Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-12-05
Friday. December 8, 1902.
THE LEGISLATURES FOOTBALL.

THE LEGISLATURES FOOTBALL.
Virginia possesses vast sources of
wealth In her oyster beds. That her in
terests In them have not been protected
and guarded as they should be, by wise
and judicious legislation, seems to be
generally admitted. 1t is to be hoped
that suitable action on this subject will
ne taken by the convention, so that here
after this, the property of the whole
people, shall be administered so that
they will derive full benefit from it,
A Moore, jr., an Clarke Courier.
The foregoing are the words spoken
by an eminent Virginian-an cup
countryman while the late Con-
stitutional Convention was reality.
Today the same ideas are being Wig
orously pounded into the State Leg
islature, and we may well ask where
will this agitation end? The Con-
stitutional clause to exempt taxation
OF tongmen was abolished by vote
OF the people. In consequence of
this specific tax has been placed
upon tongmen, and from this the
State is deriving large revenue
so large, in fact, that the Board of
Fisheries, although under increased
expenses, will be enabled to report
tor the present year far more than
seven or eight thousand dollar net
profit, as done for the fiscal year
just gone.
In last Sundays Dispatch Mr.. E.
@. Jordan, a good fellow and wealthy
cattle raiser of Frederick county,
reviewed the oyster situation in
many-column article. Some of the
ideas and arguments advanced were
good and we'll grounded, but there
were more deduced from theoretical
sources and propositions than other
wise. 1t is not our purpose to an
swer these here, if we could, as they
will be fully covered in arguments
before legislative committees, and
his bill, to be introduced this week,
will be met with rational substi-
tutes. One leading thought which
our friends from the upper country
always lose sight of in their assaults
on the oyster interests is the matter
of comparative taxation - and yet
"taxation" is the burden of their
song. Today the county of Accomac,
which but for its water interests
might still be a stretch of dreary
sand, pays considerably more tax per
acre than does the wealthy county of
Albemarle, and largely over that of
Grayson and its sister counties. The
magnificent Valley county of Fred
erick, whence halls Mr.. Jordan, the
present champion oyster stabber, we
venture to declare, does not compare
favorably with any one of half the
oyster counties. With these facts
before them--and they will be pro-
duced-we cannot see how legisla-
tors can assert that Tidewater is not
paying her just share of taxation. |
Without the oyster and the water
advantages there would be few es-
tates of value in these lower coun-
ties, and even the hamlets would be
too far apart for stranger to VEN
ture into so depopulated a country.
We have one proposition to offer
MIR. Jordan and his associates if
they will adopt a method for the
of property assessments
throughout the State, Tidewater will
agree to an Independent tax upon
the oyster interests that will put to
rest all agitation. In other words.
reduce Underwater property to basis
with that of the upper country; or
increase the upper counties to a
proportion with the counties of Tide
water. Were this latter done, there
would be no further need of tax agi-
tation or cry of depleted treasury.
1t might not be amiss to call at
tention to the fact that Tidewater
shows fairly clean sheet on criminal
expenses when compared with some
Of the other sections. This by way
Of remainder, when the cost to the
State of protecting the oyster beds is
being harped upon.
WELL, now, here's a pretty how
d'y'do! Mr.. Ware, the legislator
from Amherst, is convinced that os-
,ulation is a nefarious pursuit. He