Evening star., 1934-04-15
DRYS TO. GATHER
IN WEST VIRGINIA
Will Fight to Retain State
Prohibition at Charles
ton Convention.

! VI AIC NOt1ilA1S I'ol1tA(dl
received impetus in West Virginia in
the last week with the announcement
by Representative John Kee Of Blue
field that he will seek reelection to
! the House and not run for the United
States Senate.
Kee was prominently mentioned as
Senate candidate. His withdrawal
marks the second Democrat to take
himself out of the race. The other
was former Gov. John J. Cornwell,
now general counsel for the Baltimore
g. Ohio Railroad at Baltimore.
The remaining potential candidates
include Col. j. H. Long of Hunting
ton, former Senator w. E. Chiffon of
Charleston. Speaker Ralph Hiner of
the House of Delegates, Arthur B.
Koontz of Charleston, Louis A. john
son OF ClarkSburg, Gray Silver of Mar
| tinsburg, and J. Alfred Taylor of Fay
etteville. On the Republican side.
Senator Henry D. Hatfield is expected
to run for reelection.
Another political DEVELOPMENT was
the united dry forces call for a State
| convention in Charleston on Tuesday.
May 8, to discuss plans for activity to
retain the State prohibition amend
ment, repeal of which will be voted on
in November.
Reorganization of the Home own
ers' Loan Corporation progressed with
the appointment of Henry Simms of
huntington as chief State counsel.
Personnel for five districts, including
managers and attorneys, were chosen.
District headquarters are in Charles
ton, Huntington, Bluefeld, Wheeling
and Martinsburg.
An indictment for fraudulent sale
OF securities in the Guaranty Invest
ment Co. Of Charleston was dismissed
IN the Raleigh County Criminal Court
at Beckley against Edgar C. Lawson,
1ormer State auditor. He was presi-
cent OF Guaranty until it went into
recelVership a year ago. Thirty-one
other indictments will be called I'D
next june NJ
The Public Service Commission Or
dered an investigation of rates
charged by the Wheeling Electric Co.
ana the Federal Public Service Cor
poratlon OF West Virginia in a num-
Der OF towns. The commission is
pursuing a broad program of utility
rates inquiries, its appropriation for
that purpose having been boosted
from $4,000 annually to Sl50,O00 BY
the recent Legislature.
Sales Tax.
Increased public discussion of the
per cent consumers sales tax de-
veloped following publication by the
Charleston Gazette that the yield will
be about $30,000,000 in the next Is
months 1t operates, rather than the
$6,5OO,O estimated by State officials.
Tax Commissioner Fox termed the
newspapers estimate ridiculous" and
was supported in his view by DR.. Ste
phen P. Burke of West Virginia Uni
Verslty, who helped draw the tax bill.
The regular and three special ses-
sions of the 1888 Legislature cost the
State more than half million dol
lars. Auditor Sims reported the total
expense at $538,2O876.
A strike in the Logan County coal
fields, affecting 1000 miners, appar-
emily growing out of misunderstand-
ing and disagreement over the new
wage agreement signed at Washing
ton, ended following Intervention by
the United States Department of La
Dor and the Joint effort at conciliation
Of operators and the United Mine
Workers of America. The dispute
over wages in the Fairmont district
continued. Gov. Kump appealed to
the N. r. A. to effect temporary
agreement, so the $4,000 idle miners
might return to work
Other news developments of the
week:
A. Spates Brady, president of the
State Board of Control. reported re-
pairs and improvements had been
made to State institutions through the
civil works program costing more than
81 .OO0, 900.
The Wheeling gas case, involving an
appeal by that city from the Public
Service Commission ruling upholding
52-cent rate for Wheeling was
argued and submitted to the Supreme
Court.
F. Witcher Mccullough, State direc-
tor of the National Emergency Coun-
Gil, pushed plans for prosecution of
employers failing to display code reg
ulations for information of employees.
The State Department of Education
allotted $347010 to the various coun-
ties as school aid.
The Road Commission opened bids
for construction jobs in Barbour, Han
cock, Logan, Monongalia, Ohio, Kama
wha and Tucker Counties.
George w. Reeves of Charleston was
reelected president of the West Vir-
ginia Association of Retail Grocers at
their convention in Clarksburg.
Tax Commissioner Fox announced
penalties will be added May 1 against
all taxpayers who have failed to make
returns under the new gross income
tax law, taxing all incomes over $500
annually.
The Board of Public Works set May
1, 2 and 3 for hearings on public
utility assessments for the next fiscal
year.
James Kay, IS, prominent in State
as coal operator, died in Charleston.
Mrs. Martha o. Goff, 90. the widow
of Aurelius D. Goff, and owner of
large real estate holdings, died in
Clarksburg.
Jean Samples, 18, of Clay, was killed
in a railway car derailment near
Widen.
william A. Nichols, jr., a chemical
engineer, died In an explosion at the
Du Pont Ammonia Corporation at
Belle.
Charles Edward Chafin, 20, the
nephew of William 8. johnson, for
mer State treasurer, was killed In an
.c4L~~k d.