The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18

than
No one who is familiar with the soil
and climate of the United States, as
whole. and who knows what her SPLEEN
did interior transportation facilities are
can believe that the people of Tidewater
virginia will ever be able on their land
to compete successfully with the people
who inhabit the rich and extensive allu-
Wan plains of the West in the produce
ton of the staple agricultural products.
The yield per acre IS TOO small, anu lhe
cost of production is too great, compared
with the conditions which exist In the
West, to make up for the difference IN
the cost Of transportation from the West.
As to vegetables, they are necessarily
produced upon limited areas. General
prosperity can never come to an extern
sive and sparsely populated agricultural
community by their production alone.
Where then shall the people who live on
the las miles Of the Virginia shores OF
Chesapeake bay and its tributaries look
to obtain material wealth and prosperity
They must look to the vast, productive
territory covered by water, Whlch lies
at their very doors. They have here bot
toms which will produce an abundance
Of food which the very richest bottoms
Of Illinois are powerless to produce-a
food which can safely be sent with our
present transportation facilities TO con-
sumers a thousand miles or more away
ut was shown in a former letter that
Connecticut sent hundreds Of barrels or
oysters across the Atlanuc)
Accoring TO the most conservative es-
innate, Virginia has eight hundred thous-
and acres Of land well suited for the
profitable production Of oysters. Such
experts as Professor Brooks and Lieu
tenant Winslow (from carefully executed
| surveys give even n larger area.
Could the people OF Tidewater Virginia
utilize this vast domain, and realize only
/ as much per acre from the sale OF oysters
/ as is now realized on an average Tor every
acre which has been taken up In the
whole State of Connecticut, an average
/ Of $15.2O per acre for the SO,963 acres taken
up. Connecticut Bureau of Labor Stats
| tics 1890, page 116) they would have each
/ wear twelve millions Of dollars to be dis
4 bursed amongst them, where it has been
/ shown that they now have barely more
than one million Ca sum which has been
constantly diminishing. Statistical Re-
! view Of the Fisheries of the United states
1891, page 2o6).
What would be the effect of this change
on the value of the lands which lie ada
| cent TO the oyster farms, and upon the
/ trade of every merchant who does busl-
| ness in these communities?
Where oysters are known 10 nave
| grown naturally without human ald anu
| i'm sufficient numbers to enable q man 10
earn a profitable days wages by gatner-
/ ing them with ordinary appliances IL mas
/ been the custom TO accord 10 every cll-
/ zen of the State the right cat certain pc
/ RODS Of the year, 10 gather oysters NnSn
| ne has paid certain speclhc taxes IOI VIC
! privilege Of doing so.
If the principle advocated in this letter
| is correct these natural beds are the
nropertv OF the State, and the state mas
/ the right TO impose these taxes. 1heh
only can these valuable natural deposits
/ from which the oyster areas may be eX-
! tended be preserved from destruction,
| Natural oyster beds can be exhausted
/ unless they are protected Ihey cannot
| Dc so protected unless they are the recos-
lied nropertv of the State. The people
vino earn their daily bread from these
natural oyster deposits are more inter-
| ae+od than anv other class can De III
fraelv according TO the State the owner
ship Of these beds. ,..
me writer. after years Of experience
! amongst oystcrmen, would De the laS.
10 sanction any measure whlch "ouIu
| vest i'm any individual or company o"n
+ shin i'm these natural oyster uePoSi,9'
They should remain the properly VI .r0
| ctota which has perfect right 10 pre-
so,,,,e these spat-producing beds by impos-
in,, any laws necessary for their pieser-
,,afion so long as all her citizens are ac-
oorded eoual rights and subjected 10 the
same restrictions. 900
Since. then, all natural oyster peuS ar ar
} the property Of the State, from whlch All
nave an equal right to gather OYSTER >
a. is nlain that II the oyster area IS 10 DC
| oy,tended by an expenditure or lapor ahu
! carttal the boundaries of these hatuIal
denosits must be clearly dehheu anI
LEGALLY delineated. How otherwise couiu
! Iabor and capital be made secure III theii
! results? - ro,,sto +,,re
Strange as Il may seem, the Legislat uIe
! 80 Vtrginia never, until its last session.
o,,hori2ed a survey legally dellheallls
! -, boundaries of the "natural oyster
hods rocks and shoals -.
Can n surprise us that indiVidual enoi'
! "a accuuulated capital have never psen
t,'a,,ced 10 go largely into the cuitiVatioH
- o,,sters I'm this State? IL Is surpilsihs
maj they have done so AT an. AT.
ITortunetely for the citizens OF tins
CO and especially for the men VIM
- ,beir daily bread from these hatui a.
s.' go. denosits 0or thus only can they "
! Oya11O-.-...a, this survey has at last peen
authorized and is now wen au, ""e T.
| Connecticut has already nauo Let ar
ealized a survey OF her hd. ,s a. the
beds Her Legislature nrst uiu VIZ -
Virginia Legislature, unfortuna.ey 49,
NOT vet done. 1t clearly denneo' ior .nos
who were called upon TO deiIsa,e 'n..S
beds what was. In the eyes OF w,
| a natural oyster bed. (An act enu'iso -