Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-19
THE OYSTER QUESTION.
a Mass Meeting in baltimore Discusses
1.-THE Meetings. Conclusions.
LBY tolegraph to the Dlspatch.l


BALTIMORE, March ls.-The agitation Of
tho question of the preservation of the
Chesapeake oyster found expression to-
night in great mass-meeting. While the
speakers have been heard before they were
not the less attentively listened to. The
importance of the oyster industry TO the
trade of Baltimore and the prosperity of
Maryland was strongly presented. The
necessity for the meeting was admitted by
oil orators and auditors.
Professor Brooks, of the Johns Hopkins
University, twelve years ago gave warning
70 the people of the danger threatening,
and to-day IL is demonstration that many
oyster-beds are practically eXterminated.
Owing to this. destruction of oystcr-beds
nineteen large firms OF oyster-packers have
removed either the whole or part Of their
plant TO other localities. This exodus from
baltimore of these firms has been due TO
the fact that the supply Of oysters in this
market has been constantly decreasing in
quantity and gradually decreasing in quail
lty. The magnificent showing of 5000, 900
bushels in 1875 of first-class oysters of the
very highest quality has been reduced TO
3,0O0,000 bushels in 1891.
The departure of the oyster-packers 20
other shores means much for this state.
Oyster packing is IN its nature connected
with the canning Of fruits and vegetables.
The oysters are packed during the winter
months, then follow the smaller fruits and
vegetables and corn and back TO oysters
again, thus keeping steady round and
routine of work the year through, fur
nlshing wealth TO the employer. money to
the laborer, and business 10 the various in
dustries in the city and State. Take away
the OYSTER packers and every truck-farm
IN the State is injured. In the city of Bal
timore alone there are $4,000 900 of cans
made annually which are largely used by
the local packers.
The twenty-six packing houses that call
ed the meeting pay out in weekly wages
the ANNUAL sum of 81, 1,350,0OO, This pay
ment is simply for labor done. The can
makers have payroll that amounts TO
S935,0O0 per annum paid out in weekly
wages to labor. At least 5000, 900 per an
mum is paid out for the mere printing OF
labels IN this city. More than a quarter of
q million of dollars are paid for boxes,
which are made in this city, which use up
fifty million feet of lumber. Twenty thou
sand carloads of freight are produced
which are carried by the railroads.
The conclusion of the meeting was, first.
that the land under water in the Chesa-
peake and its tributaries and IN the other
waters OF the State capable of producing
oysters should be made the subject of pri-
yate property, precisely as the land above
the water is, and that the laws of the State
should be so changed as TO authorize and
protect private property in oyster-grounds.
Second that the people of the State
should be educated, through the press,
through popular meetings. through pam
phlets, and all the machinery and literature
of ordinary popular agitation, to the i'm
portance of the oyster question, and that
the politicians Of the State and city Of
Baltimore should be made to understand
that this great interest can no longer be
neglected, and that men must be chosen
for the next Legislature who have got in
enough, courage enough, and
intelligence enough to carry their conylc-
tions to the statute-books of the State.