The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-15
.OYSTERMEN OPPOSE..II.T'l
The Bill GurtalIlng the Length Of The Oys-
ter Season.
WOULD INJURE PACKERS AND 1oHGERs
Tho Dill VIII Destroy n Grent DeaI Of
Trade, II Is Chained, and Wipe
Out $4,000 In Tonsers' Wages
Committee AppointeiytoF Fight the
Bill.


The oy6ter packers and tongers of
this section are up in arms over the bill
introduced in the Legislature forbid
ding the bivalves to be gathered from
the natural rocks during September
The season now begins September 1st,
and the oystermen say that by delaying
longing one month the market for Vir
ginia oysters will be seriously invaded
by other localities, notably by Mary
land, where dredging is permitted after
october lSt, and the oysters are market
ed more rapidly than is possible here.
a committee has been appointed to pre-
sent to the Legislature largely signed
petition against the proposed change.
1t is pointed out that 1t will increase
the tongers' period of enforced idleness
by 4 whole month.
The light against the measure now
pending will be a determined one, and
MIR. w. j. Crosby and Mr.. w D. Hem
ingway, president of the Hemingway
Packing Company, have been appointed
committee to carry the matter before
the legislature. The petition they will
present, and which will be signed by
every other oyster packer In this vicin-
ity. and by many oystermen, is as fol-
lows:
To the General Assembly of the State
of Virginia.:
We. the undersigned, engaged in the
business of oyster packing in and about
the port of Norfolk, do respectfully pc
tition that that section of the bill ,e-
lating to oysters now pending before
your honorable bodies, which forbids
the taking of oysters from the natural
rocks during the month of September
be stricken out.
The natural rocks in James River fur
nish good and fat oysters during the
month of September, and by reason of
that fact the people of the State of Viz
sinia have an inherent advantage over
other States which compete with us.
by reason of this advantage. trade is
set IN this direction, and having been
turned to us we can retain a good deal
OF 1t. II, however, we are forbidden
from arailing ourselves of the dvan-
tage which is given us by nature, the
result will be most disastrous. Moreover
the business Of taking and packing
oysters In the month of September fur
nishes employment to q large number OF
our people, who especially need it after
the trying months of July and August
IL they are debarred from so occupying
themselves during September, they will
be deprived OF all employment, and
the loss to them will be well-nigh in
calculable.
Ut would he difficult to estimate the
loss III dollars and cents which would
result from taking the month Of Sep
TEMPER from us. but the loss would run
high up in the Thousands OF dollars. The
wages alone, which would be lost would
amount pgbably to fifty thousand dol
lare.
The interests of tongers would be
greatly injured by such a provision.
We, therefore. respectfully ask that
the provision of the bill which takes
September from the months in which
we can engage in our business be
stricken out.
Both the packers and tongers are
greatly exercised over the matter. They
express themselves on the subject in
no uncertain terms. Said Mr.. w. d.
Hemingway yesterday: 'The injury
the passage of the bill would do the
port connot be estimated. By delaying
our season a full month, other Droduc-
ing centers would secure advance sales
over our heads and having secured the
markets they would hold their trade,
leaving the Virginia product, and Vir-
ginia dealers out in the cold. Septem-
Der is the most important month we
have. i is then that the tongc.s re-
sumo work after their enforced sum-
mer's idleness, and it is then that the
dealers secure the trade which has
made Virginia oysters the most widely
known in tine world. Then, too, the
oysters are fat after the summer feed
ing. and they market well. The bill
should not become a law"
MIR. W. J. Crosby was emphatic In his
expressions regarding the bill. He did
not think it would serve any good pur-
Nj hn to11 I, II, Il tl,o