Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-26

.An'e ever nearu OF lawyers leav-
ing Jail full of criminals and a
crowded court docket to devote his
valuable time to a paper like the
Potomac Progress. know that
sometimes it is possible for man to
be as poor lawyer as be is an edi-
tor. Again, | quote: "The Gull law
cannot be enforced" etc. Here's a
grain Of truth. 1t will be almost
impossible to enforce the Gull law
until the law says to the planter:
"You shall not drop inside your
stakes and beckon TO the BOYS to
bring all they can, the smaller. the
BETTER" If the planter did not buy
them the touger would not catch
them. Why? Because he could not
sell them.
Now | come to the main root of
the editorial, the well spring foun.
tain, its Alpha and Omega-yea,
verify, it's multum in parvo. Listen
to this: "275,00 bushels of oysters
were shucked and shipped from
Wheaton last year rs per cent. of
these were from planting grounds.
These shells were distributed ON the
bottom to catch seed and were saved
to the State, the middleman's profits
in this business were spent in Vir.
ginia and hundreds of people found
remunerative employment" etc.
Let's see now rs per cent. was
from plan ting ground, shells, etc.,
saved to the State. Aha! rs per
cent. of 275, 700 bushels makes 206,-
$50 bushels. These oysters were
doubtless worth rs cents per bushel.
Let US assess them at two thirds, so
cents per bushel. Here, then, should
have been paid $412 so tax to said
State at 40 cents on the hundred
dollars. Now, let's see what the re-
port of Board of Fisheries says. Abb
here 1t is-1902: Lancaster county.
1882 acres of planting ground; paid
on planted oysters and shells, SIS Az"
Whew! 1908, 1,665 27 acres of
planting ground; 1864 paid on
planted oysters and Shells" Now
that is considerably better, but that
is for the whole of Lancaster county.
The Valley of the Nile, where the land
is said to be so rich that You can stick
ten-penny nail in the soil at night
and find crowbar in the morning,
is not in it with Wheaton, where
you can plant shells that are only
worth $5S Ga for the whole of Lam
caster to the State of Virginia and
are worth to the planters of Wheal-
ton over $2O6,250.
Now | ask the public if the Poto-
mac Progress, by this illustration,
has proven that propsgating oysters
Is big revenue getter to the State?
According to the report of the Board
of Fisheries for 1903 Lancaster and
Westmoreland counties paid on plant
ed oysters and shells $62 80 on
1862 65-100 acres. This is after
having this bottom ID or 13 years.
Yea, verify, the State is getting rich
indeed. She ought to lease out the
balance of the rocks. If she did, she
would be bankrupt in two years.
Listen to this: the Board of Fisheries
report that they collected from the
tongers in 1908 in the above named
$2,05S. Little difference,
amt il?
Another excerpt from the Poto-
mac Progress: Hundreds of peo-
pie found remunerative employment"
etc. Where do they get their shuck-
ers! just from Crisfield, Maryland.
Again, we are told: "rhe general
stores do $4,000 bust
ness per year." OF course, that
being FROM the oyster trade, 500, $780,
33s represents what they take in
from intoxicating liquors. He says:
ut (referring to the oyster rock
offers no future to the man who
engages in it, puts a premium upon
that brute characteristic which
reaches nearest perfection in the OK
and ASS" Thanks, thanksl dear
friend, tor your open confession. In
other words, you and the Oystermen's
Protective Union are both engaged
IN the oyster industry. We are the
Ok, you the ass. That's what
'all dividing honors even. Now let
ne say that i have not tried to de-
Tend the o. p. u, because it needs
40 defence. and 1 found nothing in
The Progress to resent. Bat | will |
Jay for the benefit of the Progress
hat the o. 2. q. is a mighty host; |
hey are the people; and they are
beginning to speak now in no I'M
certain tones. Dishonest politicians
md oyster planters are beginning to
quake in their boots and are in sight
II their end. They will never fool
he people of Tidewater again.
In conclusion, as We have settled
lbout the OK and the ass satisfactorily.
wish to close by giving you for ma.
ure deliberation something that
rust may be of service to YOU in
line to come. 1 refer to one of
Aesop's lovely fables which teaches
'ou not to be fooled into braying in
my other hide than your own. Seer
Hoping to hear from you soon,
I'M, Affectionately yours, l
sAUNTY SPEC.
Westmoreiand papers please copy.)
CITIZEN FILES BURNED. l.