Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-19
TO PRESERVE OYSTER BEDS.

TO PRESERVE OYSTER BEDS.
A Mass Meeting In baltimore Favors Their
Transfer to Private Control.
A largely attended meeting was held in Balti-
more last night in the interest Of the oyster
industry of Maryland The mayor of the city
presided. and the list of vice presidents COM
prised leading business men of the CITY, Some
of those present were Gov. Jackson. ex-Nayor
Latrobe. ex-Mayor Hodges. Judge Wright
Judge Dennis, Frank Brown. CONGRESSMAN
Herman Stump. II. y, Bankard. State Lecturer
Bradley Of the Farmers Alliance. State Senator
Coffin of Prince Georges county, Senator Daw-
SON of Caroline county. United States Commits
siouer Bond. Robert ID. Morrison. G. h. Benson
Of IT. MichaeI-. VIM. T.. Ford of Somerset
county. Alexander i. DolfeId and Jacob
SchOmfarber.
The sentiment Of the speeches were that the
control of the oyster beds of the state should
be transferred to private individuals. The
speakers were Prof. ". X. Brooks Of Johns
Hopkins University, Mr.. John r. Ccwen, Alr.
Marshall Macdonald. United States fish COM
missioner. and Col Thomas y Hodson OF Crist-
field. Prof. Brooks used cOlOred drawing of
mammoth oyster and chalk drawings on
blackboard 20 illustrate his address MIR. COwen
explained details Of his speech with the aid of
large map OF Chesapeake bay and its tributa-
ries. The meeting adopted resolutions recon-
mendng the legislature to transfer the oyster
beds to private control and TO pass proper laws
70 protect the oyster industry
FUTURE OYSTER SUPPLY NESACED.
Mayor Davidson made a short address on
assuming the chair. during which he said
that the prosperity of the business and the
continuance of the food supply are menaced
With nnal destruction cannot be doubted.
In general way the reading community
learn Of the fact and something of its
eauses. but. with respect to the remedy. few
are sufficiently informed to form opinion
worthy Of PRONUNCIATION action To do so
requires an extent OF practical knowledge of
the habits and habitat of the oyster and of the
nature of the oyster business and of the claims
of the several classes of persons engaged in
the oyster industry. which Is possessed by few.
1 confess that 1 among the Uuenightened
this subject and / seek for hight and sug-
gestiOn. holding myself ready TO cooperate
IN any plan for relief. just In its nature, to
all concerned
REVOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
After Mr.. HodsOn's speech the following
resolutions read and adopted:
Whereas the oyster beds of the state of
Maryland are being rapidly depleted and are
now threatened with absolute destruction uu-
less preventive measures are immediately
adopted; and.
Whereas. the said destruction would throw
thousands of people out of employment. drive
away our packing houses ruin our oyster deal
ers. cripple. If not destroy. the business of our
canmakers and affect more or less injuriously
the whole peOple Of the state of Maryland.
Whereas the threatened extinction of oys-
tiers in Maryland water, is solely due TO the de-
fectiyc condition OF our laws relating to Oys-
ters. which do nothing to encourage their arti-
nclal propagation. and,
Whereas, the artificial propagation of oysters
constitutes i'll other states important and
profitable industry. and. if introduced in Mary
lind would add enormously TO the prosperity
of all classes of our citizens. yield directly
large revenue to the state. retain the packing
houses now established here and bring MANY
others into list. furnish steadier and more re-
mureratiVe employment To dredgers ard
tOnger-. attract desirable class of InnigIa-
ton TO this state and largely increase Its taxa
bic basis. and.
Whereas. the artificial cultivation of oysters
can only be conducted successfully when COM
United To individual enterprise. therefore he II
RsSOtr"L. That the general assembly of
Maryland l. hereby respectfully urged to sell
or lease To individual culIiyator-. under proper
restrictions and reservations at least portion
Of our bay. that the feasibility of oyster
ing may be practically demonstrated TO the |
people of the state. and that such legislative /
measures be adopted as Will arrest tine threat |
ened destruction of our beds. and place the |
oyster industry on such basis that il will not |
only be self-sustaininG, but will tighten the |
burdens of our taxpayers by yielding large /
revenue to the state. anu III addition to this |
will give employment and profit to many
thousands of our people.
DEFLETISG THE BEDS
Prot. ". h Brooks OF Johns Hopkins
University. in his address, showed the develop |
ment of the oyster industry of Maryland and
the Chesapeake during the last fifty-six wears. |
Taking 1862 a. the middle of this period. and as
an average. by the most careful computation
the dredyers gathered in that wear 8. 663. LIS
bushels in Narylan and Il .0s3. z09 bushels in
Virginia. while l.2l6.35j bushels were tonged i'll
Maryland and 8. 954. 200 bushels in Virginia.
About half these were sent to Baltimore. and
the rest TO Washington. Alexandria. Boston.
Fair Haven. New York. Philadelphia. Seaford
and Salisbury. Ten years later. he said the
harvest from the bay had increased to II, 600 000
bushels. and has continued TO increase. AMI the /
total harvest since the establishment of the
packing industry. 10 1872 900 900 bushels or. to-
gether with the local consumption along the |
bay. 400. 900 bGshels-a vast amount of deli
ciOus nutritious food Welded by our waters
without any aid from maE- The fact that the
waters have wIthstOOd this enormous draft on
them Is most conclusive evidence of their
fertility and value. Citizens of Maryland and
Virginia might well be proud over such bound
less resources of the magnificent bay were
il not for the indifference and lack Of fore
sight and blind trust III the natural adj
vantages. which have brought this grand in
heritance To the verge of rIin--a fact clear
that 1t can be no longer hidden from sight nor
explained away. -Four hundred million bushels
of oysters IL vast quantity. but only shows
the wild crop. without aid from man. as il com
pares with what might be obtained by cultlva-
tion in about the same way that the nuts and
berries Of the swamps and forest compare with
the harvest of cultivated fields and gardens and
orchards
Many years of labor would be required to
bring the whole bay under thorough cultiva-
ton, and II would require great army of in
dustriOus farmers anu great sums of money
but the expense and labor would be much less
than an equal area Of land above water re-
quires. and. while il may be far away. the time
would surely come when the oyster harvest OF
each weak could be equal t. the total harvest Of
the last nifty years, ami this would be obtained
without depicting or eXhausting the beds and
without exposing the laborers 10 hardships at
unusua, risks.
Our opportunities are unparalleled for rear
ing oysters and III other countries much less
valuable grounds have. by cultivation, been
made 10 weld oysters at l. rate per acre which
III our beds, would carry the annual harvest far
beyond the sum Of all the oysters which have
ever been used BY the packers of Maryland and
Virginia