The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-24
THOSE OYSTER LAWS
The Changes In Them to Be Asked for by
the State League Of Tongers.
THE PRESENT LAWS UNFAIR. THEY SAY.
They Want Laws which VIII give
the Poor TongcrS EumnI Rights
With the More Extensive pIunt.
ers = Yesterdays Meeting OF the
Stnte League.

Pursuant 10 adjournment the State
League Of Oyster rongcrs met in Can
mons Hall. at he foot of Plume street.
yesterday morning to consider the pro
posed changes in the oyster laws. which
Will he submitted To the Legislature
next month. Mr., G. j. Cannon the
president of the organization. occupied
the chair. and Mr.. j. T.. Stephens. of
Norfolk county. was elected secretary.
Hon. Charles T. Bland, mcmher of
the House OF Delegates from Ports
mouth, was present, and made an ad-
dress he being In full sympathy with
the League and its purposes.
The proposed changes in the laws
were considered at length. and copies
Of the same in the shape of a pru-
ton to the Lcgislaturcl viii be taken
by the delegates to their homes for
signatures of oysterncn and other citl-
zenS.
The following are the changes which
the League will ask the Legislature
to make in the oyster law:
(a) To require the Oyster Inspectors
TO be elected by the vote of the people
of the several counties and cities al
the general elections of the county
and city officers IN such counties and
cities respectively. ami to make the
official bonds Of such inspectors $500
law.
Tie inspectors are now appointed Ivy
the Judges. The reduction in the bond
is asked for the reason that no inspect
or ever has In his hands ut any one
time near the amount Of the present
bond.
O) To require that the notices of
applications for oyster planting ground
under section 2l37 of the Code of 1887,
shall be fled in the Clerks office of the
County Court Of the county In which
the lands applied for lie and be re-
corded by the Clerk Of said court, and
properly ndcXcd in Il book to he kept
for that purpose; and that. copies OF
shid notices shall he posted. as reuuir-
ell by law. at the courthouse of said
county. and at two or more prominent
points convenient 10 the said grounds
designated in said notice. and TO mako
the rental twenty-five cents per acre
for planting ground, instead of one
dollar per acre, as NOW.
This change is asked i'm order that
the tourmen can know. by reference
10 the records, Of all applications that
ara made. and thus have an opportu-
nifty to protect their interests. The re-
duction to % cents an acre Is asked
in order that the tongmrn, who are fire.
qucntly small planters, may be put
on an equal footing with large planters.
who can, at present. lease ground at
- cents an acre. after Il certain number
of acres are leased III 81 each.
(c) TO permit the sale OF seed oys-
tiers out Of the State i'll the spring
months.
The tongmcn claim that under the
present law they are prohibited from
selling seed out of the State in the
spring while the large planters are
not thus prohibited; that the planters
buy the seed oysters from the tong
men. throw the oysters overheard on
their thc plantcrsD ground then re-
catch them soon artcrward and sell
them out of III" State. at large adj
vance over the price paid the tongmcn.
Under law permitting the sale of
seed oysters out Of the state in the
spring. the tonsmen believe that the
prices they now get for seed win be
largely increased.
oysters between the Isl day of Sep
,cmbrl" 10 the 3lst day of May doth
mclusvc). instoad of only between the
LIST day of September and the 25th day OF
April. as now provided.
II is claimed that this change will
help prevent the tonSmcn from having
10 exc out "a miserable existence as At
present. that several Of the present
oyster month rs are SO hlustery that the
men cannot work ana that the avcra Sc
WAGES they HOW make is only about ST
Il week; that The change in the law
VIII ubt ll'' W iHt tttllilcnt OF the
oysters as they do not IL is said. begin
To- spawn till after May.
t") To permit any person or his per
soual representatives having had oys-
ter planting grounds assigned to him
10 sell transfer, assign, or suhlet the
same to any other resident of the State
Of Virginia, without restriction as ,o
price
This change. ii is ella imcd. Will he
simple justice: that at present ground
can only he transferred at the pricc
paid for it-$l an acrc-while il may
have become very valuable by reason
Of Improvement during the lease Of
the party desiring to make the trans
fer
90 TO remove the prohibition Of talk
ing oysters with tCn"0 less than 2ia
inches IN length, measuring from mouth
to hinge: and 10 provide that all ovs
trrs taken from natural he'd. rock ar
shoals in Tie waters OF this State ox
ccpt on eastern side of Accomac ana
Northampton counties. shall he clean
cullcd, upon their natural rock bed or
shoal. as taken, ana all shells shall he
replaced upon said rock. bed or shnal
80 To repeal section IL OF act AN
proved February -. 1852. ana make tho
same apply only to shells. ana not 10
oysters icss than two and onrLhaIr
inches III length.
II is claimed that the law limiting
the size OF oyster4 caught is impracti-
cable: that the tongmcn canr3t obey
IL, because they could not make a living
If they did.
th) 10 make dredging oysters, cx-
ccpt as otherwise provided in sections
2i6i and 2lG'. unlawful. even upon The
80, al itr,af "a II.