Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-11-30
OYSTER PIRATES OF THE
POTOMAC.
Wat Tyler Mayo Says They Are
Not Bloodthirsty-The Oyster
Planting Problem.

wv eDioOOIhiTsty- OySter
Planting Problem.
To oTHE EDITOR OF THE NY. SUN
S'r; | have just read clipping from
The San containing an interview with
Capt. John Tyler, giving an account
of the bloodthirstiness of the Poto-
mac oyster pirates. / think this ar
ticle is apt to nislead the general
public and to give an exaggerated
impression of the dangers connected
with the oyster-planting industry in
this section. It's certainly true that
the best iudges-aud among these is
a large majority of the tongmen
themselves-are agreed that the only
way that this industry can be pre-
served and developed is by systematic
and businesslike planting by private
individuals.
In Virginia the State has done
what she could to preserve these bot
toms In common. We have closed
season from April to September, and
a law requiring all oysters below
certain size to be left on the natural
grounds. These efforts are conceded
to be a failure. Each year sees the
quantity of oysters decreased and
there isa steady falling of in the num-
Der of oystermen engaged. There
are not to-day two boats employed in
the oyster catching in the waters of
Virginia where there were ten less
than fifteen years ago.
This condition is not chargeable to
the law-breakers, for while there is
some violation of the Closed Season
law by parties living on both sides of
the Potomac, these depredations ex-
tend over a very small area of the
river bottom and are confined entire
ly to that portion that belongs to
both States in common. The oysters
that are caught in this manner are
always put down to grow under more
favorable circumstances, to await the
opening of the markets, thereby in
creasing rather than diminishing the
yearly output. The violations of the
Gull law, though certainly more fire.
quent than they should be, have
equally as little to do with it. The
trouble lies in the fact that it takes
an oyster longer to mature than the
season permits, and the original
growth having been already practi-
cally exhausted, it is impossible for
nature to replenish the beds in the
limited time allowed. If the State
should by law prohibit oystering for
the time necessary for this, it would
work hardship on those engaged in
the business, and force them to seek
employment elsewhere, while the
revenue derived to the State would
be materially lessened, and the bur-
den of enforcing the law would ne
cessarily fall upon other Industries.
The people of Tidewater, Va, have
long recognized the fact that some
thing would have to be done if this
industry was to be preserved in COM
mon, while those in other sections of
the State have demanded a revenue
from this interest in the common.
Consequently the "oyster question"
has played prominent part in
the political arena. An earnest and
patriotic effort has been made by re-
cent Legislatures to take this ques-
ton out of politics and to place iton
business basis. They perceived
that this communistic system is in
compatible with progress; that under
this condition the vicious and va
grant thrive at the heexpense of the law
abiding and frugal. Thrift and in
dustry must be encouraged in the in
dividual bylaws that will insure to
him the fruit of his labor. A law
which requires all oysters under two
inches to be left on the bottoms in
order to increase the yearly output is
difficult to enforce, when oysters this
size are worth so cents bushel and
when thrown back must become
common property again.
A survey has been made of certain
parts of the bottoms which are des-
ignated as public oyster grounds,
while all bottoms not included there
in are assigned to individuals for
planting. A Board of Fisheries has
been provided to exercise general su-
pervision. The result SO far has been
highly satisfactory. Many acres of
bottom are now under cultivation.
There is bright future before the
man of energy who goes into this bus