Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-23

ance can. am willing to do any
thing possible to have adequate laws
passed. When / advertised that meet
ings would be held last fall to inyesti-
gate the needs of more laws l could not
get any OF you people to attend the
meetings. I am ready to meet you
anywhere and at any time to help in
any way l can. held public meetings
in Hampton, Gloucester, Mathews, Lam
caster and Northumberland to the end
you are now striving.
Regarding the scarcity of fish. I
will say that winds which have been
blowing during the past several weeks
in my opinion has had much to do
with driving spots from these waters.
The winds have stirred up the mud and
spots will not live where mud is. If
the scarcity of menhaden as food for
other fishes is ascribed as a cause. will
say that over three million more men.
baden were caught this year by one con-
Germ than during the year previous.
If there have been violations of the
law, all ask is that the matter be re-
ported to me and will prosecute at
once. There Is no law against using other
than two-inch mesh pound nets, and
never has been." Mr.. Lee stated that it
would be disastrous to business interests
of the State to suppress the menhaden
or pound fisheries. All theyneeded was
proper restrictions, and these the gem
tlemen interested had told them they
would accede to.
Walter Sharp, who has written sew
eral letters to Governor Swanson and
others, charging that the law was being
violated, here charged that there had
been dereliction of duty on the part of
those under Commissioner Lee, if not
himself, Mr.. Sharp asked Mr.. Lee if
he knew of violations why he did not
indict them.
81 contend that there have been
large quantities of foolish sold in
Norfolk: Mr.. Feuerstein has told you
that he has bought them, ! know of
violations myself. ] am not a reporter,
a paid OF. an. unpaid detective, and it is
not my business to spy on people. 1t
is the business of Mr.. Lee and his men
to apprehend these law-breakers. -,
eff you knew of violations of the law
why did you not report them?" asked
Mr.. Lee. :.5 -.
Because am not paid reporter
nor hired detective" was Mr., Sharp's
rejoinder, Mr.. Sharp said he had writ
ten letter to Governor Swanson, bear
ing on the fisheries question, and it was
month before he received reply.
Mr. Lee said that while he was not rep
resenting the Governor in this matter,
ne 1.-THE Governor) was away at the time.
The last letter of Mr.. Sharp Mr.. Lee
thought impertinent and it would have
been condescention on the part of the
Governor TO have noticed it.
Mr.. Lee then arose to a personal
privilege, He said that from the let
tiers which MIR, Sharp has been writing
ne should come TO the meeting prepared
to furnish proof of violations of the
law. He declared that Mr.. Sharp had
not done so. HE has not made pood.
and, therefore. have nothing more to
say, except that / repeat what have
said, that If these violations have been
going on, report them and will enforce
the law. l had every reason to believe
from MIR. Sharp's personal letter to me
that he would make amends for his
charges since have shown him there
are no laws to remedy the evils com
planned of, but am mistaken in the
manner of the man."
Inspector Harry X. Swami arose and
said that If Mr.. Sharp says there are
/ pounds at Ocean View, in his district.
or less than two-inch mesh, he Is either
ignorant or tells what is false.
Mr.. Sharp about this time left the
hall.
In addition to the colloquy between
Messrs. Sharp and Lee, the meeting
was further enlivened by the injec-
ton OF some humorous remarks into
the debate.
Councilman L. Feuerstein declared
/ that ha bod hnnrkt Eel -
in abundance. He said that he was a
large dealer and had been in business
in Norfolk for % years.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
| 81 believe in regulating the menha-
den fishermen. / do not think we should
adopt laws without investigating the
matter. do not believe that the men
haden industry should be DESTROYED
"Pound-nets and seines should come
up in May. There should be no fishing
be fishing in September and October.
In order TO accomplish much you will
have to get sister States to pass similar
laws"
Captain Charles Colonna created q
laugh when he jestingly gave it as his
opinion that the fish were not biting.
"because it's Presidential year.
| Later on much merriment was caused
when Sheriff Lawler, q member of the
Committee, asked Mr.. l.. Feuerstein
what he meant by the word Jag in
connection with catch of fish.
Mr.. L. Feuerstein willingly replied
that "jag" wasn't quite load
| Attorney Joe Chinn, of Richmond
county, appealed to the Committee TO
not try to stop menhaden fishing. He
said that it was legitimate industry
and should not be broken up. He de-
clared that the menhaden people were
willing for laws regulating the catching
| of fish to be passed, but that they
wanted full and fair investigation. :,
Continuing, Mr.. Chinn declared that
every menhaden company in the State
was owned by Virginia capital. He
invited the Committee to inspect the
nets of the menhaden fishermen.
THE menhaden fishermen tell me that
the menhaden fishing has no effect on
| the food fish. A government expert
who investigated the matter in 1895
reported that the menhaden fishing had
no effect on the food-fish.''
George w. Mccoy, Of the firm of
Smith & Mccoy, attributed the scarcity
of fish to the dredging Of the bay, which
caused mud to be dumped about, thus
driving the fish from the Chesapeake
bay. Fish do not abound In muddy
waters Mr.. Mccoy asserted, and this
was substantiated by Chairman Lee.
Others who spoke were: George P.
Squires, engaged in menhaden fishing:
Or. George Sneed, member of the Leg
islature from Princess Anne county:
Charles j. Colonna, Park Poindexter