The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-28
MILD RELIEF For THE OYSTER
INDUSTRY.

MILD RELIEF For THE OYSTER
INDUSTRY.
The Times Dispatch agrees with Mr..
Byrd that the measure he has intro
duced rearranging the lines of the
Baylor Survey is an exceedingly mild
measure. Like ourselves, Mr.. Byrd's
wish was to push the Encouragement
much further, but he seems to have
been confronted with the necessity of
making the best of the situation as
1t was. and possibly this compromise
was all that could be expected in the
face OF the sharp opposition to any
change whatever.
The best thing that can be said for
this measure is that it recognizes, Tor
once and for all, that the Baylor Sur
vey can be "broken" Through the
ignorance OF the tongers, and the agl-
tation of others whose intentions were
doubtless better than their logic, the
vague notion has grown up that this
survey was something sacrosanct.
for protecting the great plain people
from the fearful rapacity of rich cor
porations,'' some God-given instru-
nent of liberty, to touch Which was
desecration and profanity. This unin-
formed but strong sentiment has
proved. we should say, considerable
silencer, particularly among those
holding elective Offices and 1t has taken
courage to say, what some must have
long known to be the fact, that the
Baylor Survey is to-day an artiticiality
and a myth, which has long outlived
ITS usefulness, and which is to-day
hanging like a milestone around the
oyster Industry of the State.
This bill at least pricks the bubble
of reverential tradition. 1t frankly
faces the fact that the Baylor Survey
ought to be broken" 1t proposes to
Withdraw from public use about 1000
acres of natural beds in Warwick
county and offer them for lease to the
planters in small parcels. This is very
wise and sensible as far as 1t goes.
But the United States government eX-
perts have shown that over $4,000
acres of James River beds in the Bay
Tor tract are now entirely barren. II
Ii is a good and desirable thing Il
lease out 1000 acres of barren beds
1t is not clear why 1t is not good ant
desirable thing to lease out 1900
acres of barren beds. The remaining
II 900 barren acres, now useless tc
everybody, will remain barren and
useless forever, unless the State un.
dertakes to cultivate them itself, at its
own risk and expense. Nor do Eve
know, or can we conjure up any ar
gument against leasing out all the
barren acres which does not apply
equally to leasing out any part OF
them. This bill gives logical reasons
why the leasing out of 1000 acres will
bring advantages TO the state. Per-
llaps it evens emphasizes the advan-
1ages more than,,it should. For 1T
promises both reduced expenditures
for policing and enlarged policing on
the remaining tract, though it would
seem that the plans suggested for
watch houses and the like might eat
up all the saving elsewhere. AT any
rate. either one or the other advan-
tage would accrue to the State, IL not
both; and in addition, there Is eX-
pected about $4,000 a year in rentals
from planters But ii these benefits
- tnnp
acres of worthless bottoms, no rea-
son occurs TO us why benefits -four
times as large could not be secured
by withdrawing the whole 10000 acres
of barren bottoms.
This bill for the relief Of the oyster
industry recognizes the general prin
ciple of leasing out useless bottoms
but seems to shrink from carrying
that principle out to its logical con
illusions. Ii wants TO help. but seem
not to want TO help too much. How
ever, II is very good as FAR as it goe
IL Introduces the keen edge of CON
mon sense into q sphere OF though
which has hitherto seemed deadlooke
against common sense. a comparisc
OF the usefulness of these 1000 acr'
under private cultivation few yea
from now with the usefulness Of Il
same acres under public use ought
make it easy to carry the good wol
much further
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THE AMERICAN sWEET-TooTH.
The statistical fiend has been at
again this time IN the toothson
realm Of the confectioner. Thence |
returns with the somewhat startlin
intelligence that we, the people {