Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-03-11
Friday. March IL, 1910.
NEW OYSTER AND FISH LAWS.

Far and beyond all question
the bestpiece of oyster legislation
that has ever been enacted i'm
virginia, with the possible excep-
ton ofthe LeCato Board of Fish
erles act OF twelve years ago, is
the amending, revising and con
sohdating OF the oyster laws of
the State, commonly known as
the Rev codifying bill. This
measure OF fifty printed pages is
the careful work and study of
several years of the best informed
MINDS IN oyster affairs. and will
IN all likelihood see final passage
to-day. This bill and the com
panion bill on fish, CLAIMS. crabs
and other shell-fish are UNIQUE in
oystera and fish legislation, in that
Tor once at least Tidewater in
terests and representatives have
come TO q unanimous agreement
and worked hard to complete and
have enacted into law.
Ia this feature alone it is TO the
credit OF Tidewater people, and
Tor their good, since it is a com
mon saylng-whether true and
worthy OF acceptation or not we
VIII not dlscuSs-that Tidewater
can never agree on ANYTHING.
eliminating the Commission OF
flsherles, who did but their duty
ana are thereforenotp particularly
entltled to credit, the main factors
In the happy result were: Messrs.
w. w. Old, Jr., W. ID. Cardwell
and Frank G. Newbill, outside al
The Assembly, whose talents and
persistent work wereconspicuous;
and, inside the Assembly. Sena.
tors Walker, Gunter, Saunders,
Hohand and Lesner, and Dele.
gates Rew, Houston, Evans, Jett,
bowman, NNellford and Stubbs.
PRESIDENT of the Senate Ellyson
and Speaker Byrd were also mo
small factors, as were. MANY i
not adj OF the members of both
houses. to some extent, for the
measures had the good will OF
every member;and nothingbutex-
haustlveness and intricate-raIni-
hcations caused delay and cease
less toll. Senator Walker, alone
with the oyster officials, spent
night after nightduring the sixty
day session shaping and fitting
III the various features and
statutes which the Attorney
General of the State declared
could not be intelligibly construed
in their former shape.
Some unnecessary uneasiness
had been felt in our section. due
to the wiles of political schemers
and Misrepresentation galore.
over some of the features of the
codified laws, particularly in re-
spect to the tOhging season. No
less than four bills were printed
before final action, and in each
OF these a different season was
incorporated, suggested as they
arose by appeals from the differ
emit sections and interests, but
serious discussion invariably left
the impression with the revisers
that the present dates should not
be changed, and so the season
remains as heretofore-from Sep
TENDER Id to April l.. The only
hesitancy by legislators was over
the two weeks in September, and
Tor the information of our people
some OF the arguments presented
for cutting out the two weeks in
September are here given: III
The fearful slaughter of young
growth, not yet out of the thin
shell stage; (2) the need of help
ashore for the farmer and Others
through September; (3) the low
price OF oysters caught in those
days, that would all be caught
later, at better prices; (4) the
stocking of his grounds by the
planter with cheap oysters to
come in competition with the
tonger's market later; (5) the
TACT that every negro tonger is |
ready to go ON the rocks the mid. !
die OF September, while most oil
the whites take till the first oil
October to get things in shape
around home before going on the
rock-and many other phases that
were in the interests of the white
longer. There was no question
On the revisers' minds that Octo-
Der first was the date best for the
White tongers' interests, but as
5he bill Twas notdesigned to make
any radical changes the season
vas left as it is.
Taken all in all, while there
nay be a few Objectionable
eatures to some-as some people
Ire hard to satisfy-the many
features far outweigh |
'he defects, and the bill will 90 a
ong way towards quieting the
Vexed oyster question. This, as
other laws, viii go into effect the
of June.