Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-09-17
Newport News Learns
Something of the BIZ
valves from MeSsrs.
Armstrong and Lee.
SWANSON'S ADMINISTRATION THE
FIRST TO PROTECT THE
JAMES,
Newport News Press. September llth. !

sestions rained upon the heads of the
members in such volume that it was
~eil-nigh impossible for the average
man to tell what it was all about, but
those who listened probably left the
meeting knowing more about the ovs-
ter than ever before. The PRINCIPAL
speakers were Mr.. Richard Armstrong
ot Hampton, one of the leading oyster
planters in the State. and State Fish
cries Commissioner Mcdonald Lee.
Mr.. Armstrong, who spoke first, gave
comprehensive history of the oyster
industry of the United States and
touched upon what has been done
abroad, and undertook to prove to the
chamber the absolute necessity for
cultivation if the industry Is to be pre-
served. He emphasized the fact that
planters are handicapped bv
inability to get seed, declaring that the
Chesapeake bay and its tributaries
furnished unlimited beds for cultivation
but that the planters were obliged to
confine their operations to a small area
on account of the lack of seed.
Mr.. Lee said that he was under the
impression that Mr.. Armstrong favored
abolishing the public rock line entirely
and he had come to Newport News
with the idea of combating that promo
sition. Mr.. Armstrong assured the
commissioner that he did not favor such
step; that he thought it would be too
radical and that he simply favored MAX
ing certain changes in the BAYLOR lines.
Is Mr.. Lee said that he, too. favored
changing the Baylor lines in James
river somewhat, and the renting of
certain barren rocks now within those
lines. He introduced a bill with this
end in view last season, but the meas
ure was killed in the House after pass
ing the Senate.
Concerning depredations on the pub
lie rocks, Mr.. Lee said that not one
case had been reported from the James
during the past summer, this being the
result of the activity of the police boats
during the past few years. The crop
IN Virginia this year, he went on to
say, was larger than it had been at anv
time in twenty years, but the planters
and tongers were unable to find a mar
ket for their product because of the
nnfavorable reports published in news
papers. In James river, he said the
beds were in worse state than any,
where else in Virginia, on account of
Expectations during closed season. The
crop is growing now, however. and the
declared that if time is
gwen the rocks will be fertile again.
City Sergeant E. w. Milstead. ex-
blaming that he was interested in
James river oyster beds, said that the
closed season law had never been en-
.orced until the beginning of Governor
Swanson's administration.
The discussion of the oyster question
vas not concluded until few minutes
before midnight.
Newport News Times erald.l
The Chamber of Commerce last NIGHT
heard discussion of the oyster ques-
ION between Richard Armstrong and
commissioner Mcdonald Lee, which
proved to be the most instructive pre-
'entation of the subject in the history
u Newport News. There was a large
attendance of members, and citizens of
Hampton were also present.
Mr.. Armstrong had taken upon him
self the difficult task of gathering the
oyster laws of other states and pre-
'ented TO the Chamber a synopsis of
he same as compared with Virginia
regulations. His references were es-
'ecially to Rhode Island and Connect |
,ut.
Connecticut sells her oyster lands in
ee simple. but this plan was not ADOPT
d without a fight with the tongers.
DIR. Armstrong did not state what rev.
nue. Connecticut received from her oys-
er grounds, but said that after sale the
rounds were assessed according to
heir value, as lands are assessed
nd taxed at the rate of II per cent ON
ne assessed valuation.
Mr.. Lee began by saying that he
Understood that Mr. Armstrong was
favor of abolishing the Baylor survey.
Mr.. Armstrong interrupted him tol
" that Mr.. Lee was mistaken. That
had never been in favor of abolish
g the Baylor survey. All that he c
anted was seeds for the planter, he s
not care where they came from. Il
believed that the State could. bv a
teligent effort, furnish that supply v
q. that would give every man chance o
become a planter and make the q
inting industry profitable to the
inter and to the State. Il
Mr.. Lee did not combat that propos;- is
N, but said that there was plenty Of tt
tom to rent to planters, but that d.
ere was no demand for it. eat a h.
lnce," said he, 'fet me say there is
supposed to be 230, 900 acres of 81
bic oyster bottom in the State.
about 400. 600 of planting ground ii
ooabiy one-haif of the 400, 600 is uti- al
able for planting purposes but less N
in 100000 is being lawfully rented. b,
hundred thousand that could be made
'iitable by a little expense is not
Ten up by planters because long-de-
red hope has led many to await a
lie when prolific natural bottoms NAV
turned out to them. &c,
or the $50, 600 acres of natural rock 70