Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-11-21

Hon. s. Wilkins Matthews presented
his minority report as member OF the
Oyster Commission, protesting against
the breaking Of the Baylor survey and
taking issue with the paper OF the
majority on almost every point III the
House on last Saturday. a summary
of its principal features, from the
Times Dispatch, appears below:
f-Mr. Matthews admits that there are
about 225, 900 acres of oyster rock en-
braced within the Baylor survey, but
denies that seventy-tive per cent. Oh
this is barren or depleted The JOINT
committee, though absent on It's IN
spection trip about seventy-seven days,
was engaged actively for only about
half that time in examining oyster
rock and in the opinion OF MT Mat
thews actually examined only ABOUT
ten per cent. of the total area. III can
not be presumed that because seventy
five per cent. of the area examined was
considered barren, that the same pro-
portion of that not examined Is also ue-
pleted. On the contrary, it is said by
ovstermen that cOnditiOnsVary greatly
with different rocks.
One point which Mr.. Matthews most
earnestly impresses is that 1t Is upon
the natural rock which it Is proposed
TO omen to lease that the Oystermen de-
rive their supply of seed oysters, ana
with this leased out to large planters
and packers. the small oyster planters
and tongers will have nowhere to OBJ
tain their seed and thus almost the en-
tire population, aggregating 5OOOO OF
so 600 will be thrown out of employ
ment and reduced to hardship anO
pauperism.
Mr.. Matthews denies that the oyster
industry is in danger of determination
and contends that so many oysters
have never been taken from the Oystel
grounds of the State as now. The ap
parent diminutiOn of the supply o
seed oysters, he contends, Is due mere
lv to the larger demand for them, oW
ing to the larger number Of planter
and men engaged in oyster production
The minority report contends tina
the planters who wish to break IN
Bavior survey will not want the reall.
barren rock or bottom embraced III TN
survey. but the productive rocks, thu
cutting off others from q supply OF see'
oysters. He admits that there is som
barren bottom embraced in the surVe.
that ought not to be included therein
but the area is small, and that 1t wOul
mean the destruction of the oyster III
dustrv to once break the survey unde
which the industry is now paying I
the State revenue OfabOut S3O, OOO al
nually.
Another point made by the Accoma
member is that the lease of the state
oyster rock would put an end to IN
claiming and grabbing industry, an
thus impose a great hardship by de-
troying an industry from which se'
eral thousand derive livelihood.
The paper of Mr.. Matthews is yer
strong one and the facts given therel
are stated so clearly that everyon
however much he may have favore
the breaking of the Baylor surve,
must see, if open to conviction, II
correctness of his views in the matte
and the folly of not profiting by ther
With the facts presented the leglslat'
is indeed blind, who cannot see, TIL
monopoly would be given, by brea
ing the survey, which would enrich
few and drive thousands out OF Il
oyster business now dependent upon
for a livelihood. With thousands
acres of barren bottoms already Opt
to anyone who wants them can al
legislator fail to see that the produ(
i've rocks are wanted and not the ba
rem ones? That if properly inform'
they would be willing to sell the rock
though, we cannot believe, and 1t
our duty to so inform them, that TIT
will not commit that folly. 10 tn
end prompt action is necessary on t
part of those interested in the oyst
industry. A telegram in another c.
umn shows too clearly the necessity
prompt action to be questioned by
for moment.