Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-12-04
Friday. December 4, 1908.
SOME OYSTER TALK.

The Norfolk Landmark, preemi-
nently a fair journal, touches on tn,
oyster stir in quite a disinteresiet
but logical way. Our contemror.
ary's modesty impels it to disclaim
possessing the knowledge of the ex-
pert. That's a most commemorate
attitude. We remember some years
back MOT ntain members would come
to Richmond for the first time and
rush into the oyster question. The
consequence was "stab." They knew
it all, and got their feelings hurt.
You would not hear from such
fedglings for year or so, and then,
If rerchance he were still in the
Legislature, ne would begin to creep
cut when the oyster doors were ajar.
He would move sidewise and eau
ticnsi.. lC might not be altogether
dars but he was ''feelipg his way"
ai4,iiog real sensible would drop
f.oua HIM, but not an overdose. He
WAS now in the condition of not
"knowing it all" In year or two
more he would know enough about
the oyster question to admit that
there were two sides to it, aud that
the other fellows were not on that
side solely because it was good poll
tics. A little later and he confessed
. that there was heap in the subject
and that he himself knew very little
about the question. Ten to one he was
now lined up with the oyster people.
He had learned something about it
at last.
While the illustration all through
is not applicable to our Norfolk
friend, the Landmark is in that ripe
stage when it recognizes too sides to
the question and that its own opinion
is not that of an expert. In an edi-
torial last week it laid down six
premises, or beliefs. One half of
these-the LIST, 5th and 6th-are not
comfortable by Tldewater people.
They are sound and cannot be con-
troverted. Upon the remainder some
thing may be said to the benefit of
the oyster people and probably to the
enlightenment of our friend, tn,
Landmark, which is in that laudabl,
receptive mood, willing to learn.
The CITIZEN does not wish to pose
as an expert in these matters. int
our daily walk and conversation is
so surrounded by all phases of the
fish and oyster nature that we are
becoming clammy, so much so as to
be almost wholly imperturbable when
legislation is SHE'D this way. Space
and opportunity will not permit us
TO discourse on the Landmarks yul-
nerable assumptions here, SO we will
reserve that for our next concluded
ia our next, as it were) and append
the clauses that are incon testable.
Says the Landmark:
While the Landmark does not pretend
to expert knowledge of the oyster CUES
ton, 1t has some strong general opinions
on the subject We believe:
L. That TIE States oyster grounds are
deteriorating and that legislation is
acaSely needed to save the property from
ultimate destruction.
5. That the people of Tidewater vir-
gnia and their representatives in the
General Assembly know more about the
~ SUI 4oSSefch IMAM tuc ptOpiS Oh Otuer
parts OF the State, and that there is too
great disposition in other parts of the
State to think of few paltry thousand
dollars OF revenue to the Commonwealth
rather than OF the protection and stimu-
lation OF what is one OF the greatest in
,dustries in the world.
6. That while it is pity that in select
ing commission to report on the oyster
problem the General Assembly chose only
one Tidewater representative, neverthe-
less the Tidewater representatives should
give the report scrupulously fair con-
sideration and be willing to accept any
reasonable proposition, bearing in mind
that the oyster problem is growing con-
stautly worse as the case stands and
that any legislation adopted with aview
to it's solution must to a certain extent
be experimental.