Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-02-05
why NO OYSTER
MARKET.
False Reports as to Scarcity 10
Virginia Induced Buyers to
Look Elsewhere.
so SAY THE BUYERS THEMSELVES.

A CITIZEN representative was told by
one who is probably the largest oyster
packer in Norfolk that mis- and another
large house there had handled more
oysters this season than last, but that
there was less money in them than
heretofore.
The same dealer had just returned
from the north and west where he had
tried to place some orders. He could
do nothing, as his Canadian and other
customers of former years had made
their seasons contract with New York.
Connecticut and Rhode Island houses.
There were two reasons for their having
done this. The main one was that news
had gone throughout the Union from
Virginia papers that there were no
oysters in Virginia this season. When
told there were more here than for
many years the northern buyers seemed
surprised, as the daily papers and trade
papers were unit in saying the first of
the season that Virginia could not fur
nish' stock the coming season. The
Norfolk man says this fallacious repor,
has cost Virginians millions of dollars.
The second reason ascribed was that no
quotations had been asked from Vir
ginia, in view of the promised scarcity.
and 1t was presumed our people would
ask the usual price, while the New
England trade had already quoted much
lower.
This brought the interview to point
where the question of price in Virginia
called for consideration. Last wear
oysters from the public grounds were
bringing 40 to 60 cents a bushel. and
tongers tried to hold at that figure this
season. The buyer could not compete
at this price with the north, hence there
was little market. Virginians, and
especially oyster people, have some
ideas that appear peculiar to tradesmen
elsewhere. We are accustomed 10
value a bushel of oysters at so much
year in and year out, and if we can't
get that price we don't sell. On the
eastern shore when soft crabs fall below.
cent apiece, the fleets quit work
preferring to catch a thousand a dav N |
one cents piece-or S10-than twenty
five hundred at half cent apiece-or
$l2. 80. They think if once the market
is broken it will not get back again.
Ihis present oyster season has taugbt
our people good but severe lesson
with twice the oysters on hand there
were last year, and the tongers catch
ing more than formerly, it was not
until recently, since Christmas. that
they felt the necessity of selling at anv
orice-the ruling market price north
30 oysters are now beginning to move al {
% TO 4o cents. the same stock that las,
'ear brought almost double these figures
1lrginia oyster people have got to
lace the music" they must como .
own in prices to compete with the =
orth. We have more marketable ovs- O
ers than any state on the Atlantic and @
1e can, If we will, sell as cheanlv r
'alure has favored us the past twelve
1onths and the oyster officials have
Yell guarded the abundant crop given o
s. Had either nature or the officials G
aiied' our people would have been in a .
lost pitiable state. Had not the tonoer
cen able to catch something near o'
ouoie the quantity of past seasons rt
aVing to take reduced price as he NJ
as, Underwater people would have had A
race hardships this coming summer 81
lch as not before in years. III
The public grounds, with small ex-
'ption' are fuller of young growth
ian Tor many years, and strictly
iarded, the outlook for the future tn
good. But We have got to agree TO al
me down in price-catcher. packer b,
ID retailer. The latter has not budqed ar
inch while the others have been
eadily dropping. -.