The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-19
THE NEW OYSTERLAW
Closing the Dredging Season
a Month Earlier.
The Conditions That Made This Change Rc'
yisabIe- Prospect for Growth OF the
Industry Bright.

To the Editor In answer to your IN
quiry as to what will likely be the prac-
| teal results of such changes as were
made in the oyster law, will say that on
ly time can develop whether these
changes will result in any practical good.
oyster and fish legislation never give
general satisfaction owing to utter i'm
possibility, of reconciling and adjusting
the conflicting interests resulting from
differences in locality and conditions and
the various methods of taking and mar
keting oysters. / believe that whatever
changes were made were the result Of a
sincere purpose to bettr protect and pre-
serve the oysters This spirit was evil
denced by the fact that the members CT
the GeneralAssembly who came from
counties that have heretofore had each
an oyster commissioner, which in the
opinion of the chief commissioner, were
unnecessary and expensive. Again. when,
upon recommendation of the chief COM
missioner and evidence of those who
have a practical knowledge of the facts,
it was proposed TO close the dredging
season a month earlier than heretofore,
there was practical unanimity in agree
ing that this should be done. though to
make this change meant hardship to GER
tain interests in the counties of several
of the members
This last change is most far-reaching
of any made in the law and in order that
the necessity for the change may be I'M
derstood. | will state the conditions that
three competing markets for oysters in
the shell. The raw or packing houses,
the steam canneres. and vessels that
purchase oysters to carry in the shell
beyond the State and sell in the markets
of Virginia and Maryland.
The raw houses and the foreign market
for oysters for immediate consumption
are compelled, by reason of the warm
weather that comes with the month of
April, to stop buying after the end of the
cool season, and also for the further rea-
son that oysters after the first of April
begin to spawn and ale unfit for sale in
the raw. AS soon as competition ceases
the price of oysters falls to a ridiculous
ly low figure and at the end of the season
great quantities of small oysters that
should never be removed from the beds,
shells and generally unculIed stock are
rushed to the steam caIneries. At the
close of the season, too large quantities
of small oysters are sold to vessels and
carried out of the State for planting on
oyster beds in Chesapeake Bay. 1t will
readily be seen that the raw houses and
those buying oysters early in season for
sale beyond the State for immediate con-
unculled stock but it makes little diff
ference how small the oysters purchased
for canning, if they can be purchased
cheap. or how small those carried beyond
the State for planting. The fact that it
is the spawning season cuts but little
figure for either of these purposes For
the reason that the late catching of oys-
ters and the kind usually caught and
marketed at this time of the season, were
greatly depicting the natural beds and
decreasing the supply made this change
is vitality important. This change will
be complained of and will be regarded by
the steam packers or cannerics as I'M
friendly legislation, but the reasons
given above appeared to, the General AS
sembiy abundantly sufficient to justify
the change.
The result of any legislation is after
all dependent upon the degree of vigi-
lance used by officials in enforcing the
law. The 2r'w law provides increased
salaries for the chief inspector and his
assistant and makes plain the duties of
those entrusted with the enforcement of
the law The penalties in some cases
We're made lighter, in the hope that con-
victions would be easier to secure and
the burden of enforcing the law, recon
Cling factions and conflicting interests
and studying the needs of the whole in
dustry is upon the chief inspector and his
assistant, and it is up to them to make
the law a success or to bring it into con-
tempt. / believe the men appointed by
the Governor for these arduous duties
will be equal to the occasion and that
the prospect for a successful administra-
ton and the general promotion of the
whole industry is bright.
Yours very truly,
S. S. MANN.
Swan Quarter, n. c.