The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-07

"~t" w ihaiuohiu tue pCiice 1Orcc nee
essary to protect her waters from ma
rauding by non-residents. The present
statutesprovides that all oysters planted
Shall be assessed by the bushel for the
purpose of State and county taxation.
ana also that an nd valorem duty of forty
cents ON the. hundred dollars he levied.
The auditors report for 1897, of four
teen counties, shows,that ,657, 243.bush-
els were planted. This report does not
include soD!c seven or eight other tide
water counties in which undoubtedly oys-
tiers have been PLANTED. These oysters
taken up few months after planting are
sold upon the ground for $50 or $40 per
hun red bushels, and yet the total tax..nc-
cruing to the State therefrom is only
about 5000, fraction over five cents on
the hundred bushels planted.
This law MS 1t stands is IL trnyesty on
legislation. Again, the statute provides
shat "tongmen shall pay "A tax Of forty
cents on tle.hundred dollars of value of
oysters caught or in lieu thereof, if T.
tongman elect. the sum of SO if he uses
tongs, for the season. The fact that
but few of the tongmen elect to pay the
specific sum, is conclusive proof that
there is some means by which the valua.
tions can be lowered, and the tax made
to fall under 50 or So Men do not con-
tlnue to engage i'll business from year
to year that is unremunerative, and vet
from the returns, which is sometimes less
than one cent tax per week for the labor
OF two men, one would be led to think
that the oyster business was run for
pure love of the work and not SSfrom any
benefit that might result from it.
The annual license tax upon dredger
is 50 per every hundred feet capacity.
Based upon this estimate the States rev.
cnue is only abont twu-ifths of a cent
per bushel, for those engaged regularly
in the business. Sixty rents per bushel
would perhaps be about an average for
these oysters in the market Does not
two fifths of cent seen insignificant
comparet witt the profits derived by the
dredgers
These figures have been culed from the
governors report on this subject, and, if
correct, show class legislation of the
rankest sort. If continued, it would be
good policy for the farmers OF some of
our mountainous districts, where hard
toll year in and year out yields them but
the barest existence, to institute AN exo-
dus to these more favored sections, and
there under tue more beneficent patron
age Of the State, make life rore endura-
/ BILE than the nigeardly soil and high taxes
of their present homes now permit. That
there are difficulties in the way of franz
ing bill that will correct these existing
evils, and also see that it's provisions are
enforced, is. self evident, but that it can
be done is equally true. The results, if
accomplished, are so promising of largely
increased revenue to the State, that it will
be well worth any amount .ot work en-
pended upon it. Nirginia's aid Mary
lands wealth from her game, fish ard
! oysters is equal to that of California each
year from her gold mines, and that Vir-
| ginia Should so long have allowed herself
to be tricked out of what is justly her
own from these resouI ces is n reiiee ton
on the intelligence aof our law makers.
1t goes without saying, that the sections
of the State enjoying these privileges
will fail to see that an injustice is being
done other sections, and will fight any
! bill looking 10 the amendment OF the
present laws, II ost .stienuousiy, but the
plain code of equal rights to all, demands
that the fight be prosecuted until mat
| teIs are more evenly adjusted