The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1891-02-13
The OYSTER QUESTION.
The People of Washington AskJustice.
Special Cor. STATE CHRONICLES


Special Cor. STATE CHRONICLE
WASHINGTON, \ c., Feb. Ill have
carr r'iIlly read the communication from
Beaufort, \, O., in Sundays CHRONICLE
apo0 ne oyster question, sigued Ex-
2erie ce.' IN it the writer attempted
10 ans"er former communication in
he CHRONICLE from Washington, N. c.
shall lot attempt to answer in detail
the various points advanced in his letter
because cannot see that it adds any,
thing new to the question before the Leg
Islature. 1t was written from the stand
point of a citizen of Carteret county
whose waters are all shallow, and where
longing Is the only method by which
oysters are caught, and where under no
circumstances could dredging be done.
1t should be remembered in the consid-
Grafton Of this question that large sec
tlon of Eastern North Carolina is inter
ested In oyster catching, and that If i
not alone confined to Carteret county.
There are two methods of catching
oysters, which are naturally distinct.
and 1t may be stated that where toneing
IS done that dredging should not be
done, and vice versa 1t may be stated
as an unequivocal proposition, which is
not denied by your correspondent, that
oysters cannot be caught with tongs in
the open and deep waters of Pamlico
Sound. 1t is also equally true that
| dredging under proper restrictions does
not damage the natural oyster beds any
more than longing, and Lit Winslow
and other experts state positively that
this method is not so injurious. It then
follows inevitably that il you confine
the catching of oysters to longing
that those sections contiguous to the
| shallow water only can catch oysters.
and that none will be caught ont of the
deep waters of Pam!ico Sound. Such a
law would be class legislation, and would
be positive discrimination in favor of
one section against another The people
of Carteret county, it is admitted, each
oysters with tongs out of the shallow
waters of Core Sound; and, of course,
one would naturally expect those people
to oppose dredging, because it would
give them monopoly u the business.
Will the members Of the Legislature
consider this seriously If they do, |
am confident that they will refuse their
approval to such clas5le legislation.
Again: This question must be consid-
cred under the present state of facts,
and not as they existed before the pas
, sage OF the temporary law, which pro-
hibits dredging The people of Wash
: ington, and manyof the most conserva-
tive people in Hyde and Pamlico coun-
ties, are not opposed to dredging pro-
vided the privilege is confined to resi-
dents of the State. Everyone is a unit
l | in favor of confning the privilege to
citizens of North Carolina; and while
they ask the privilege to dredge oysters
IL the deep waters of Pamlico Sound,
: which would not otherwise be caught,
> they do not ask it unqualiiedly They
- believe that, although the privilege is
confined to our people still, it should
! be surrounded by all necessary
= and proper restrictions; in fact, they
are willing TO any reasonable restrc-
! ton upon the privilege to dredge. All
? that they ask is that they shall not be
:. absolutely prohibited from dredging the
. oysters, which would not otherwise ba
= caught, and thereby obstruct the devel-
= opment of their great resource We do
!. not demand any restraint against the
! people Of Carteret county who catch
|
= that we shall be permitted to catch the
oysters which are tributary to our sec
~ ton. Your correspondent asks "CoulC
= any fair minded citizen of Washington
20 or any other town ask the State to give
- to noD-resdents hundreds of thousands
~ of dollars worth Of oysters for the pur
~ pose of employing from six to sever
hundred women and children in shuck
jng at one cent per pound without any
= benefit to the State or to her people?"
~ Certainly our people do not ash
y any such privilege of the State. w,
10 not only suggest, but insist that th,
III privilege shall be confined to citizens o
- ~ our State and that their privilege be sur
ns 10 rounded by rigid restrictions If on
oe people do not engage in dredging, thel
~ ~ no oysters will be dredged, and the ar
70 dent wish of your correspondent will b.
.;" realized. Your correspondent furthe
- says: "It is wise to let them remain
~ there until the shallow water oyster
~ ll become scarce, or until the people o
nc the State deem it requisite that tn
Nc laws be so amended that our ow
r citizens may dredge in deep water"
This is the milk in the coaconut
They ask the Legislature to allow then
to tong with no restrictions in the sha
low waters Of Cartaret county, and the
n when the longing grounds ale exhauste
/: they will graciousiy ask that dredin
al may be allowed in deep waters. Whs
ed an unselish, patriotic citizen of Cartars
,rk county your correspondent must be.
ir. As one Of the committee appointed b
zes the citizens of Washington to preser
,il- their grievance to the Legislature,
,od again ask this honorable body that the
viii will not sanction such an unwise an
an discriminating law.
john a. SMALL.