The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-03

is divided, then how VIII ii ever be
settled Or properly. adninistercdi
Want Strengthened Lines.
We care nothing for the details OF
the BIZ. The State can rent. give away.
or let remain idle the few hundreds OF
acres OF hard bottom and the several
thousands OF worthless tunless culti'
Commission OF Fisheries lines. now
commonly termed. tho Lee lines. II IT
ne rented, this department would be
E,an 10 pc relieved Of the duty and Y
u, ,iis,, to others, All we. desire ls
maintain ,li,,t watchhouscs and buoys.
unanimously Two years ag tne 1t faiIed
n The House By a vote OF "a to 81 in
T. ihe ha munpnb 10 OF the closing days, Had
been saved $4,000 expended in UNI
called for policing. been advantaged
$4,000 or $4,000 In increased rentals.
and the public natural rocks been in
day.
"Just as we'll demand of ten cow
boys that they keep 1000 head Of cat
tie off $4,000 acres OF prairie. depicted
but with not stake, post or fence to
of us the preservation OF the mythical
Baylor lines in James River. The best
We can 90 Is 10 keep uD IL communal
circuit OF patrol boats. guarding only
an .eliptical sphere four miles by
twelve. as near where the lines ought
to be as Judgment vii permit AS to
accuracy, there can be none. SQUAT
tiers, hailed to court, escape because
they can outswear us as to the myth
cal boundaries. Some $4,000 r mt on
these court cases in the past few
months finds the situation virtually as
InCrcnSc producfiycness.
Our sole object is to preserve. and
Increase the productiVeness OF these
seed beds of the tonEers. This can
not be done much longer without ex-
we frankly admit that we do not feel
warranted. in the States interest. In
longer keeping up the UNEQUAL struH-
gle. at great sacrifice in four years
extent Wrested from ravaGers. and w
have held on with the hope that re-
lief would be given by the General
Assembly. To lapse into former con.
Virginia's seeh beds. which means
ruination to our oyster industry.
with only 5000 acres of natural
rock Gall seed beds) Connecticut is to-.
day supplying Its own planters and
largely the State OF Rhode Island. and
these two States are worsting yir-
ginia on the markets. Connecticut
watches her public beds with buoys
and houses established In shoal waters
on straight lines. such as we ask per-
mission to do. If not done. not only
these Northern States. but far Louis
lana VIII beat us in the race. and
our industry, now second. IL lot first.
Will sink almost to insignificance.
Outlook Not Encouraging.
whether our suggestion could now
recover what has been lost In the last
two years is doubtful Even with
these adopted. another season Will see
at least one-half the packers in Vlr-
ginia out of business because OF COM
petition and pure food laws. Without
some such remedy as advised. we do
not believe one-fourth OF them Will
open up next season. 1t is crisis
that the General Assembly cannot at
ford to overlook. The packer must
have oysters in plenty and at prices
to compete with other States, or go
ont of business.
IF the rocks are not protected and
made TO multiply the packer cannot
get the oysters. The longer Is the
loser in the end. for he must have the
packer to buy his product.
LAS great as such calamity would
be, 1t would be greater to the people
of Tidewater TO see the rocks rented
out: but one disaster will be conse
quent upon the other, and we can
foresee nothing now to avoid or post
pone these and settle the vexed ques-
lion, but the adoption of our sugges-
ton for rearranging the lines in James
River. the only deep water seedbeds