Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-26
Futile Oyster Legislation.

Smtnneld, va, January "a, 1873.
To the Editor of the Dispatch
The Constitution Of Virginia, Article ".
section q says: mo tax shall be imposed
on any OF the citizens Of this State for
| the privilege OF taking or catching oysters
| from their natural beds with tongs In
| the waters thereof" And yet since the
passage OF this highest law by the Under
wood Constitution (Which our people seem
to be so willing to live under). we have
been trying. by various laws and make
Shifts TO derive revenue from this
| source. The whole effort Is, and has
! been, "delusion and snare" My
! earliest recollection of oyster legislation
| goes back TO the administration of Gov
| ernor Henry A. Wise, and l venture 10
| predict IL the books OF the Auditor be
examined, that instead OF producing a
revenue the State has been losing money
steadily. Certainly it did last year. My
county isle Of Wight has more than
twenty miles Of oyster front on the James
river, and IL is considered some of the
most valuable in the State. and yet for
period Of more than thirty years |
don't know single white man who has
made any money out of the business-pos-
sibly excepting a few years after 1860
when the rocks had not been worked for
more than four years, and when money
North was plenty. and their vessels came
down to buy stock to replenish their de-
pleted beds.
twenty-five years ago this town had
as residents some ten or fifteen families
who made poor living out of oysterIng
To-day not single white man Is engaged
In the industry. IL has passed almost
entirely into the hands of the negroes.
The steamer going from this town to
Norfolk passes often through the oyster
fleet. 1t is rarely a white face is seen.
Dickens says somewhere in his writings,
that oysters and poverty go together"
Observation teaches me, also, that as
rule. the oysterman is poor and improvi- |
dent.
The same clause of the Constitution |
goes on 10 say: But the amount Of sales |
of oysters so taken by any citizen in any.|
one year may be taxed at a rate not ex-
ceeding the rate of taxation imposed upon |
any other species of property" But |
what is the Legislature of Virginia trying
to do? What, indeed, has it already
done? 1t says TO this people. We do not |
believe you are honest, and you will not
pay upon your sales. SO we will pass a
law compelling you to report every week
your sales for that week TO an oyster
inspector. This is an absolute impossi-
bility on the part OF the oysterman, and
the men who frame the law know it. 1t
Is done 20 compel them to pay tax,
which the Constitution says shall not be
exacted Of them. If this is not true, let
some one better posted than l am deny
it. If as ] have attempted TO show, the
State has derived no revenue for the last
forty years. how do we expect to get it
now? Are we 10 do IT by creating new
offices, at an expense of $1,000 per year?
Is the new commission to be wiser than
any that has preceded it? 1 think it
will not be. Then what is the remedy?
Let every oyster law now on our statute
be repealed. e., all that can be. Let
us have a close season of four months
during the spawning season. and after
that let all who wish to catch as many
oysters as they can and sell to residents
or non-residents, as the case may be. !
Then we will derive the only revenue the
aw contemplates we should. and if this
De little, il will at least be that much TO
he credit of the State, and not bring ii
n debt, AS it is now doing.
Respectfully, c. F. DAY.