Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-28

then 70 New York. Rhode Island. Naesa-
cbnsefts. California, and Europe that
these favorable results arc due. hrst 70 the
energy and ability Of the oyster-growers
exercised In laborious and expensive
experiments, and secondly, 10 ne sctse poary
Of G,e Staie IN ora far on.'ntng % az ..s
jnflsfrv; that they do not ask the state To
expend money annually TO raise oysters for
them 10 catch, as in the case OF fioating
Ash, although thu industry Is ccmpara-
lively in its infancy that u y serious
onesticu whether the State should not OF
Ier bounties rather than impose taxes
that any tax that would retard the devei-
opmept OF the business might deprive the
State of large revenues IN tuture; that the
money received from the sale OF every oysss
ter crop is ultimately taxed in the form OF
investments in real or personal property I;
that the crop until sold IL in peril from
storms and marine foes. many OF which
are vet unknown. and the. crop conses..
ouently ought not TO be taxed that 1t VIII
take from two 70 three years OF expensive
experiments TO learn whether the ground
is suitable or not, and it would not be fair
to tax any ground until found avaiiapie ,
that the franchise is conditioned upon the
cultivation in FIVE years, otherwise u may
DO forfeited that at present II is the poll
CIV of the State to refrain from taxing the
outside grounds, or. If at all, IL should be
merely nominal tax-say eleven mills on
an acre"
10 which the commissioners. who bad
learned something from lunch-counters
and dinner-tables, replied: Many other
suggestions have been made, but after
carefully weighing everything brought TO
their attention, the commissioners nave
reached the conclusion that there Is no
GOOD reason for departing from the usual
methods Of the State in laying and col
lectiug q tax not only upon the grounds
but also upon the oysters growing thereon.
An oyster farm is analogous to a cattle
farm. BY law the land of the latter 10
taxed on its assessed value, and so are the
cattle. young and old, and they are taxed
every year No one questions the pro-
priety of the tax, and the commissioners
see no reason why oyster-grounds and the
oysters that feed thereon. young and old,
should not be taxed in like manner" First
report. pages $3.50.
These extracts have Of course been In
troduced for the sole purpose or showing
that the industry has elsewhere onered
specious reasons for exemption from taxa
ton. which were susceptible OF an easy
reply, and that it was and is natural to ex-
pect the same reasoning here. III so, a
lunch. counter" antagonist might delect
and expose some, and the balance ought
not to survive a struggle with the commit
tees of the House and Senate.
If nm oyster has sometimes the green
gillsr the General Assembly ought not to
be green enough about its gllls TO fall 10
see that planter who opposes report
from shell-fish commissioner on all points
that are vital to the oyster industry and
the revenues Of the State assumes he
knows it ALL" and is possibly an advocate
of his own interests, perhaps, at the ex-
pense of others.
/ believe the State ought to encourage
the oyster-planting and farming industry,
not only in liberal but In generous
way; but also believe that there are
some things she ought TO know thoroughly
before She makes radical departure from
her present policy. II. .. Thomas