Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-01-14
FACT AND COMMENT
ABOUT OYSTERS,
Fisheries Commission Details Long
List of Troubles.
CLASHES ARE FREQUENT.
BAYLOR Lines should Re Rearranged
Needed Legislation.

Needed Legislation.
Richmond Times-Dispateh Jan. sth.)
Containing forty-one solid pages of
kicks, with details of manifold troubles
suffered during the past year, the annual
report of the State Commission of Fish
cries was issued yesterday. Stagnant
markets, exaggerated reports Of un-
sanitary Conditions. use of gasolene and
electric power by dredgers, vagrant
classes among the tongers, pirates. un-
reasonable negroes, perversity of winds
and weather, the depletion of clam beds
and "the greed of some planters and
the prejudice of some tongers" have
deliberately conspired, apparently, to
cause difficulties and encouragement to
Chairman w. Mcdonald Lee and his
coworkers.
Withal, the versatile newspaper man
wso heads the Commission has inter-
spersed anecdotes. suggestions for inn
provement, and in general has made
MS statement the liveiiest and most
readable of the annual reports of State
institutions for the year.
Examined in detail, without regard to
the comments, the situation looks
pretty good. Annual collections under
the present commission have been for
the four years, as reported by the Aud
tor: 1906, $74, ,623; 1907, $99, ,9s2; 1908,
SIT, 761; 1909, S76.693. Under former
administrations the Auditor of Public
Accounts reported these from $40, 900
to $4,000 yearly. The collections of
the past four years, two of these being
in times of financial distress, have to-
tailed 1929, O61, with net profit to the
State of S197, ,554.
Industry Gets Jolt.
Last season." says the report, in
discussing the oyster situation, 'found
as with more marketable stock and in
prime condition than for ten years past,
but the pollution scare and an adver-
tised scarcity. in conjunction with the
depressed times, compelled Virginia
dealers and planters to carry over a
large portion of their stock to the
present time. Virginia, of all the At
lantic States, was the more peculiarly
handicapped. What sales were made
were forced ones, and SO with this, the
interest on investments and the dete-
rioration of multiplied stock, Tidewater
Virginia sustained a loss almost incal-
culable-certainiy nothing short of
g., 500, 900.
1T was while under this depressed
condition that the United States stats
tical census-takers made report on our
output of fish and oysters. Under nor,
NAL conditions our crop exceeds in value
that of any other American State,
whereas, taken on a basis of last year
we are on parity with New York anc
Connecticut.
To-day we have more oysters thar
we have had any season for the past
fifteen or twenty yyears-due to nature.
bounty, good policing and unsold stock
This is positive condition. and no idl,
speculation. The planters are over
stocked, and 80 per cent. of our rock,
are in better condition than for man,
years. Examinations of rocks in mos
parts of the State have been made b,
the oyster officials, and the testimon,
of those living in the vicinities accord
with the foregoing statements as t
good condition. AS has ever been tn
case, few soreheads, disgruntle
tongers or dealers, and some that tn
law officers have had to keep good,
will doubtless be heard kicking an
crying calamity and scarcity before tn
season closes"
Causes CT Trouble.
Causes for the condition for the pa.
two years of '.little demand and Writ,
ally no Market" are said to be in gel
eral what made other businesses sta,
nant, though "they may be large
ascribed to the exorbitant rise in e.
press rates. legislation secured I
tpatent carriers and the lasting effec
of the polluted oyster scare"
Referring to the eternal problem
the natural oyster rocks, tfe repor
aver that cit should be the purpose
future commissions, as of this one,
II rerun, by degrees, the entire Bayl
Survey and permanently mark its pri
cipal corners"