Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-30
WHAT SHALL We DO WITH OUR OYSTER BEDS?
Hon E. c. Jordan an Up=Country Member Of the House,
Discusses the Question.

I goes on daily. There has been no lack
Of strenuous effort on the part of our
| ovsterrren to take the last oyster from
| the beds. regardless OF size or previous
conditions.
BURDEN TO STATE.
Our oystermen have reaped all the bene-
fits from this submarine plantation of
ours, now that they have depleted, thou-
4 sands of acres and have discarded 1t,
| IT is our duty to our constituents, who are
| equal partners in this public property.
| to nut, this barren area In the hands OF
| sk,lful planters who Will reclaim 1t and
make it bear fruit for themselves and
| the Commonwealth. The natural beds are
a burden and heavy tax on this State to-
day. and always Will be under the present
regime.
1t Is bad indeed. to have this great pro-
perry mismanaged and ruined in this
way but it is far worse 10 be met with
the dog in-the-manger proposition that be-
cause this barren waste Is In the Baylor
survey it shall not be rented; which
means that the State and All the people
must suffer for the sake of gratifying the
whims of few beggar tongmen, who
have ruined great areas of the public
domain. and have reduced the balance to
a condition that they can't get decent
living out of it; now that their business
has been reduced to a fragile they are
willing that the whole thing shall be
ruined rather than see it made successful.
II these now patriotic folks that have
been receiving the full benefit Of this
great estate. would go to New York. New
Jersey or Connecticut and see how much
better off the people Of this class are.
they would return with different ideas of
what was good for them. an. beg for re-
form in oyster legislation, mat would put
them in the way of receiving the same
1,,,aftc tbeir northern neiphhOrS
joy.
There is room for hundreds OF thousands
of tongnen in the waters of the Chesa-
peake and its tributaries, and they will
be identified in proportion to the acreage
scientifically worked: the tongman is a,
necessity to the business an. can no more
be dispensed with than the coal digger
can be in the coal mine. There should be
hut one object for all. that object to make
the oyster business of Virginia the best
in the world; a. we have the best place
in the world to grow them. This ques-
ton is up to- the Virginia Legislature.
Will won develop this great farm. or will
you let it go to waste and ruin? Your
constituents need the profits that will
accrue to the State under an economic
administration of this question for the
liuuida ton of Il State debt, for better
schools. and for better roads The debt
is great; the schools are bad; and Inc
roads worse: yet with these three condi-
tons looking us squarely in the face, we
struggle along in the rear of the process
sion of progress. seemingly unconscious
of our natural wealth and resources. I
attribute this to the confidence that the
whole people have placed in the few who
have had the management of this great
estate, and the ignorance of the whole
as to its value.
If a gold or coal mine was found in
Cf.{1 20 ~,
great abundance and value, our tax-pay-
ers would shout for JOY, and the Legisla-
ture would make the day of the US
covery a legal holiday. Yet that mine
would have to be rich indeed to equal
the wealth of our subterranean planta-
tons under the water of the Chesapeake
and its tributaries.
SOME HARDSHIPS.
We have been subject to many hard
ships in the management of this public
domain; our heritage has been wasted
by improvidence and in every conceva-
BILE way; but of all the hardships we have
to bear is the Interpretation put upon
the Baylor survey by the champions Of
the oystermen. They claim the privilege of
breaking this instrument at their pleas
ure to take in area, but deny us the
privilege of renting that barren area in
the Baylor survey that has been ruined
by overwork and lack Of compliance with
the laws OF the state as TO taxing OES-
tiers. The oystermen and the packing in
dustries suffer alike from this short
sightedneSs; the oystcrmen loose the work
they would get from this planted area,
the packers are running short time
because they can't get oysters enough
to keep their employees at work steadily.
If the beds had retained their product
ivcness and been as valuable they
were q hundred years ago. would this
be sufficient cause to Justify the selfish
desire of our oystermen to restrain mod
ern science and cripple the progress of
this great natural trade of our State, to
the detriment Of everybody?
These people stand in their own light
as well as in the light of all others. The
renting of their land will benefit them
and can do them no harm, even if some
schemins politician does arouse them for
few months. 1t is the duty of this
Legislature to right this great evil. Is
there a man in this General Assembly
who can go home and expect his con-
stituents to say, well done, thou good
and faithful servant. when he has failed
to vote and work for such reforms as
will benefit every class in Tidewater and
fill up the Golfers Of the. State treasury?
If you don't vote for these reforms. what
excuse will you give when asked by your
constituents why you failed to do 50?
Every man, woman, and child In the