxable property
, into money which they would loan TAX
! ing deeds Of trust as security. This IL
! not all. but In addition they would col
! lcct 81 instead OF e.. thus q - soon
they would entirely escape all taSa''on
| and collect a third moro lut"res' than
! thev collect under existing law. Th" TO
! suit would he the shifting Of the bur
dcns OF taxation 10 tho poorer classes
! allowing the money lenders TO Cs"a""
! without contributing anything toward
| the expenses OF government. Car u
; possibly be that an intelligent elcci"r.
| ate would vote to return any man :" t.
! legislature who voted for any lcs,S'2.