The Democratic advocate., 1886-01-09
Showing charge upon the trea- 40,
sury yof.................s. S4,Oc<
OYSTERS.


The oyster question has not yet been satis-
fsctorily solved. and much remains Tor tine
study OF the Legislature, both OF pfacucal
and scientific character. The value anu eHtent NJ
of tbe oyster interest OF this state are not
generally known by the people or fully appfe-
Gated by many of our law-makers. Con
fronted at the threshold by conilictlng in5er- Ter
ests and the clash Of prejudices, our past leg Si
,Tl1iio" npon the theory that the haTmonizing
OF those engaged in the oyster trade Is para. para
mount to the proper protection OF the ValuaDlc
interest itself. With view to the ascer-
tainment of the number OF men aGtualIy
engaged in the catching o. 3t oystef yer Of hSe tbe
courts of the oyster counties. ana ~ .ile Toil
troller's office. and from Statistican eeKs'
and find that for 1880 licenses 10 Tong ngln5 70
Allowing men to q boat, we hnd eul- ooo
ployed in longing alone...- -;...,'';..., lo'ooo
Licenses hsrad % urease ............, una @ 1.O70
ALLOWING ad in h1cs rieI redeins m 1904
Licenses from the comptrollers once,
SOS in 1884 and $50 in 1888: aver -o
age number. .......:...'. '....' 1'V'o
Allowing d i haY men drcdain@. I1 M s,6s2
Mal.inO total number of men actually -.
employed in the catching OF oystels...zo,Ul- =
The oyster canning houses OF TINS S,ane ,,s Eins
Showing grand total of 40I12 employees IN
the different branches of the business. ABOUT
5000 900 bushels of oysters were caught tase .s
Season. valued at the low figure OF 70 cents
bushel, they produce the sum OF S;22o.ooO.
To approxiInate 10 some idea OF the capi,taai
invested in the catching OF oyssefrs sen M each sll5
local dredging craft at $500 and each hay eraII
nj 81 900. and we find the aggregate Taiuation
to be 81, ,46S. $50. ,,--.,. Or.
the most mart from this branch OF business
with families dependent upon them, anu Ine
large capitol they have 1nvsSred fr T9d and % Careful
leSislation The primary object OF the law
should be to protect the oyster BEDS ana guaI9
as far as practicable against their now Iaplu @
denietion Nature. left to ITSELF Will not re-
store the quantity of oysters taken from our
bars or destroyed by 1p constant ant dhg the large
number dependent upon the business lor
their bread. and the enormous capital en-
poyed should recommend an n e pS5r- s,,-
fher restrictions should be imposed anu Gu
forced as to the localities aud time OF dredg-
ing. and artificial culture should De encour- l
aoed TO assist nature in providing supply
e0tlal TO the increasing demand
Skilled oystermen inform US that weeks are
now consumed in loading vessels wherS
short time ago as many days sufnced
The oyster commission found the average
Weld for fourteen beds had fallen from 3Ss & IN
iSTGand 1 SO in 1879 TO Isl In 1851. ihlrty
heis examined in the summer OF 1855 snow
The average had fallen to l.2s. Th1rty-seNen
beds examined in the summer OF 1854 snow
tfe average had fallen to 80. Ihlrty-nlne
beds examined in 1885 show the average had
fallen to rs. Nearly the same ratio was oD, oD
tanned, there being respectively rs, 80 ?
OF living oysters lor each ousnSA VI ueau
shells. 80.
The current expenses of the present State
fishery force have been paid from the oyster
revenues which have proven s1fhcient Tor tne
p1rpose. In this statement do not include
the extraordinary ex fense Of building the two two
iron steamers. authorized by the net OF 1851 ~
and for which the State paid $62, ,O4S So. The
oyster receipts for the fiscal year 1880
amounted to s79.704 II. Gross ordinary dis
birsements to sos, ,030 20.
haf decisions
the past year upon the constitutlonality ~
Of that claiise OF the law by which
the State requires license to be taken out 70
corpus Judges Dond, of the United States
Court, and Irving. OF our State court; have
both discharged parties arrested for violating