Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-07-14
CREEHBRIER'S CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS

GREENBRIER'S CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS
DR.. G.. +. McClintic. present mem
her Of the West Virginia Legislature
and candidate for Congress on the
Democratic ticket from the Sixth
West Virginia District has some
forward looking ideas regarding
State and National Government.
His ideas of State Government
were evidenced in his advocacy Of
forward looking Legislative meas
ures in the last Session of the State
Legislature and his ideas of Nation
al Government are being expressed
in his campaign speeches.
He believes that the way to get
rid Of All undesirable tree is not to
prnne its branches, which only send
the roots deeper, but to attack the
roots. SO in State government. Try
ing to decrease State expenditures
and not remcdying the defects in
the system of administering State
affairs is futile and hopeless. TO
decrease appropriations only Grip
pies the machinery and the antag-
onlsm resulting intensities the vic
louS practices. While in the Legis-
lature he advocated Commission
the purpose of which was to cor
relate the work Of the various state
agencies looking to a reduction OF
their number. While the ReDubli-
can finance committee refuses to
consider this Commission i'm fav-
orablc light yet it was calculated nj
a conservative estimate to save
H3oo'ooo annually. 1t merely meant
the introduction into West Virginia
OF governmental methods employed
IN other states.
The creation Of Il commission 10
study the hospital situation was de-
featcd. although this proposition.
advocated by The Delegate from
Grecnbricr, was for the purpose of
looking TO the cIcmination of Il
large number of the 80 hospitals
supported and assisted BY state
funds and the establishment of n
State Hospital. This item costs the
state over $1,193,000 annually vet
there are states much larger than
West Virginia which get along with
one central State Hospital, use it as
a Medical School, and it returns a
net profit back into the State Treas.
urcry. We have two. and will soon
have more Colleges supported by
the state competing with the State
University. The institutions are
costing over $4,000 annually. In
inns there is waste due to duplica-
ton of work.
The work of the Extension Di
vision OF Agriculture at Morgantown
finds the Department of the Com
missioner of Agriculture competing
with its in doing extension work in
Agriculture. The last Legislature
could have saved the tax PAYERS
$3OO,0O0.00 on this item by follow
ing the suggestions Of our Delegate.
lie sought to further increase cf-
hclcncy by merit system to be ap-
piled to the appointment and con
tinulng in office OF efficient state
employees. 4 system introduced in
to Federal departments many years
ago by Grover Cleveland.
He believes that a Commission
should be appointed TO formulate a
SClcntltic system Of taxation for the
State and that the tax question
should be taken out of politics.
where it is used only TO attract votes
Al the last session of the Lcgisa-
lure neither party could estimate
approximately The revenue to be dc
rived by their tax bills. Because
Inc gross sales tax carried an en-
rmplion Of $4,000, our representa-
tive voted for it because he knew
That it would not apply to our farm
crS ana small business men, and
since these constitute majority Of
our Citizens in Grccnbricr he was
looking out for the interests of the
greatest number possible.
The vicious thing about the pres
emf tax law is that it permits the
Tax Commissioner to make uD any
deficits that occur by increasing
real estate values. This hits the
farmer whose business is on the de-
cline. Farm products are Shrunkcn
in value by dcilation, farm acreage
and the number OF farms have de
CrcScd for the past twelve years.
the value Of farm land is dccrcaS-
ing, and farm mortgages have in
creased from 50, 900, 900 in 1912 to
over &1l 100000 in 1922, or 1904
per cent. In the face Of this we see
our assessments going up in order
TO make up for The lack Of a Scicn-