The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-23
Rhode Island Charges as
Much as Ten for Hers.
THE STATISTICS AS n
TO OTHER STATES
Rhode island. With Much Smaller Area
Of Oyster Rock, Derives More Rev
enue from Their Rental than
Does virginla-Legsators
Learning Much About 5ss
Perplexing Problem. SIS
fspeoia, from q stan correspondent)

(Hpeoial from Stan Correspondent) $
NEWPORT NEWS, VA, August D.-
Although It is well settled that tho spe-
oial committee Of members Of the Gem
eral Assembly which Is Investigating the
state oyster beds will declare q consd-
erable area barren and recpmmend that
1t be rented, think 1t is no more certain
that this action will be taken than that
every member of the committee, with
one exception, will hereafter be convinced
that the man who leases the oyster beds
should pay q higher rental. #
AT present not an acre of oyster bot
| tom Is lea sed to individuals at a greater
| rental than the sum Of 81 annually, and (
| by special acts much Is rented at less
sum- Compared with other States, Viz
ginla receives almost nothing from her
oyster grounds. VA
Rhode Island receives an ualgrental
Of $40 an acre for all oyster ground COW
cred by less than twelve feet Of water,
and IS annually for ground over which
there Is more than twelve feet. A small
rortlon OF ground is rented at 81 an acre.
! or the 5135 acres In that State leased
last year. 3572 acres paid rental Of 80
per acre; 1853 acres were leased, at an an-5
nual rental OF Is, and for 14s acres the
state received 81 an acre. There has been
| no land leased at dollar since 1887
I&svirEinia rents out 47,S03 acres of oyster
planting ground. including 1854 acres on
| the ocean or eastern side of Accomao and
| Northampton, at twenty-five cents an
acre, with the exception Of a few recent
| assignments at 81 an acre, and $500 acres
| of deep water planting ground at g. rem
! tai of twelve and half cents an acre
! for the first five years, twenty-five cents
| for the second five and fifty cents for tho
next. ten.
The total amount. received by Virginia
| last year from her 47,S03 acres was $S.
| 2S5. .e6, while Rhode Island. with only o.lSb
acres received $685. 213. M ifiiS \, # #
TOO BIG A DIFFERENCE
There are reasons why oyster beds In
Rhode Island waters by reason OF their
| proximity to populous Acenters, should be
more valuable than those OF Vir gtnia, but
It would seem that there should not be
such great difference unless the Virginia
beds are much more greatly depleted.
| New York rents her oyster planting
| ground to the highest bidder. No land 10
rented for less than twenty-five cents an
acre. The average Is said to be many
! times that.
I have not been able to obtain the
terms upon which Connecticut has leased
7 out 4,os7.1 acres Of planting ground That
State has only 5,6S7 acres Of natural oys- K
! ter beds. She has done moro for the
protection OF planters, so far as marking
| the natural rock, than any other State.
| The lines are indicated at intervals by
srar buoys, 2x4 inches and sixteen feet {
| long, anchored by means of stones 800
| pounds In weight The buoys, which are
of wood, Of course. are replaced twice q
year.
The boundaries of the State oyster beds
In Virginia waters have never been
marked When they We're surveyed by
Mr.. ]. B. Baylor plats were made ana
deposited In tho clerks offices Of the va
riolls counties In which the grounds were
located a planter might get of his land
and onto that OF the State without know y
!ng 1t. though Ignorance IS not believed
to be very frequently at the bottom OF
such procedure.
No other State pays so much money
for the protection of Its oyster beds as
does Virginia, The oyster navy Is for
the protection OF the natural beds upon
which the tongers can go and take UP
tongers OF the State last year paid In
taxes only $l6,69s,70 while the cost of the
oyster navy was $2O,993S6.
IT Is a most remarkable fact that the
tongers 40 & not cay into to- the treasury
not for the purpose OF keeping pirates
or the rented ground. but to keep tho
tOngers and the planters. alike Off tho
natural rock during the closed season.
'Increase our taxes but do not break
the Baylor survey" has been heard n Z
thousand times from the tongers since
tho special committee has been investi-l
eating into the condition Of the State oys-
Ter beas. The committee has, nothing to
do with the question of taxation. 1t has
only to report whether there Is within
the limits OF the Baylor survey any bar
rem area which should he rented to plant-
ers.
It will report aftirmatvely, While the
report win probably not touch on the .
question of increasing the rental OF ground
to planters, or OF increasing the cost Of
fongers' license, the members OF the CONS
mttee have heard all that was said ana
they will have become pretty familiar @
with conditions In the oyster country by
the time their tour OF Investigation shall
have been completed.
Mr., Richard Armstrong Of Hampton.
a very extensive planter whom. have
quoted before IN this correspondencs, 70
rather of the opinion that tho New York
method OF renting the oyster beds to the
highest bidder is the best, hxirg a mini-
mum rental An objection to II lies In the
danger OF wealthy men forcing tho price
beyond the reach OF the poorer class.
n's' e''' METHOD OF RENTING
i As IN the manner In which the land,
which It Is pretty well assured me d,ea Leea.