The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-09-21
CHAIRMAN LEE
DEFENDS BOARD
Denies That Oyster Interests are
Suffering
BOATS NOT TIED up" OR IDLE

Hon " Mcdonald L..c. Ga nrmau Of
the state BuAtd Di Fisheries. n, ben asked
Tor - statement concerning IA. c.Ifici-nt~
pi IN" board for running hort pf fuud-
before the fiscal yenr H. over. said IN part.
At the beginning OF th. exposition
the board Offered tho u~" 90, the MAurA
20 ipN Swanson. " ho accepted saving
that the attendant expense. would he
pld out oi "a iund 40 hi- command when
through with it, service. notwith~taud-
lnS the tact that %. l. com,unnder-in-
chi-i of the States navy aud could u-e
the boats AT vNlifisn without reimburs.-
m mt. Il- entertainments aboard the
boat were novel and evoked favorable
comment. at the same time saving much
to the state hrcau~e less expensive than
like Oc, .sini + ashore.
hi- l. bs uo means the first time IN
the nine years tNi.tence of the board
thnt the S2o.uoo approp lat. q ha- been
consumed before the eud uf the fiscal
year. tut ia each instance. a. iu this pro
vision hR- been made hy tho fmhefs
aud the work of patruiiug mas not
ceased
The activity of tho present b1ard il "a
matter ui public note. With largely in
creased police force. n,ce-Sitated hy Ia.
creased numbers engaged ia the oyster
y
nting; with old boats run down. ue.dnr
| expensive nptir~. and not Oi the TAP.
| for ready sale. the compulsory addition
/ 70 the navy ui thpe gil-Oiin- hoats TO
Srapple with Ones of Ike ~ uenud watch
| uoat- Tor james River. with "A new
! steamer worth nearly double in the
| market the price IL cost. Aad 10 eNtr,t
provision made for it, operating in the
hurry hours uf the last l. siSiature: the
great advnuc, iu machine saOp charges
aud grub bills this Jnmc-town wear.
the board has not hesit,.ted tn tell ever,
One with " HON they wen, dealing that
II was short of funds aud WAS ne,q ss.,rih
| ,-conOmlzlng when criticized inr not do
ing this thing or that thing The board
| tnre-aw twelve months ago largely tlis
condition, and w1- not unprepRfrd for
it.
That S2u. 600 today will not run %
growing business a. it did eight pr even
iour years ago, any fair mind will al
nit.
That the deficiency or necessary ex-
cess oi expenditure will reach 10000.
a. published. l. another error IL will
not bc the hall of that sum. nor equal
the increased revenue derived from the in.
dustry this year over hast year largely
raised because We had "A new boat that
could patrol quickly and 20 Ia rough
| weather.
"Anent the comment about parties
| travelling ON the States boats. We wish
TO say that, following "a custom Il be-
ievel ot former boards. any Nirginian
| going our way was welcomed. but AT no
cost 10 the STATE. But twice IN eighteen
months have families oi members of the
board taken "a cruise. and then the state
was reimbursed 10y the members In
some other instances when accompa-
| ming us on our rounds. guests have not
only paid Tor their own meals. but meals
Tor the boats crew and coal bills. the
latter a gain 10 the State
The chairman and secretary have
during the past year personally reim-
| bursed the state To "a considerable eX.
| tent Tor Nirginians who have luuched on
board. This personal allusion Is COM
| PEELED because of timRtiOns in the press
| COurtesies extended Nirginians have cost
the State absolutely nothing during our
| lncumbency.
The report to-day from Norfolk to
the effect that the rocks are unguarded
Is entirely in error. The AccCmac tstated
as tied upl has Just returned from polic-
ing the Potomac, and is probably now
IN her way TO the seaside The POGO
moke Is today on the Potomac, the Com
modore Maury. the Greyhound and "A
gasoline police launch are ON the James
at work today. The Rappahannock,
disabled has been tied upever since June,
tut will come out at the proper time.
have given the " hereabouts Of the States
boats this once TO correct misleading
statements, but such information Is nee
essarily prejudicial to the service The
boats and members of the Board OF Fish
cries are going and at work while critics
are asleep"