Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-09-24
(Communicated.)
THE PLANTER AND THE
TONGER.

w. McD. LEE, Editor VIRGINIA CITIZEN
Dear Sir:-Some days ago read with
interest your letter to the Chamber of
Commerce of Newport News relative
To what had been said at meeting of
that body discussing the abolishment Of
the Baylor survey.
Having been out of the newspaper
business for some months my attention
has been directed TO other channels,
but whenever read of discussion of
the oyster question in Virginia desire
TO express my views on the subject,
and therefore am inciined to believe
as you do in the matter.
As the oyster laws are generally
drafted by some one who is unfamiliar
with the subject, and always in favor
of few who desire to control the bus
mess. am ready to take issue with
them. The planting of oysters in Vir-
ginia waters is one question and the
control of the natural rocks is another.
The former is carried on by a class of
men who not only control the best
planting grounds in the State, but who
are unwilling to give the tonger and
dredger fair price for his oysters when
they are buying for plants. in fact they
set the price and these latter people are
compelled to accept what is offered
them. or nothing at all. To still fur
ther accomplish their ends. this assoei-
alton seems to want to dominate the
laws so that the profit out of the oyster
business in Virginia will come to them
and the tonger and dredger must do
their bidding. This is shown by the
disposition Of the Chamber of Com
merce at Newport News in it's efforts
to use its influence in breaking the Bay
lor survey, when it gets its informa-
tion from one of the keenest planters
in the State. ignoring the tonger
and dredger entirely. Is not this an
effort to enact laws for the classes in
stead of for the masses7 Again, the Com
mission Of Fisheries is to conserve the
natural rocks for the benefit of the cit
izens Of the State, and not few plant
ers. But if laws are so enacted as to tie
the hands of the Commission it will be
powerless to be of, any good to the
tonger and dredger
/ do not know the provisions of the
Jordan bill, but this same Jordan, who
fathered it, has spent several thousand
dollars on the seaside in the oyster bus
iness and taken up a large area of
planting ground. He is from that part
of the State where natural oyster rocks
are unknown. He not only invested in
oyster bottoms and planted them with
seed. expecting to show the Tidewater
oystermen how to raise oysters, but he
is in the farming business also. under
stand that he undertook to show the
Eastern Shore farmer how to till the
potato lands. His theory. as under
stand it, is to plow the soil deep for
this section as he did in the Western
part of the State. All this is based
on theory. But how about the success?
Who are the most practical in either
planting oysters or tilling the soil on
the Eastern Shore? Time will tell.
The Eastern Shore soil and the Tide
water section of Virginia are both new
fields of which the Valley farmers are
ignorant in knowing what is best for
them. So it is not always theory that
succeeds, but little common sense
mixed. The Chamber of Commerce
bases its conclusions on theory, while
the Commission of Fisheries adheres to
common sense and practical knowledge.
Mr.. Lee is familiar with all the de.
tails connected with conserving the
oyster interests of the State and his
opinion is far more valuable in draft
ing oyster laws than those who are af
ter controlling not only the price of oys
tiers. but the very bottoms upon which
they propagate. 1t does not take
Solomon TO distinguish the differenc,
between the interests of the averag,
tonger and dredger and the planter VIII,
is after everything in sight.
Respectfully.
J. B. FITzGERALD.
Cape Charles, Va.