The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-23
STEERS WILL BE
HIGHER NEXT YEAR
They Are Getting scarcer All
the Time.
NO MONEY IN THE BUSINESS us
Prices Have done Up for the Dealer. But the
Retailers Get Them at the Same Old
charge-Some Reasons Why
The Law is Not Enforced.
NO MONEY In THE BUSINESS
(specIal Dispatch to The Timcs.)

Especial Dispatch to The Timcs.)
NORFOLK, Feb. 1s.-..Cysters will be
higher here next year" said Mr.. J. J.
Robbins, a Norfolk oyster dealer, who is
regarded as one of the best posted men
in the business. "Thoy are getting scarcer
all the time" he said ."ro-day u man
came here with load, for which he
asked $50 cents q bushel. I could not buy
them, and he went away. l offered him
IS cents a bushel and he may come back.
l can Just about, if l pay him Is cents
b:lshel, open them and sell them at my
usual price of 25 cents to 25 cents 81 quart,
get out without losing money, and would
do that rather than fail to supply my Gus
toners.
Il have been in the business % years.
and I sell oysters atthe same price l did
when began selling them.
OYSTERS DO NOT VARY.
EGGS, butter, chickens and everything
the market men sell advances In price
iron, day to day according to the scarcity
or Righteousness Of the stock IN the mar-
kct. but fer oysters. although they are
getting scarcer and higher, the consumer
pays 10 moro.
'The dealers are making no money;
some of them are losing money. / have
gust managed to keep even this year; last
year l lost money. Oysters that sold this
year for % cents a quart will be ~ cents
a quart next year when the season opchs.
Five cents a quart makes, a great differ
cnce to the dealer. There are men here
who handle some days over three thou-
sand gallons of oysters, who have been
dong this for years, and yet are poor
men; whereas if they had made a profit
of five cents a gallon on TIE oysters they
sold they would be ,nilIionaires.'
MONEY IN IT.
Further Investigation of the oyster bust
ness and talks with other dealers con-
frmed what Mr.. Robbins said. The gen
eral belief was expressed that one VINO
secures Il good piece of land and plants
oysters will make money within the next
few years. Good oysters are now. one
dealer said, .:bringing 81 and IS a barrel IN
cities like New York, Washington, and
Others, and a man who has good oysters
to sell practically commands his own
price" 1t was said thar the reason oSs-
ters are getting scarce is that the uflln-
telligent tongers who are taking them
from the rocks take little and big ara
are uprooting the seeds.
The law is at fault the dealers say.
They say that there are 5000 oystermcn
working in the James River and only five
inspectors to watch I:lcm, and that IT is
impossible for the inspectors to catch
those who take UP oysters under the
II inch siza prescribed by law as the
smallest which may be taken. The small
ones, the oystermen say, should be- anu
are not thrown back into the water TO
grow.
DEALERS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE
They agree also that the existing law
should be changed and That dealers who
sell understood oysters should be fined as
well as is the longer who sells them to
the dealers. They say that were this
change made, the inspectors could much
mere easily perform their duty and would,
instead of having to watch 5000 tongers
have to watch only the perhaps 100 deal
crs who sell the oysters and whose places
of business on land might be easily
reached by the inspectors.
The impression prevails that when the
present law was born too many noliti-
clans were about the bedside. That the
dealer who sells understood oysters should
be heavily fined as is the dealer VINO sells
game out of season is the belief of many
who have the welfare of the oyster in
dustrs at heart and look beyond the pres
ent DAY.
OYSTERS BY THE PIECE.
cat this rate one dealer said, Sin a
short time Italians will be peddling oys-
tiers from door to door at so much per
oyster, as they peddle bananas now, ana
we will hear no more of quarts and gal
Ions OF oysters. The oyster will be 4 luz
ury in q few years, beyond the reach Of
poor people.
The cure for this trouble many believe,
is the change suggested in the existing
law and The encoura cement of the plant
ing of oysters by people who, should they
obtain good grounds, and understand
their business, are sure to profit greatly.
,, OF much capital is required by one who
plants oysters. They have Eut TIC SOW some
empty Shells on suitable bottom and
three years or SO hence gather their valu-
able crcp.
There IS a risk. Of course, experts sly
Some seasons a flood comes and covers
the shells with mud before the spawn
settles upon them. In this event the shells
sown ere lost and others have to be sewn
The =: offs OF success, however, we'll Var
rant :he risk, as many wealthy oyster
planters iercabouts have demonstrated.