The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-07

ought properly TO belong 10 the people Oh
Virginia for public uses such as the rest
of the ground TO which this article VIII
be addressed. But Captain Baylors work
is now completed, and much OF IL put
to record We have, therefore. an accu-
rate chart OF the whole OF the bottom OF
Virglnia's rivers and OF the Chesapeake
Bay, the whole bottom Of which. up to
the Maryland line. belongs to Virginia.
We can, therefore, lay out farms and
lines upon the bottom OF the bay with
as much certainty and accuracy as we
can lay them Off on the surface of the
earth.
There arc about COO 200 acres OF this sub
merged territory. not natural rock, which
the state may dispose Of as she sees IT.
by dumping oyster shells. clay and stone
upon these bottoms vast areas OF them
can be converted into profitable oyster
producing territory. II costs a great deal
OF money, though, to prepare them as
oyster beds. and no one, therefore, is go
ing TO 90 It, unless he can get either a
ground Mt. a long lease or a clear and
absolute title TO the ground that he i'm
proves Connecticut is improving the bot
torn Of Long Island Sound by selling it,,
and she Is producing wonderful results.
She commenced It IN 1874. and she has
thousands of acres that we're worthless
then and are now worth more than 800
NJ xt,af N
Long Isand>>sound is about thirty-iive
feet. The average depth in Chesapeake
Bay is about thirty feet
If the ,eople of Virginia will rouse
themselves TO a due appreciation Of what
may be done with the bottom Of Chesa-
peaKe Bay, they can add to their taxable
resources and thereby deCrase their pres
cnt taxes most materially. TO do anything
material three things are absolutely in
Gispensahlc. We must sell oyster farms
under a plan that VIII give the purchaser
a title to this land, either in fee simple
or ON "A very long lease that is just as
fixed, certain and determined as mans
title to his farm above water. He will
never in prove it until he can get the full
benefit of the improvem ent. Second. we
must throw the ground open TO the entire
world as bidders for it. Third, we must
allow the oyster farmers TO use al such
appliances for cultiyating oysters on their
farms and for taking oysters up from
them, as they may find most useful for
prosecuting their business In other
words, we must give them as perfect
freedom in cultivating their land under
the water as we give to our surface farm
crs in cultivatirg their farms above the
water.
The first point ought to require no
&rsup ent to enforce H. II ought 10 be OBJ
vious to every one that no man is going
TO spend his money TO develop an oyster
bed unless the bed is to get the benefit
after 1t is developed The foundation of
any move whatever that aims at making
our water bottoms valuable must be the
granting of such title as will accomplish
this to the person who is to create an
oyster farm.
our present law provides that these
grounds may be taken up, but. it does
not give a satisfactory title, and IL con-
fines the opportunity of taking up ground
to Virgnians This is all Wrong and most
short~sightcd. What We ought to do is to
turn the bottom -oG chesapeake Ba1 into
a fertile territory that will yield us taxes
at the rate of land worth 800 an acre,
and will bring into the State all the
wealth that would follow converting this
waste territory INTO vastly productive
land. 1t is not a matter of any moment to
us whether the persons who do this are
Nirginians or others. As soon rs foreign
ers put their money in the bottom of the
bay they become Virginians quoad hoe.
We are always asking foreigners to come
here and erect manufactures. Is there
any difference in principle between the
two cases? our present laws forbid 'he
use of steam dredges in taking oysters.
ard it is all right TO forbid their use on
the natural rock, so long as the natural
it is Lcnserse to forbid the use of them
on oyster farms owned by private mdi-
yiduals, which have been created by those
with their own money. These
should be left to use steam dredgcs or
anything else on their own property that
they find they can make the most salts
factory use of. Steam dredges are abso-
lutely necessary 10 profitable cultivation
Of oysters in deep water. They are used
in Connecticut, and the Improvement OF
the oyster land goes on steadily under
their application
When we do these three things, to-wit:
such titles as we have de~Sribcd
10 the purchasers of oyster farms, open
ing the auction to all men, and permit
ting them 10 use on their own property
whatever machinery they find best suit
Ell to their wants, we shall take a step
towards adding immensely to Nirginia's
wealth Shall we longer sit supinely down
and allow this golden harvest to elude our
grasp?
-----------------------
THE AMERICAN BIMETALLIC PARTY.