The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-18
buying stolen goods, but We have to d
DEPLETION Cruises II.

DEPLETION CRUISES IT,
Ii really Mt the bottom Of the presetit
agitation to break the Baylor survey.
This IL bit repeating what said In snil-
days 1iries-Dlspatch to the effect thnt
violation Of the law accustomed all the
trouble. 1t liz Violation Of the law thht
has cauLad the oyster beds to become bar
rem 1T Is almost an Ir1possibllty for
planter to get anything like the amt,,i9t
OF seed needed to plant his ground. Few,
II any Of tho packers cat, buy nearly
MS many oysters as are needed 10 III
orders
In 1897 Mr.. j. b., Armstrong, who Is
one OF the biggest packers II, Norfolk.
shucked 10000 bushels In one estnbllsh-
tncnt. i. I'd
rho last season his two establish
ncnts shucked only $1,000 bushels.
1T has simply reached the point with
inc that II the Baylor stit'sey Is not broken
50 that can got more oysters VIII have
10 70 out OF business, ne SAID To-day.
II nm, not taking any stops to INFLUENCE
the committee It can do US IT chooses. put
II do not get more oysters Will have
to shut up. That's all"
Tho torRers were as inslstent to-day
.ns ever that all this agitation Is but
a scheme OF the planters to get the State
.ovstrr rock, They declared us loudly and
AZ earnestly as over that there is no bar
ron rock. 5SsFa
"Eerhaps there are some pa tches of rock
where the oysters arc all taken,' said
Hon Walter Jordan member Of the
Honsc from Nnnsemond. who smiled out
to tho Accomac to-day, "but II It be LETT
alone for year or two there would be as
many oysters on It as ever Land planted in
corn every year for ten would be worn
out at the end OF that time There seems
to be the same law governing oyster
beds
e ~ WHAT CAUSES DEPLETION.
The planters declare the depletion due
entirely to the taking OF oysters out OF
season Z and the persistent violation OF the
Gull law. It was Inadvertently stated In
my letter In Sundays es-Dlspatch that
the Gull Ia " forbade the taking OF oysters
less than two inches In diameter. Tho law
requires that when the longer brings up
an oyster less than three inches in
diamet ter 1t must be cast back.
4 A gentleman at Old Point the other day
told me he had seen as many as two
hundred boats In ono night taking oys-
tiers from tho waters Immediately about
Old Point and Hampton, a distance OF
two miles. Planters aboard the Accomac
have said that nearly every man OF the
crowd OF tongers which has gone out
with the committee. took oysters unlaw-
fully and sold them to the planters. But
they did not make the charge regarding
the hundred or more tongers with us
To-day They were very far above the
average tongers. They came from Chuck
atuck. and though there were fully a
hundred OF them, there were $50 boats
there loaded with tongers who proposed to
come down and go out with the commit
tee but were told by the leaders that
20 many were not necessary. The Times
Dispatch circulates very widely In this
scction and my letter OF Sunday Is said
10 have greatly stirred the tongers.
CONSTITUTIONAL. FEATURE.
1t would be we'll for the tongers, who.
are 20 deeply stirred at the prospect Of
seeing the Baylor survey broken, to bear
in mind that the Constitution OF Vir-
GINA prohibits the leasing OF the natural
re cks, beds and shoals. Prior to the Bay
lcr survey the question OF what was
natural rock was one to be determined BY
the testimony OF witnes ses. Just as any
other question OF fact. But as every wit
ness was Interested 1t was impossible FOR
tho jury to act lntellgently. and there
was always vast amount OF litigation
on the subject and much dissatisfaction
over the verdict. The Baylor survey was
for the purpose OF definitely locating the
natural rocks. All land within the SUR
vey, though II may never have had an
oyster on it. is natural rock. There are
a bout e25 90 acres within the survey The
committee only wishes TO learn whether
there is any OF 1t barren, whether al
ways so, or made SO through taking OF
oysters from 1t In the closed season or
through violation OF the Gull law.
And nobody can form any Idea unless
he be here how great Is the amount
OF work involved in the discharge of the
duty laid upon the committee, 1t cannot
he completed By the LIST OF October. 1t
would require year to do the work with
accuracy and thoroughness.
The committee will recommend the
leasing OF .nuch OF the natural rock. MI.
j. B. Baylor. OF the coast survey. who
made the survey for the State In 1892 95,
Is with the committee, having been given
ten days leave for the purpose OF making
the trip. He insists that much OF the land
should be leased, or the oyster industry
is doomed so for as Virginia is concerned.
Renters would plant and protect their
beds against pirates. The State cannot do
such work.
"But the Legislature should proceed