Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-03
LOOKING BACK.
Maryland Now Where We
We're Twelve Years Ago.
vIRGINIA's OYSTER BUSINESS LEADS
THE WORLD.


The following from the Annapolis
correspondence of the Baltimore papers
some weeks since should be read word
by word by students of Virginia oyster
culture:
DEFICIENCY IN THE OYSTER NAVY.
Senator German introduced bill APP
propriating $50, 900 to make good the
deficiency in the Oyster Navy. The
actual deficiency is about gil, 900, but
this will be increased before the end of
the year. According to Commander
Howard, it requires $50, 1000 annually to
pay the expenses of the Oyster Navy,
while the receipts are not much over
$40, 900.
Had it not been necessary to make
much-needsd improvements" said the
Commander, ''the navy would be en-
tirely out of debt, but we reconstructed
two steamers, building new hulls and
putting in new boilers st an expense Of
s40, 900. We were also called upon to
furnish the Shelfsh Commission with a
steamer at our expense, which meant
In addition to the detail of men to man
the vessels their hire and the cost of
the coal. 1t must also be remembered
that the receipts from the tonnage tax
have in recent years materially de-
creased. The scarcity of the supply has
resulted in placing out of commission
all of the larger vessels, and only the
sHpjacks or small boats applied for
licenses. This made quite hole in our
receipts. Meanwhile our expenses
went on as heretofore. We are now
confronted by another problem. The
increased cost of living renders it diff
n 10,
of $50 per month, especially when they
can earn much more by working on the
oyster rocks We will therefore be
obliged to pay larger salaries. The APP
plications for licenses are now increas-
ing, and the income will, therefore, be
increased. With all the drawbacks
mentioned the navy could have been
selfsustaining but for the cost of new
vessels, quite q number having been
added to the fleet"
Senator German said after introduc-
ing the bill making the appropriation
for the deficiency that it was probable
another measure would be introduced
changing the financial system now OBJ
tanning in the navy. This is proposed
to have all of the receipts turned directly
INTO the state treasury and then have
| the Legislature appropriate at each SEES
1
expenses, Under the present system
the fees are retained by the oyster
navy.
There may be on the globe some state
or country whose undeveloped resources
promise more or would if developed
exceed those of Virginia, Maryland OF
New York in oyster culture, but condi.
tons today go to show that Virgins
leads any section in the world as to
natural resources and output, New York
second and Maryland possible third OIL
maybe fourth. Possibilities would
not change Virginia's position at the
head of the column so far as America
is concerned, nor do we know that any
other country could offer possibilities
exceeding our own State; but Mary.
land could easily be second Our sister
commonwealth today is where Virgins
was some ten or twelve years ago.
Political Influences, and not ignor-
ance of the subject, place her there.
With US twelve years ago, we did not
understand the oyster problem. and il
drifted nonchalently along, our output
being great, as was the primeval forest
product; and so long as abundance was
there there was little concern. I'm.
guarded, it could not continue forever,
nor for any great length of time,
because the oyster was fast becoming q
necessary commodity and not longer
classed as a luxury. Multiplicity OF
workers and increased demands made
"hole," in short order, in our water
bottoms. The oyster got scarcer, anc
today we begin TO find ourselves in the
condition of the New England states .
generation ago. Advanced customs OF
living, large population and compare
lively small areas caused early depletion
In northern states, and they, like us
and all other peoples, for that matter
did not awaken to a realization of con-
ditions until there was desrth, and such
a dearth that certain once prolific Sec
tons were SO depleted and conditions OF
bottoms underwent such change there
was, and is yet, no hope of reclaiming.
How far politics invaded the reserves
in those days we have not investigated.
but conditions there long since grew to
sucha state that only mailed fist could
wrench the captive free. 1t was like
drawing eye-teeth," but it came, and
today the small resources properly man
aged of some states will put to blush
our southern profligacy.
Forty years ago. our oysters, growing
like spikes from almost every bottom,
were worth at varying periods from
twelve to thirty-five cents bushel, and
as much as seventy-five dollars a day
was made by two men in boat. This
we CLEAN from veterans who returned
from Appomattox, once in affiuence but
who had to then tong upon the rocks
Tor livelihood. Like our virgin forests.
the rocks surrendered to man without
stint, but every unbridled tonpful
creaked with the pain of coming woe. It
would have been unreasonable to expect a
long continuation under such slaughter.
Skipping the intervening years, when
prices rose and quantity fell, we find
no longer than twelve years ago that
Virginia had never received a dollar
surplus In direct revenues from this
source. On the contrary, annually she
had been money out for protecting
and fostering her industry, and the
supply constantly diminishing. But it
should be always borne in mind that at
that period, as at this. nv ;na;ract "a