The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-16
OYSTER
PROBLEM
KN0TTY
Legislative Committee lite
Study it Closely.
THE BREAKING OF
THE BAYLOR SURVEY
ThlSls the Question That Has
to Be Answered.
GREAT FEELING
is BEING EvINCED
Those Who Get Their Living from the
Sea Are Much Stirred Up, and
Fear that Their Means Of
Livelihood is About to
30 Taken from
Them.
This Is the Question That Has
to Be Answered.
GREAT FEELING
is BEING EVINCED


Especial from a Etar Corremondent.) II
ulMprow "a 7A,,..,,.. !. wv. ~,
80. - - ~ <1Nub oee ~ @ ~
not nllno paying taxes. 1t isn't a question
OF taxes. It's a question OF freedom with
-. W. do ~. ,.n+ .ha o,d s+ata ~
.-'.
" S'i'ta ~ 'aAe 1l iroi'i rom US US tne w ~ ~ g
! into the waters with which Almighty GOD
has bounded our shores and take from
49,. ~ ,,,,.h .h,,, LIZ !,
a'1l'' 80 't'.' "'n 80 '.''l- -
olessod US. That Is what you VIII 90 II
you break tho Baylor survey and allow
the States oyster beds the property OF
the whole people, to be rented to planters.
Such course would mean starvation to
many women and children on tho shores
of,the Nansemond and the James and
the York and the aRppahannnck and the
Elizabeth, and Chesa peake Bay and the
Virginia front on the Atlantic For Gods
sake, gentlemen, heed an old man and
move carefully
and ten. He was addressing one or two
members of the Legislative committee
which is now making tour OF investi-
ea ton R:of the State oyster beds with a
y view to learning whether the contention
OF the planters be true that there ist q
great area OF depleted rock within the
Baylor survey which should be thrown
Eout and rented. He lives on Tangier. Is.
land. that quaint little settlement of
fourteen hundred men. women and chil,
dren, to whom the sea is a bonntiful
mother, supplying them with all the ne
cessues and luxuries OF life. or the
means with which to obtain them. Ever
since he WAS able TO run ana play ne mas
heen working In salt water for a. liven-
hood-nshing. oystering. claiming, crap-
bing. Tho gales OF seventy years nave
left their marx upon .,i.it, ,'s -. - - -
winds OF many year. his hands gnarled
and knotted by a lifetime OF hard labor.
There was trembling eloquence IN MS
voice. n pathetic earnestness that touched
every member OF the committee-tnat al
fected one OF the body more deeply thah thah
he likes to admit.
After several days spent win the com
mittee in this oyster country am more
deeply impressed than ever tnousn.
to be with ine lren'enu .1A..,t.h 80 oa1nn,ittea
the proposition With "hlch tne committee committee
has to deal,
PlTlFuL "a, Ah'A hM. ,La
wish 1t were poss,ple lot me ~ nmse .."ne
the people OF virginia senelany ~. ,'a 49,
the position OF me e,hts,, e''.e1'ts 49, MANS
ton ,,,,,h o. ~ - i've must be taken from
WhereWuh " hNe."t hNe .oto' =, njtifu1
the water. They are IN STATE OF ,.,t p.,'tu
alarm. They think the ComnlohMea'.no ,l..,l -
Virginia Is on the point OF aep.'v,.s tnea
OF the right 70 take oys.eIs ~. W.
waters. They think TINS Les,s'a.se :gi.. .n
mittee is but an official naro.nGer -. r.a.'s .!,.t
dread catastrophe, ! nave taanau .aH,a m,rd -
many Of them this Week nuso ',sa.a 1sa'.a
many Of them plead tne'r s cause .ne,r aJr
seen In their races ana hea'u :" p .Me..
voices the terrible rear tnat tne '..sa''s a,s
OF living is to be taken away anu ,' ~
so many cases there are WIVES WIVES anu anu e'''s'
dren at home. ~,
Well. at least part OF tne @ Wo,s. ."es
fear will come true. % %th'hA .ns'e ~, 20 ~
doubt that the commlttee WIZ eoo.,. ua
mend to the General Assembly ,s;. .'a.
tain oyster rocks no" lncluoeu Win nn
the Baylor survey, ana open 20 ~, nv onta sons.
mon. who represent the pupl'c, tne peop.e
Mt large, who are at liberty 70 .ahe oyn-
ters from any waters not rented 70 1lu''.
yiduals. be leased to such persons as may
care to rent them, Then the LONGER 'huS' u
stay Off.
There are two great classes IN tne oys'
ter country. the planters ana tne tohsets'
The planters are those VINO cul'lVhte oys-
ters In waters not included wlthn tne
Baylor survey. The tongers are those
who take oysters iron, tne I,,,,its ~
the survey.
Iie A'os wv ''A' -.