The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-08
Voice Of the People.
The Bnylor Survey and the Oyster
Industry.

Industry.
Editor OF The Times Dispatch.
Sir,-In your editorial of January %
Facts of the Baylor Survey you
say: THE report of DR. Moore
fully bears out all that The Times
Dispatch has said about the
condition Of James River oyster beds"
. I'm other words, the giving
over of this large area to unchecked
public use has practically destroyed az
por cent of the beds. for the time
being, and left only 81 per cent. which
could fairly be classed as productive
but now we know, By the cold
light of statistics, what the situation
is,n "the Baylor Survey must
be broken TO meet changed conditions,
etc
Where is there anything in DR..
Moore's report to Justify any sncil as
say that single acre OF rocks has
been depicted since the Baylor Survey
was made. He doesn't say one word
about the conditions at that time. lie
only reports the conditions as he found
! them last year. Captain Baylor never
made any report of conditions when
he made his survey. He never even
examined the rocks. DR.. wilkins. the
fish commissioner, didn't make any
such examination, nor the County
Commissioners. so there could be no
report of conditions there. There has
never been any question of the fact
that there were large areas OF depleted
rock and barren bottoms embraced
within the lines at the time the Baylor
Survey was made. Captain Baylor. DIR.
| wilkins and everybody connected with
| the survey knew ii then. Just as well
as we know 1t now, except as to the
quantity i'll James River OF which DE-
| Moore tells us. But they all knew
| twas there TO protect the rocks. to
some extent at least, from depreciation.
and nobody even thought of trying to
ascertain the quantity.
| The County Commissioners knew
I that there was no such thing as one
continuous oyster rock throughout the
! length and breadth OF any river. or
| anywhere else where oyster rocks
| abound. but that they were scat
| tered about in almost every direction
| with areas of Il greater or less extent
of barren bottoms, or, in oyster par
| lance. mud slews." running around,
| through and III between them. And.
| for that reason. they directed the lines
OF the Baylor Survey to be run SO as
Of mud slews.' Wherever possible
they ran the lines far enough off 10
make IT difficult to depredate upon the
4 rocks without being detected. | know
/ this. for | was one of the commission
| ers for Gloucester county.
l These being some of the facts of
/ the Baylor Survey which cannot be
controverted, how can anybody tell
! whether or not there is any more bar
4 rem bottom now than there was at the
4 time of the Baylor survey? Whether
| " or 73 per cent, or whether there is
/ one single acre more of depleted rock,
! so called? oysters have become scarcer
in James River. all admit. Is this so
| because the rocks have been held 70!
public use? How do you know that
they would not be still scarcer if the
] rocks had been in private hands?
There Is no such thing as 'uncheck ed
=. 1. Z
the land. Then why has there been
unchecked public use here? Their,
can be but one answer to this-inem-
cient administration Would IL not be
wiser. then, to correct known errors
before dying TO unknown ills?
4 DIR. Moore himself says
much of it depleted roc1) is so sit
Z uated, however that it is debatablo
whether for reasons of administration
j. iro, YOU'D ID be 4dyisabe to ALLEVIATE i
ing the great area of barren bottoms
: the same statement holds true in part
"or in other situations which
would make It difficult to delimit II
to facilitate the policing Of public
rocks and prevent abuses which eS'
:. perience shows would undoubtedly bt
attempted" This much of DR.. Moore!
report ought to settle this whole mat
ter for good and all. 1t ought to con
!. vince every unbiased man that i
J: would be very unwise to break tn,
Baylor Survey; to say the very least
that 'twould be very doubtful policy
and for that If no other reason, /
ought not to be done. Dr. Moore;
Second alternative" can have no plac,
in this discussion, for the Constitution
settles that, and the natural beds
rocks and shoals" must be held 70
the use Of the public. If this means
). anything 1t must mean that the Legis
lature must do this in such name
/, as to be Of the greatest use and bene
], fit to the public; that the Legislator,
must do nothing to endanger thes,
rocks, or detract from their useful
ness to the public. Would you hav,
!, the Legislature do by subterfuge, in
nuendo or ndirection what itdare no
even attempt to do openly and iii
reCCly2
must admit that to have DR.. Moor
q make his survey and report AT thi
!, time was a well laid scheme, But wha
!, a fiasco! Well may we exclaim .",rh
mountain has labored and brough
forth mouse!" What will the survey
breakers do next?
CHAS. CARTER.
Bridges, January n.
In Behalf of the Public Schools.
. Jitn,. Of rNba ~