The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-15
TUESDAY. DECEMBER is. 1903.
Breaking the Baylor Survey.

sF Breaking the bdy4oi oui Wy
we share with the great majority OF
& yirrinians the embarrassment they feel
when called upon to pass Judgment upon
q. merits and dement's OF the various
plans that have been proposed 1or. oe-
x veIoninr tho oyster Industry III Chesa-
D ncake Bay and It's tributaries, so as TO
deal Justly with the FISHERMAN ana at
The same time make 1t yield to the State
/ the revenue to which she Is entitled. IL
h used to be the boast of Governor wise,
uho was a "salt water" man. that the
oyster property Of Virginia, properly
managed. would produce revenue enough
j TO pay the whole debt and even the cur
rent expenses OF the State. Governor NC
Kinney, a "fresh water man. enter
talned much tho samo idea. Both WERE
perhaps. exaggerations, but there IS IN
4Sauestionably a source Of value In these
oyster lands which has not been properly
developed or managed. We understand
that the Cardwell bill, now before the
Senate, Is an effort in the direction OF
securing an increase OF revenue TO the
State from this property. With this gen.
eral purpose We are in perfect accord. so
much did We think that any movement
in that direction would be an improve
rent upon the present status that we
have not criticised the bill. or given it the
notice which its Importance deserves
&Rut the debates on the subject In and
out of the Legislature, and more care
I'M examination OF the provisions of the
hill have raised difficulties and objec-
tons which, we think. make It clear
#tl,ut the bill, In its present FORM should
mot become a law
BY the Baylor survey the State for the
first time attempted to fix such bound
aries hazy and uncertain as they often
we're to the areas Of so-called oyster
rock. BY this survey the oyster grounds
cpen to lease were limited. and 1t is now
nroposed to abandon the limits thus laid
II down and open the whole area again.
subject to the Judgment Of a legislative
committee. who will have to do their
work before the expiration of the present
Legislature, thirty days hence 1t IS true
that If the Same committee who visited
the oyster grounds Inst summer were
appointed on this commission they would
y have some lnowleage of the subject. but
IL Is simply an impossibity for tho sub
/. iect TO be disposed Of in so short time
leven If the committee had full knowledge
@ OF what were oyster rocks and what
were not, and those oyster rocks had
been adequately marked off by stakes
or buoys mono of which has been done,
nor any attempt made. The law does
not, nor should It. attempt to do an i'm.
possibility. The ancient maxim about I'M
possibilities we'll applies to this situa-
ton. Nor do we at all like the PROPOSE
ton to have this work done by legisla-
@ tive committee. 1t seems to us that the
tx execution OF law belongs to the EN-
ecutive department of the State. we
already have a Fisheries Commission
who are supposed to have acquired some
knowledge Of the subject, and whose
term of office will continue beyond tht
life OF the present Legislature, and who
are competent to do whatever work thu
Legislature may find 1t proper to order
THE appointment of a legislative com
mittee to do what Is plainly the functio,
of another department is n dangerou
precedent, even II there were not othe
and more serious objections to giving
committee authority to do. In an unrca
sonably short time, work that vii
Is probably require years 10 accompis
properly.
III The Legislature will do the State In
celcuiable harm instead OF good by pass
= ing the proposed bill. There Is no deSpel