The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-14
THE vExED QUESTION
Shall Oyster Floats Be Permitted in Waters
Adjacent 10 the City.
MATTER SILL UNDER CONSIDERATION
a Committee OF oyster Packers do
Before the Bonrd ur Health ana
Protest Against II Recent Order
closely Questioned Loss TO Pnck.
crs-Dr. McCorIn!ck's Hrpori.

|
| The regular bi-wGekly meeting of the
! Board of Health 'Nas held yesterday
with Or. Newbill IN the chair and pres
ent also. Drs. Ch.lcs, Fields. Mccormick,
| Riddick, Health officer Shepherd, and
the inspectors.
The report OF DR.. Mccormick. city bac-
;er!olOeist. showed that out of 81 cases
OF reported diphtheria examined by him,
II exhibited diphthcria bacc!li. and in
two cases of reported membranous Group
both showed The diphtheria haccillI. l..
WAS ordered thai the secretary inquire
of all physicians who have not reported
contagious cases to the bacterioiogist
why they have not done so. and to notify
them that such action is compulsory.
OYSTER FLOATS.
Tho most important question to come
up for the consideration of the board
was the matter of permitting oyster
loatS III the waters adjacent 20 the city
|, will be remembered that some time
ago 1t 'Nas reported to the Board that
oysters for shipment to Northern mar
ketS were being kept in n float In Nc
Cullough'S dock, where Il sewer cmpties
1t was deemed that danger would thus
De created Tor persons using The oysters
and upon the advice OF the City Attorney
an order was issued prohibiting such
floats IN docks and creeks roudlbout.
y committee of promncn. oyster pack
ers-J. ID. Armstrong, l.. F'Eerstcin, w.
ID. Hemingway, John Pickett, !. Barker
MetZger and Matthews--uppeared before
the Board TO complain that this order
was great hardship To the packers.
and would drive away from the city n
number OF ;he largest of them. whose
pay rolls are from $500 to 81 800 per week
II was explained that the oysters fluated
here are cheap grade gotten from the
Eastern shore TO compete with the pack
ers at Cambridge Crisfield. and other
points IN that section, and that If the or
der of the Board Is enforced the advan-
tagc will so TO Portsmouth. where such
an order does not prevail. II was in
sisted that under the order of the Board
The price OF thnt Grade OF oysters would
De so advanced ;hat the Norfnil, packers
could not compete in handling them:
that IL the order is not modified the oyS-
ter packing business In Norfolk will he
practically Killed, and about 1000 per-
sons thrown out of work. In regard 10
the sanitary feature of the matter, il
was contendcd that no report has ever
come To Norfolk of the health of anyone
being IMPAIRED by the oysters IN qucs-
ton; that the packers would not know
inGly do anything dclcteriouS to heal N;
that the same water Which flows oyer
said oysters flows over crabs and fish
tnai are sold III Norfolk without him
drance.
CLOSE QUESTIONING.
1t was shown that there are flfty-one
vessels III the trade, carrying 500 900
worth of oysters. and that the object of
the floating Is tn clean them and make
them show little better Weld as well
, as to make them less salt Mr. Arm
| strong invited the board To visit his
| place. He was closely questioned by a
member somewhat as follows:
Would YOU let Your family eat those
OYSTERS"
MIR. Armstrong: Il give my family the
| best oysters. These are not the best"
Would you eat them yoursclf?"
Mr.. Armstrong: ~ would as soon eat
them as oysters from Eroad Rock"
| Would YOU eat soft crabs from
| Smiths Creek"
| Mir. Armstrong: Il have eaten them"
| Arc all the oyster floats in this sec
| ton In as pure water as yours?"
| Mr.. Armstrong: You are asking me
| question that might &C: me black
eye from some other oyster packer
| Gould oysters be iioated here In other
! places than creeks and docks"
/ Mi. Armstrong: Not safely"
ANALYSIS NOT PRACTICABLE
| Mr.. Ticket, packer. was of the op.n-
| ION that the oysters should he ana!yZcd.
Or. Chiles replied that such an analy-
sis was not practicable for the purpose
under consideration, as the oysters
| might be found pure one week and full
oil fever germs the next.
DR.. Field said that disease i'm n certain
instance at il Northern city had been
traced to oysters: that the sewage of the
city Is carried To the creeks of this vicin-
ity. but that when IL gets further. on the
river and sea water mixes with the sew
age TO such an cNten; that the sewage
becomes much less deletcr!ous: that the
Board had no desire 10 cripple The bust
ness or me oyster packers. In corcluti-
ing his remarks DR. Field moved that
me matter be referred to the committee
OF The whole 10" further and thorough
IlnVcsteation ana that IN the rncanfinl,
the packers he allowed 20 continue 10
float their oysters
l. remission was given the Norfolk and
Western railway To run a sewer from The
-emigrants' room at their station int,
Mahone's Lake.
Mr.. Max Beale. who had been ordered
to ill up cess pool in Bramblcton. was
permitted to continue L. provided he
would put in concrete bottom
Great Dry Goods Snic.
$. Samstag. manager. will offer 70,
sale this morning at Nos 2l5 and 81
church street second door from COY,
| street, an immense stock Of dry ooc1,