Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-12-11
SOME OYSTER TALK.

=
in its discussion. We now take
up the remaining clauses, the three
Oh which we can honestly differ, yet
discuss, let us hope, TO advantage,
Tue clauses read:
2. That there is nothing red about
the Baylor survey and no reason why it
should not be broken IL the interests of
the oyster industry will be helped The Re
by.
s. That it will not do the State or
the tongers any harm for beds which are
now barren of oysters TO be rented for a
term of years to private parties, even If
j. these parties do not leave the beds 10
good condition when the lease expires.
a. That everything within reason
e. should be done to recognize the claims
OF the tongers, but that the toDgers
"a make mistake In resisting every effort
which is made to check the decline of
,..- the oyster industry; end that if things
~ continue In the existing rut, not only
the States property, but the tongers'
occupation will be ruined in deca lie or
two.
On the first, or number 2, we con-
tend that while the interests Of the
oyster business, per Sc, may be bene-
flied, ninety per cent. of the benefit
will accrue to the large planter or
packer, men of means and not few
OF whom are aliens and with Us no
further than to do business and get
all out of it possible. Thousands of
good, but poor natives, will be de-
prived in a great measure of a live
lihood by the breaking of the survey.
Eventually their realty holdings must
depreciate In value. The State will
lose heavily in taxes from this source
and not be compensated by the in
creased taxable values from the al
ready well-to-do. We can look
ahead and see communities of serfs
to some degree, with minority priv
us legged class. Technically there may
be nothing sacred" about the Bay
: Tor survey, and yet morally there is.
The Legislature has the legal right
to designate what is and what is not
common oyster ground, but it has
not the constitutional right to take
natural rocks from the people at
large and rent to a favored few.
y When the Baylor Survey was insti-
tuted it was to decide in law the line
of demarcation between natural rocks
and planting ground. 1t was run
/, by large odds to the benefit of the
planter, and consequently to the
detriment of the tonger. Now ava
rice wants more of valuable grounds
and the Legislature. is pressed to
draw closer the lines so that the
:. planter may get what is choice
rook-ground that will replenish
Itself In a very short time while
he aids it not whit. If il il
not sacrilege to encompass this we do
~. not understand moral law, or duty of
man to man without regard to
clothes or station.
~ "A few words on number 3 will
suffice. Truly barren ground-mud
bottom or shifting sands not
wanted by the expert planter. He
would not consent to pay 25 cents,
- or any number of cents, per acre for
it. What he expended on it would
be thrown away. But it is the nat.
ural rock, ground where oysters catch
and grow readily, that he wants.
Some spots may be vacant (oysters
grow In spots and not usually in great
contiguous patches) today and the
a., tonger desists working them. In the
course OF two or three years they will
..tagain find good employment there.
X Such is the nature of these so.called
depleted beds. True, it would do
no harm to State or tongers for
planters to take up shores that will
sSnever reseed unassisted, but these
are 80 scarce and so scattered among
the natural beds that mans ingenu-
/, ity cannot keep them permanently
eliminated. To get small spot of
such means encroachment upon the
public domain. We do not hesitate
to say that if il were practicable we
= should like to see permanently barren
areas leased for cultivation, provided
fayoritism did not obtain in the
: grants, ard when granted the lessee
2. sconld be confined to his proper linn
its. How utterly impracticable 10
procure justice on these two points
rs easily known by residents of this
oyster country.
=, We agree fully with the Land
mark that distractions should never
be put in the way by the longer of
legitimate investigation and efforts
~