The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-13

eight cents Pper bushel on the ground.
then he 5hastito wait from eighteen to
,twenty-fourt months for oysters large
enough for the shocking trade,aor trans
plant them, and wait three, years for
barrel stock + the first year, when the
shells are pla,ited,tis not q good one for
af"strlken6bysthc !"apat.f the renter may
have to wait two or three years before
the shells, get 4 o. fpro fltable strike. Al
the time hs Laying h. rent ana n,A
When the strike is good, and the oysters
grow into profitable sizes, the renter also
has to pay an Fad yalorem tax on the oys-
tiers occupying such leased ground.
1t may be ;lue that some planting
ground is worth moro than s1.00 per a cre.
with shells and carefully cultivated at
considerable n cost Is taxed Il enough
at that 3tirate. If the public rocks
which are already supplied not only with
shells, but with oysters Also were sub
jected to lie Use. no renter would object,
to the Increased entails. but the distinct
ion between such rocks, which are still
4 to be held in trust for the Common
wealth. and The barren and exhausted
lands. which tho new Jordan bill pro-
poses to LEASE. should be kept prominently,
In mind. iiN
1t should be remembered that these
barren lands now are worth nothing to
the State, aud that the renter by hard
work and mucn expense and risk i'm
proves 1t to justify Its retention. netting
both him AMI the State a revenue. + IT
the survey Is broken and the rental IS
fixed at moro than 81 per acre, there are
thousands and thousands Of acres in the
survey that will never be taken up. for
the same reason that there are thou
sands of acres out of the survey n oW adj
Joining the survey, not leased and that IS
because tho II OundS arc not worth LtLK!IS
any risk on. @ 96
An increased rental would be unfair In
another sense namely: that the first tax
Ing planters by the acre was twenty-five
cents per acre IL some parts OF the state,
later It was Increased to $1.O0. Now many
planters through the State have q twenty
year lease upon good planting grounds at
twenty-five cents per acre, and others
are paying 500 for grounds no better.
Now to Increase the rental on barren
grounds that VII. have to be made into
artificial SO ,l-peds by hard labor and
capital of tho renter who may choose to
take the risk, would work a hardship
upon tho oystermen and an Injustice to
...e State. Ell
The highest bidder plan is also talked
Of. Nothing could be more unreasonable
and unfair than that system. Imagine ~
oyster bottoms in the various communities
advertised fnr sale; hero will come the
capitalist from various parts Of the State
and piece by piece would monopolize
all the lands adjacent to the thousands
OF homes Vt foystermen whose very ex-
stence Is dependent upon these lands,
and who would be driven to pauper labor,
Tho capitalist, or course, would be satis-
fled with far interest on the invest
ment whilo the local oystermen have to
live and support families on the margin.
Surely tho State does not want to pau-
perize her lnhorlng classes who already
are paying capitation and property taxes,
the same rs other citizens and In addi-
t!on are paying n license, tax, tongmen's
tax oyster transfer. taxi ground rental
Tux and ad valorem tax on the oysters
planted Rocson and justice demands
that they ars already sufficiently taxed,
''',.'NE-- II ,,E'll..r 49, - M .-i.l L