Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-29
Mr.. on on oyster Legislation.

Mr. Oh on oyster Legislation.
Editor OF The Times-Dis patch:
Sir,-As q member of the honSt'
Committee OH the Chesap"aN" and lis
| Tributaries during the lat session OF
the General Asss mbiy Of Virginia. |
will undertake to answer briefly inc
question propounded by yoa to MIR. ".
Mcdonald L." as 10 Why no oyster
LEGISLATION was enacted by the said
Gtneral Assembly.
On January 81 1905, uWon the re-
quest Of he Board Of Fi.h"ri"s. | IN
troduc,i in the House a bill proVidlhg
for the coditicatiOn OF tn" oyster laws
of Nir.inia. and cont aiming many ma
icrial amendments, which bill, when
printed. contained ninetNtight pages
This bin has been drawn with murh
care hv Mr. Lee and those associate"
with him. and the oyster laws OF other
States were considered in its prepare
ton
The House Committee on the ChrE<a-
praka and its Tributaries met day az
ter dav and night after night for me
purpose of considering this bill but.
owing 20 the many investigations. ne
ccssitating the appearance" OF mem
bers Of the committee at other meet
ingS the HhOrtnesS OF the session, the
multitude of bills on the cal"nHar.
each one OF which was considered II!
its patron to be important. and oppos'-
ton to CERTAIN portions OF IN" bill IL
self bv certain members. 1t 1ai!ei
of passage in the HorS". but. in all
probability, by lack of time. A slmliar
bill was introduced in the S"nat" %!
Senator KceZcll Mr.. Ice worked In
season an! out of season in its behalf.
and its passage would have given the
board better facilities for enforcing
them. and would. no dorbt. have
rcmcdicd many of the evils which your
paper now claims exits. Should not
Mr. Lee, under those claims exlstdll
Mr.. Lee. under these circumstances
he commended for his untiring efforts
rather than scensured for the non-pas-
sage of The bill itself
This now brings ME TO the Dill
changing the name of the Board OF
Fisheries to the Commission OF FISH
cries. providing for a fund for carry
ing out the purposes OF the act. out
lining the duties and powers OF the
commission, and incidentally increas-
ing the salaries of certain members
Of the board This bill. after full ana
careful consideration in committee
and on the floor, passed the House by
a vote of 55 TO ;. an dthe report OF
the conference committee was adopt
de bv the House by a vote of 60 to 2.
and by the Senate by vote OF -
TO ;. These votes in themselves olsht
to be conclusive evidence of the fac'
that the lfll was meriiortous one.
And any thoughtful person. In exam
lining the oyster codification bill. nine
ty-eigh; pages long. making changes
in he existing laws. and the Com
mission of Fisheries bill. orIy four
pages long. recognized to be OF merit.
can easily understand why the latter
became a law and the former failed
OF passage. And it is only fair for
me to state that Mr.. Lee told me
again and again. and. no doubt. other
mebers Of the committee also to use
every effort to have passed the codi-
fication bill. even though by so doing
the Commission of Fisheries bill fail
cd OF pdSSdSt
And his every action. so far as ]
observed, proved his sincerity in max
ing this statement.
would also like to call attention 10
II. B. $50. directing the Board or
Fisheries to rearrange the lines OF
the Baylor Survey in Warwick county;
the resolution introduced by Mr..
Fcatherston. of Campbell county. pro
yiding for the appointment OF com
mission to make an investigation OF
the safes interest in and relative
to the fish and oyster industries. anc
| The Potomac River bills. all OF which
had his approval and support.
1t rs my intention in writing TINS
| letter. and do so voluntarily. to give
! 20 Mr. Lee the credit he deserves: and
sincerely hope that this sta'emen'
Of facts. which can easily he veri
fed by other members Of the com
mittee. will convince you that Mr.
| Lee did do his best 10 have enacted
oyster legislation considered By those
! who examined the bills themselves tt
~ wise. proper and necessary.
| Yours very truly.
WM. W. OLD. Jr.
| Norfolk. Va. November %. 1908.