The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-14

clearly it is far better for tho State
to rent out its natural rock or pro-
life land. while it is producing. to the
highest bidder, and secure the revenue
therefrom.
Tie other alternative is for the State
to close this depleted ground until III
can fertllize it with shells or other
wise and restore it to Its former pro-
ductive power and the question goes
back to the old. old oneyof whether j,
is practicable for the State to cultivate
q crop and permit the PUBLIC. for a
whether it should divide its lands and
lease or sell them and let private in
dustry take the place of government
ownership and control.
IT does seem to me that the State q
Virginia as a whole is interested in
the oyster problem in only two ways:
First. That the business should be
developed and improved so as to bring
wealth to the State and employment
to the people, and at the same time
feed them.
Second. The revenue the States pro-
perry Will produce. Why not turn over
the entire control of the oyster legis-
lation TO the oyster people of Virginia,
and say to them you can have such +
legislation as you want. The only re II
quiremcnt we make of you Is that you|
shall produce more oysters every year,
on the average. that Is, that you shall
develop the business on some basis
that is reasonably to be compared with
what is done in other States. or shall
bring into the state Il large revenue
from the States property. If / am
not greatly mistaken. for the last
twelve years. perhaps the most pros
porous in the country's history. the
business has not only not developed.
but gradually gone down in actual
| number OF bushels and in actual dol-
lars and cents, while the net revenue
| has been on the wrong side of the
ledger, and meant an actual loss to the
! State Of many thousand dollars. 1t isl
singular that this should be true att
| the time when the nation is profoundly
stirred by the high price of food
| products.
When it is recalled that the counties
along the rivers where the oysters arc
grown have the expenses largely OF I
maintaining order and policing, 1t
seems only fair that these counties
should receive the revenue from the
land along the water or under It, II
the land actually belonged to the peo-
pie, and not to the state, and the rem
tai was collected in the shape OF q
tax, 1t would go to the counties, and
the mere difference in the form that
this tax IS collected, doesn't offer any
great reason why it should find its way
to the Treasury of the State-to the
detrinent OF the county
It Is significant fact that the coun-
ties OF Underwater Virginia have been
more neglected by the State, and had
less done for them than any section
of Virginia. This Is notably the case
in the First Congressional District.
When We consider that the counties of
Accomac, Northampton, the Northern
Neck of Virginia. Essex, King ana
Queen, MiddleseS, Mathews, Gloucester,
York, Elizabeth City and Warwick
have for nifty years been paying their
proportionate part OF the State debt,
4 irh n or oil I,
of building the James River Canal
thus improving the waterway along
the James): for the construction OF
railroads, out CT which the great sys-
portation to other sections of tho
State, to build the Stanton and Par
kersburg Turnpike and other highways
In the state, while not q dollar tns
been appropriated in the territory
mentioned, either to improve the har-
bors, to secure railroads. or to Improve
highways other than their proportions
ate part of some special fund where
all the counties in the State shared
alike, it looks like a set purpose not
in that territory, but to deplete the
land. Then the State adds to the APP
parent Injustice above outlined. the di-
version of any income that may arise
from the oyster industry to the State
Treasury away from the county.
1t might be added that tho only
railroad promoted through that sec
tion-the Richmond, fredericksburg
and Potomac-instead of using its
profits to develop the State by branch
lines down the penlnsulas, has been
maintained as q monopoly for the
State until the commissioners claim
that the States income on one-eighth,
] believe. will ultimately be enough
to settle the State debt
What is the remedy? Make the leg
islators from the oyster counties u
committee {, q, ee ON oysteer, legislation; and
opment OF the business and the in-
crease of the revenue. To encourage
the Increase of the revenue and to
equalize. the Injustice that has been
done this section for many years, IL
the counties desire il. turn over to
them for permanent public improve
ment for their roads and transporta-
ton methods all the revenue derived.
Judging the future by the past. they
won't get any revenue unless they
manage II II great deal better than
the State has. and the state ought
not to object to that.
GEO. N. WISE.
Newport News. February @
H. / II 4