Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-02-18
BY2D-MICKHAM
OYSTER ELL.

UI9lck ILL.
Only two dailies in the State oppose
the proposed re-establishing of the
oyster lines in the James riyer-the
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot and the New.
port News Press-and both of these
agree there ought to be some such
change, but fail to put forward any
better plan than is offered by the Com
mission of Fisheries in the Byrd-Wick.
ham bill. 1t is understood that the bill
is not what Mr.. Byrd wanted or what the
United States experts advise-it is toe
mild; they would both go further than
does the bill Of the Commission of Fish
cries as accepted by Mr.. Byrd.
Here are a few comments:
Newport News Times-Herald.
This paper has no special interest to
serve We are concerned only for the
pubic interest. We confess that we
do not know what is the best course to
pursue. But the present system is a
failure, and believe that some change
IS necessary to preserve the oyster beds
ana promote the oyster industry.
Norfolk Landmark
There is vast amount of misannre-
hension and ignorance with regard to
this oyster bill. The general public
knows nothing whatever about what il
proposes, and is likely to get an entirely
exaggerated conception from the cries
raised in opposition.
We believe that either State Fish
Commissioner Lee or Or. Moore of the
Federal Fish Commission could take
chart of the proposed rearrangement
of the James river lines and convince
any disiDterested audience in a half an
hours lecture that the plan is scientific.
practical, and in all probability profit
able, and seriously Injuries no legitimate
interest whatever.
AS the case stands now, there are
many depleted oyster beds in the State
waters which are producing nothing
Whatever, and in Il few years, if not
reclaimed, will be permanently barren.
There are some beds which the State
can reclaim itself, and there are some
which it will require private effort to
reclaim. 1t is the height of folly to let
this valuable property go to ruin.
The area of the oyster grounds af-
fected by the readjustment proposed by
the Byrd bill in the James river is only
about one-twelfth of the entire area of
the public oyster grounds of the State.
1t is section about four miles broad
and sixteen miles long. It's special i'm
portance comes from the fact that it is
the section from which most of the seed
oysters are taken.
Much of the Baylor Survey is now
theoretical, because the lines are SO
wandering that it is practically impos-
slble in many cases to tell whether a
tonger is poaching or not. A chart of
the James river seed grounds will easily
prove this to the eve.
According to the new plan of the
State Fish Commission, backed by the
approval of the National Fish Commits
sion, (whose experts worked faithfully
for two months in examining the James
river beds,) the present crooked and
meandering lines would be Strengthened,
and watch-houses would be placed at
the intersections of these lines and at
such other points as necessary to pro-
tect them from invasion.
For instance, it is much easier for
watchmen to protect an area like a
square or parallelogram than an area
like the letter o or the letter S. Put
watch-houses at each corner of the
square and halfway between the corner
houses, if necessary. Then any poacher
who appeared within the line of vision
between one watch-house and other
would be on the public grounds, and the
watchers would be sure of their facts
and know how to act. With irregular,
wavering lines, the watchman's work
is largely guessing-though great inn
provement has been effected by the
system of watch-boats established by
Commissioner Lee.
S''ii oiSoo VI oystSi SIouHu ldllDS
outside of the readjusted James river
lines would be leased by the State at a
good rental, and the area inside the
readjusted lines would be better pro-
tected than is possible now. Commits
sioner Lee believes that with the adop-
ton of the Byrd bill for rearrange-
ment of lines in the James river accord
ing to the new information given by the
Federal Fish Commission, he could
point in two years to 5000 or 10000
productive public oyster acres where
today there are less than 5000. In
The Landmarks judgment, it would be
folly not to give the plan trial.