Bridgeton pioneer., 1910-02-24
READY TO GO
TO WASHINGTON
VIII Be a Most Impressive
Demonstration.
OYSTERMEN IN EARNEST
Secretary of Agriculture Will Get
information at First Hand
from oystermen.

From information gathered from
the lower part of the county. it would
not be surprising If more than one
hundred oystermen engaged in one way
or another in the oyster business, will
go to Washington next week, when
the hearing before Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson will occur.
1t is no pleasure trip for these men.
Everyone who takes the trip will be
doing SO at his personal sacrifice. The
oystermen are not off on this trip to
see the wonders and beauties of the
National Capitol. They are taking
this trip because they are endeavoring
to impress the government officials
with the actual truth and that is that
IT the pure food commission order TO
cease laying oysters out upon floats is
maintained by the department, the
oyster business in Cumberland county
is ruined.
Pretty much everybody in Cumber-
land county knows what that means.
1t will result in wiping out millions of
dollars worth of values. 1t will result
in making practically valueless
thousands of dollars worth of vessel
property. 1t will deprive some $500
or 5000 men from the only means they
know anything about of making a
livelihood 1t all means the almost
ruination of the lower part of the
county
The Cumberland county oystermen
will make every explanation concerning
oyster planting catching floating"
packing and shipping to Secretary
Wilson. They will give him the
history Of the business they will show
its growth to great industry, they
will indicate that the Maurice River
Cove oyster is valuable. pure and
wholesome after it his been laid out
upon floats and prepared by nature for
the market. They will prove to the
Secretary that the Maurice River Cove
oyster before 1t is laid out, just as it
comes from the bed is neither
palatable, clean or desirable and
would find no market
Men engaged in all branches OF the
business all their active lives will
appear before the Secretary and in
their own way explain to him the
real facts, and the truth these pract ical
men of experience will give, will
demonstrate fully the error and i'm
practicability of the theory put forth
by Prof, Wiley, who is discovering
that for hundreds of years people have
been living upon disease germs and all
that sort of thing and lived healthy
and contented. presumably because of
their ignorance.
Secretary Wilson will have oppor-
tunity of testing Maurice River Cove
oysters as they come direct from the
beds, and also after they have been
placed upon the folts. Oysters will
be taken down to Washington to make
this demonstration.
Walter H. Bacon will present the
case of the Cumberland county oyster
men, He knows much of the oyster
business and will be able to take up
the matter intelligently.
The Atlantic county and the Ocean
county oystermen will also attend the
hearing and they will present to the
Secretary the same sort of testimony.
Chief cf Shell Fisheries Charles r.
Bacon will accompany the Jersey
Oystermen to Washington and it is
probable that the Attorney General
may go along.
Through the action of the Legis
lature in accordance with the pro-
visions of the McAllister concurrent
every New Jersey member
Of Congress and the United States
Senator'S have been urged to use every
effort to save the industry to the
staIe.
The Cumberland county oystermen
will wear special button as a badge
which will indicate that they are
from Cumberland county. and will
Designate them from the delegations
from Ocean and Atlantic counties.