The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-18
Mr.. S. w. Mathews Presents a
Dissenting View on the
Oyster Report.
OPPOSE LEASING THE ROCKS
Accomac Member Demands the
Maintenance OF the Baylor Sur
vey-Points Out Hardships.

" -Ts'-T
lation, and Mr.. I1. c. Jordan. OF the
majority. has introduced bill carrying
into effect the recommendations embraced
In tho majority report of that committee,
the great oyster war In the General AS
scmbly Is about to begin. The JORDAN
bill was referred to the Committee on
tho Chesapeake and Its Tributaries anu
1t is expected that the oystermen who op.
pose the measure will appear hore In
force and ask hearings on the questions
involved In that event the committee
can hardly refuse such hearings and 1t
may be that they will consume consid-
cradle time before the committee can
report tho bill back to the House
Meanwhile the Senate has not touched
the report of the JOINT committee yet,
nor has tho Mathews report reached that
body 1t Is probable that Mr.. Mathews
and the opponents OF the majority view
will prepare and offer bill which Will be
considered by the committee at the same
tIme the Jordan bill Is under consldcra.
ton.
Tho Jordan bill proposes to break the
Baylor survey and lease out to the high
est bidder large areas OF oyster rocks
and shoals declared by the joint commits
tees report to be barren or depleted. 1t
is based directly upon and cnpodies the
recommendations made In the report OF
the special joint committee.
The minority report filed by Mr.. Ma
thews Is considered strong presentn-
ton Of that view OF the subject, and Will
be vigorously supported In both houses.
Here Is the full text OF tho report drawn
by Mr.. Mathews. who comes from the
oyatering section of the Eastern Shore
and has for years represented Accomac
In the House:
TO the General Assembly OF Virginia.:
The undersigned. member OF the
jont special committee. appointed by an
net approved April 7th 1913, begs leave
&c submit the Following minority report:
He is obliged to dissent from the conclu-
son reached in the first section OF the
report OF the majority OF your commit
tee with reference TO the number OF
n tho State Of Virginia. It is true that
there are 2S,v00 acres OF natural rock
included In tho Baylor Geodcdic Survey.
but 1t was impossible for your committee
This area ! estimate that we examined
not to exceed ten per cent OF the entire
prea. Our information as to the ten per
centum was derived as much from the
conversations with those who desired
these grounds as 1t was from any actual
examina non onsthe part OF the committee.
1t Is truo thai Z we were cnga sed seventy
Il. WORK assigned to your com ei
lut do not think we were enga ged more
iran thirty-fve days In the actual exam
Daton OF the rocks. Our first trip OF
about fifteen days was consumed In max
ipE general review Of the work. without
making any attempt at an actual exam
iration Of the same.
Some of these rocks were examined
after the closed season, and after the
tongers had been on the Same and taken
quantities OF oysters therefrom. Yet, un-
der these circumstances. we found MANY
.S,uYn cF<,v, kS a. nd a. mi 10 lll
good strike OF spat, which In twelve
months develops into seed oysters. No
matter what conclusion we may reach as
TO the area examined VIC cannot UNDER
take to speak of the ninety per cent. not
examined.
Each mock is separate and distinct and
its condition varies In almost every case.
Because one is depleted. itldoes not follow
tiat the next is depleted. Therefore. 1t
is impossible for your committee to make
III intelligent statement OF the condition
those that were examined BY your com
rnitteo were selected because our atten-
ton was called to the same by planters
Who wished to ACQUIRE title to same by
making the examination Those. rocks
called depleted by the majority are
Aought by the planters. not because they
arc barren or depleted. because now you
have over $4,000 barren acres open to
assignment. but because they would fur
rish to the planters 20 whom they would
ba assigned, individually. these seed oy-
It would be impossible to select any
one rock. the condition Of which could
Judge OF the productiveness or non-pro.
ducuveness OF other rocks.
The statement OF the majority OF the
committee. to the effect that Is; per
cent of the area within the Baylor Sur
,ey Is depicted and exhausted as not to
ieseed itself within 3 years. is incorrect:
!, Because their examination has been
cusion purely speculation, and.
2. Because the examination made by
the commission does not justify the state
ment that t, So large proportion Is depict;
itself within three years. and the facts
arc entirely inconsistent with such a con-
In saying that part OF what they. term
a. barren and depleted rocks will be
valuable for planting purposes. but they
Eco eSsa a aaM
selves, do admit that not all OF the
the Baylor Survey Is natural rock;
therein that is not natural rock and.
trther is valuable or profitable for
planting PURPOSES
rot be tented by pla nsq and never never
would be leased BY them. This number
of acres not profitable for planting pur-
roses Is scattered over the waters OF the
+ Commonwealth in tho shape of sand bars
and mud flats, contiguous to and inter-
secting the natural rocks. and to rent
his would necessitate a resurvey and a
rGmarklng OF the natural rocks and would
cost the State such an amount that the
number of acres to be rented would never
justly the expenditure.
On the ocean side of Accomac and
northampton counties. 1t is Impossible
to delneate the natural rock without In
including much area not natural rock,
End not suitable for planting purposes
In making the. Baylor Survey" ] deem
the part OF the commissioners thousands
Of acres OF valuable natural rock was
Planters. which they are now using, and
which they viii rbs continue to hold for
siready been deprived Of much valuable
natural rock
/ can,pt concur In section with the
n.ajort, report. Exberience has proven
that fo- the proper protection Of tho
natural rock It Is absolutely necessary, 70
bnya consider BILE SpaCe between. tha