Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-17
THE OYSTER INDUSTRY.

We publish the following from the
Staunton Dispatch in order that our
people may not be in the dark as to the
feeling of up-country people over our
oyster problem. The administrative
body Beard of Fisheries) at the recent
session of the Legislature offered some
reasonable amendments to our oyster
laws that. If enacted. would have i'm
proved conditions and also set ut rest
the clamor that comes from the west;
but politicians set the legislature ''by
the ears, and the Recommendation fell
through.
Says the Dispatch: The oyster ques-
tion in Virginia, that is the question of
oyster culture, is hardly a practical
question at this time. except for the
consideration of the administrative body
having supervision of the oyster in
dustry: but it is aquestion that the peo-
pie ought to study from time to time
with view to arriving at definite con-
clusions so that legislation may be in
fiuenced and laws adopted that will pro-
mote the progress of the oyster industry.
The first question to ask and secure
a definite answer to is whether present
laws are making and will continue to
make Virginia oysters more plentiful.
If they are not doing this. then mani
festly the laws fall short of what they
ought to do. and laws should be enacted
that will do this. There are laws else
where that have produced the effect of
making oysters more plentiful, say in
the state of Louisiana for instance; and
the chances are that these same laws
would produce like effects in Virginia.
The chief impediment to RATIONAL
oyster legislation so far as we can get
at it has been the attitude of the tongers.
These are people who live by taking
oysters from natural beds belonging to
the state and maintained under certain
regulations for the use of these tongers.
Having votes these tongers naturally
have the solicitous interest of the politi-
clans over their way, and these latter
make terrible splutter in the legisla-
ture when the oyster question comes
up. They muddy the waters and confuse
the issues with the result that the di-
visions among those from other parts of
the state thus effected, cause such
action as to leave the tongers in undis-
puted possession of the field.
If the state were to stake out thous-
ands of acres of land in Augusta and
other valley counties, enclose them and
forbid their improvement, holding them
for the exclusive use of those who lived
adjacent to these acres, for hunting
purposes, on the plea that it was neces-
sary for the sustenance and support of
these people that they should have
these hunting grounds under certain
restrictions. and on payment of small
yearly license each, it seems to us it
would be parallel case with that of
the Virginia tongers. The right to use
the waters of the state in this way is
recognized, and the system is main
tanned, regardless of whether it has the
effect of increasing the oyster-supply
and increasing the general wealth and
prosperity of the state. The alterna-
tive of this system ia to lease the beds
to companies under such rules as will
bring about an increased output each
year. The result would be to throw
the tongers out of employment so far
as their old system of longing is cor
cerned, but If they found employment
otherwise, and more money and wealth
were produced by the community, it is
not so easy to see how they would be
damaged, for under present conditions
they lead q precarious existence, and
are about as poor and shiftless as it is
possible for people to become.
| The system that will increase oyster
production and bring more wealth to
the community is the one that will bring
greatest prosperity to the individuals in
the community, whether they now be
tongers or what. This is the system
that should be adopted.