The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-19
MUM AS AN OYSTER
Don't Fit When the Tax
Raise is On.
Committee 10 Visit Oyster Beds and
Report February Ten. Liquor
Traffic and Other Commit.
tees at Work.

ices dt WOTks
There was lively scrimmage in the
session Of the Oyster, or Shell Fish
Committee yesterday afternoon when
the Joint Committee of the luscious
bivalve name was i'll session.
This came when the committee met
to talk about II. y. 1856, which pro-
vides that the tax on the regulation
oyster taken from the State grounds
should be 3 cents a bushel. While the
coon" oyster should be taxed / IL
cents q bushel. This is an increase
over the present act, which is l IL
cents for the regular. half a cent for
the coon.
Some packers were present or rep
resented by attorneys who wanted the
present figures TO stay, while Shell
Fish Commissioners w. NJ. Webb ar
gued that the needs of the Commits
sion and the necessity of increasing
the revenue so as To improve the
oyster beds made larger tax neces-
sary.
like as even in the game of battle
dore and shuttlecock went the tax in
crease in the debate, and from out
the noise of the game emerged the
proposition Of Senator stephen Bra
gaw, of Beaufort county, which was
that n committee of three be appoint
ed to visit the oyster grounds in com
pany with Commissioners Webb, ana
after an inspection report on the merits
OF the bill to the joint committee.
There were present at the meeting
in addition to the members of the TWO
committees Mr.. w. NJ. Webb, Shell
Fish Commissioner. Mr.. w. Nj. Taylor,
of Beaufort, who has an oyster pack
ing factory. Mr.. Victor H. Boyden, his
attorney, and Mr.. l.. c. Duncan. Col
lector OF Internal Revenue, with inter-
ests at Beaufort
The meeting was largely devoted to
having Mr.. Webb explain the reason
for asking for an increase in the tax,
and to his answering questions put
TO him by various members of the
committee. notably Senator Bragaw
and Representative, Ehringhaus,
while Mr.. Boyden. attorney for Mr..
Taylor. and Mr. f. G. Duncan piled
him with questions galore, seeking TO
show that theincreased tax would be
n burden upon the oyster industry,
a hardship upon the people engaged
in the work.
During the course of the discussion
on the grades of oysters, and pending
the vote upon the resolution TO send
q committee to inspect the actual
workings Mr.. Duncan declared that
true anu the visit could be saved by
means of petitions which We're coming,
and as for seeing the '.coons'' why
we have them here" Then it was
that Senator Bragaw exclaimed $50
far as seeing the couns,' all coonS look
alike to me" and it is only different
when white supremacy comes along.
Being asked if the question had been
discussed in the oyster counties Mr..
Webb said that during the campaign
Mr.. Duncan, speaking for the Repub-
lican ticket had used the argument
of an increase to attempt to brighten
the voters. To this Mr.. Duncan de-
clared that his charges had been de-
MED bitterly.
Mr.. Webb explained that the reason
an increase in the tax was asked that
it now fell some $1,000 below the ex-
penses OF the Commission which in
addition to the commissioner and as
sistant employed some thirty-five in
spectors, and used three boats, the
expenses being about $4,000 a year,
the inspectors receiving about $40 q
month for the season of 1-2 months,
and being engaged in checking up
at the packing houses, watching on
the rocks and patrolling the oyster
beds. In Carteret and Onslow about
$50 people are engaged in gathering
and handing coon" oysters, the oys-
ter workers in the State numbering
about 1000 all told. In the last sea-
son the crop had rallen off over so
per cent, but the increased tax would
bring In about $4,000, the need of the
extra money being to replace the
shells on the oyster grounds SO as TO
enlarge the supply. To cut off the
inspectors would hurt the industry,
the packers asking for these. AS to
the tax he held that it came from
the consumers. The oysters of North
q
and are shipped principally to the
Northwest, and fully 70 per cent are
branded us Baltimore Cove oysters.
The packers are not allowed TO sell
shells out of the State. AS to the low
tax il had not increased the business.
1t was urged by the opponents of
the increase i'll the tax that 1t would
put them out of business. though Mr..
Webb said that one big packer had
told him that the tax would be right
as suggested for all grades. Mr..
Ehringhaus, of Pasquotank, said he
had received three kilograms asking
that the matter be deferred till par
ties at interest could b hard, and SINH
lar requests came from others.
Finally the motion of Senator Bra
gaw was adopted, this providing for
subcommittee of three to accompany
Shell Fish Commis sioner Webb TO the
oyster grounds as early as possible.
perhaps next week, investigate cOnQl-
lions there, the expenses and needs
of the Commission and to report TO
the committee on the tenth of Feb
ruary at which time all parties inter-
ested could be heard.
The Liquor Traffic.
The Committee on Liquor Traffic
yesterday afternoon made a favorable
report on the bill of Mr.. Laughing
house, of Pitt. to exempt the town of
Fountain in Pitt county from the mo
liquor" Incorporation OF u school near
the place.
II appears that Fountain, a town
of about 800 people had a dispensary
but it was found that this came with
in two miles of Il school house incor
porated against the manufacture and
sale of liquor Upon this the dispen-
sary had to go out of business, the
bill of Mr.. Laughinghouse being to
relieve the town from the school house
Incorporation and put 1t under the
provisions of the Watts law.
The bill TO incorporate against liquor
Grassy Creek Methodist church in
Ashe county was favorably reported,
this TO go in the omnibus bill, after the