Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-02
OYSTER FLOATING PROPER
50 DEALERS CONTEND AT
HEARING BEFORE WILEY.
Plead for Resembling Of Regulation,
on Grounds That Process Is
Necessary.

Whether floating and "bloating" are
synonymous terms. or whether an oyster
will legitimately fatten in twelve hours
when put into brackish water, were ques-
tons the pure food board Ut the Depart
ment Of Agriculture tried to settle to-
day.
Over two hundred oystermen from New
Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode
Island were on hand to give their opin-
ions. The hearing lasted all day without
definite conclusion, except to prove that
interest in the handling Of oysters is
wider than was suspected when the de-
partment made it's oyster ruling.
In May Of 1900 a pure food regulation
was promulgated by the department,
which, among other things. prohibited
floating" oysters. According to the tes-
timony of oystermen today, this Is just
as universal a practice as Smelling corn
before grinding 1t. Their whole protest
against the ruling was directed against
the prohibition of this practice.
The ruling also prohibits the interstate
or the shipment in containers that have
not been thoroughly cleaned, or the pack
ing Of oysters In contact with Ice SO that
they will be pumped up by absorbing
fresh water.
Senator Kean of New Jersey was on
the bench at the hearing. DR.. Wiley
and DR.. F. L. Dunlap were also present
Solicitor George p McCabe Of the de-
partment, member of the board, was out
of town. Secretary Wilson came In later
while the meeting was In session at the
lecture hall.
Contention Of Oystermen.
Walter Bacon. representing the attorney
general of New Jersey, questioned the
witnesses from that state. Charles R Ba-
con also made a statement on behalf of
the oyster shippers.
He said that the oyster industry rep
resented a larger return by 81, 600 900 in
revenue to the state for leased beds than
the wheat crop OF the state. and that
there were 10000 men actually engaged
in the business. He said, II existing reg
ulations were enforced the industry would
be ruined.
He took particular exception to the
provision against floating oysters. The
Investigation. thereafter. turned on the
the oysters. as the dealers call 1t, is le-
climate fattening and necessary.
w. H. Matthew Of the state board of
health said that most towns and cities
which had been turning sewage into
streams that run over oyster beds have
put in sewage disposal plants, and that
conditions are much better regarding
stream pollution than they were a year
ago.
Universal Practice Defended.
Several oystermen said that finishing
Off, the oysters In brackish water is the
universal practice An oyster so fattened,
they maintained. would keep for ten days
without shrinking, and an oyster taken
out of salt water commenced to shrink
from the first day.
Walter Austin. q New Jersey dealer
with twenty years experience. pro-
duced a box Of oysters, some OF which
had been "foated' and some Of which
had not. The salt oysters. which had
been kept for seven days. had shrunk
to about half their original size. The
oysters that had been "hoated" In
brackish water were apparently as
good as ever.
Dr. Wiley said there was no question
in the minds of the board that this was
q universal practice. What he wanted
to get at was whether the absorption
Of brackish water and the soaking up Of
the oyster to an abnormal size was le-
Ultimate fattening.
What he wanted to know was whether
an oyster that took ave years to grow
to edible size could be fattened In from
twelve to twenty-four hours. Mr.. Bacon
and several oystermen said il could be
done. DR.. Wiley and DIR. Dunlap were
ready to hear any proof.