Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-02-23
FISH and OYSTER NOTES

begin May LIST. The New Board of
Fisheries will go into office March LIST.
A great deal Of sentiment is being
aroused in Tidewster by the reports
that shareholders will ask the legisla-
ture to prohibit grabbing on grounds
leased for oyster planting.
The oyster shocking business has
about played out for this season. The
packers are just holding on hoping that
something may turn up. This has been
the poorest season in the industry for
years.
STATE FISHERIES LEGISLATION.
The Walker bill, prohibiting non-resi-
dents from owning stock in Virginia
menhaden Industries has passed the
State Senate, and will likely pass the
House.
The bill introduced by Messrs. Mon
cure, Curlett and Powers, to prohibit
pounds in water over 20 feet deep in
rivers, ct, will hardly become a law.
Mr.. Curlett understands his constituents
as being opposed to such legislation and
as one Of the patrons he is in position
to kin the bill, which he aims to do.
Tidewater people ask the Legislature
to give them $40, 900 for . new police
boat. The oyster and fish interests have
turned in over a quarter of million
dollars, net, in 80 months, and $50, 600
Ii little enough asked to furnish decent
boat. The present boats are all unsea-
worthy.
Alarming reports of the diminishing
supply of edible fish in Virginia waters
induced Delegate E. w. Gaines, Of Nor
folk, to introduce resolution designed
to inaugurste an inquiry and subse-
quently to bring about measures to pro-
tect the supply. The operations of the
menhaden fishermen are said to be re-
sponsible to considerable extent for
the depletion of the fishing grounds.
The bill reads: "'Be it enacted by the
house of delegates, the senate concur
ring, that a committee of five, three
from the House and two from the Senate,
be appointed to investigate the condi-
tons as to the diminishing supply of
edible fish in the waters of the Com
monwealth; to examine particularly the
use of the various kinds of nets and as
to the operations of the menhaden fish
ermen in the waters of the Common
wealth. 1t shall be the duty of the
committee to hear representatives of
all interests concerned, examine wit
nesses and report to the next session of
the general assembly,"
FISHERMEN ASK PROTECTION.
The Chesapeake Bay Fishermen Pro-
tective Association met in its tenth
annual session at Murphy's Hotel, Rich
mond, Wednesday of last week. 1t was
resolved to change the name of the or
ganization to the Virginia Fishermen's
Association. Heretofore the association
included manufacturers of machinery,
nets, Irvine, &C., but hereafter the
memberships to be confined exclusively
to those engaged in fishing for and
manufacturing manhaden.
The following resolutions were offered
and adopted:
''The Virginia Fishermen's Associa-
ton do hereby resolve, That we heartily
endorse the bill introduced in the Senate
of Virginia, known as Senate Bill No.
122, introduced to make more effective
the provisions of existing law prohibit
ing non-residents from fishing in the
waterso Of Virginia, and earnestly request
the State Legislature to enact the said
bill into law. 1t is the sense of this
association that the laws of Virginia
should absolutely prohibit the employ
ment or use by residents in the business
Of fishing for menhaden in the waters
of the State of vessels or nets owned or
controlled by non-residents of the State
Of Virginia, and we call on our repre-
sentatives in the General Assembly to
use their best efforts to secure legisla-
ton to effect this object"
The following factories, located in the
counties Of Northumberland and Lam
caster, wererepresented at this meeting:
The Marsh-Woodhull Company, Ed
wards & Reed Co., the Morris-Fisher
Co., AcNeal-Edwards Co., the Douglas
Co.. Hinton-Toulson Co., Snow-Fallin
Co., Indian Greek Fertilizer Co., Bel
lows-Squires Co.. Carter's Creek Fish
Guano Co., Haynie Brothers, Eubank-
Gill Co., Wharton Fisheries Co., Martin
Mason Co.
The following were elected officers of
the new association: Geo. P. Squires,
president; S. X. Martin. vice-president;
j. b. Hinton, treasurer; Geo. N. Reed,
secretary.
CLOSE POTOMAC FOR TWO YEARS.
The Maryland delegation appointed to
confer with the Virginia joint commit
tee on the oyster condition reached
Richmond Monday.
The Virginia joint committee is as
follows: Delegates M. M. Green CHAIR
NAM, A. B. Thornhill, j. L. Taliaferro,
John X. Rev, George Mason and Sena-
tors c. H. Walker, Ben T. Gunter and
r. w. Dickinson.
Senator Linthicum said that he did
not think either Maryland or Virginia
We're getting the benefit of the oyster
fisheries. This joint meeting was to
confer in friendly spirit as to the
remedy. Some law should be adopted
by which the oystermen who removed
the seed oysters without right should be
fined and imprisoned.
The second proposition was to the
effect that all dredging should be sbso-
lutely stopped in the Potomac for tvo