Evening journal., 1911-12-21
TO The AID OF
JERSEY OYSTER
State Board Of Health Says
Pollution Question Is
Disposed Of
Ne PERIL IN THE
FLOATING OF BIVALVES

Food Board concerning the shipment
of oysters which have been laid out"
or hoated in brackish streams, the
State Board of Health has given out
a statement which materially clears
some Misunderstanding aroused by
a publication which the state health
and oyster authorities declare to have
been grossly misleading. One of the
dntimations was that the order was
directed especially at New Jerseys
fine product, which IS not true, they
assert. The State Boards statement
was prepared by William II. Chew
The member who has charge Of oyster
investigation, and is designed to set
the situation straight. It follows.
For a number Of years the health
officials of the state have viewed with
2 concern the increasing pollution of
the streams from which oysters and
other shell fish are taken. AS long
ago as 1900 the State Sewage Com
mission took up the matter and it was
then pointed out that unless this ex-
cessive pollution should be abated the
oyster industry would be seriously
injured There was at that time no
direct indication that the oysters
were unfit for consumption as food,
but that the increasing pollution
would sooner or later render them a
menace to health was recognized.
Clearing Streams.
STEPS were at once taken TO have
the streams from which oysters were
taken relieved of pollution. and hum
dreds of orders We're issued by the
Sewerage Board and by the State
Board of Health requiring the abate-
ment Of these pollutions. Necessarily
the task was a tremendous one
especially in the Delaware river and
hay. since 10 accomplish the most sat
;sfactory results it would require the
cooperation of all the states border
ing on that stream. New York. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania authorities
accordingly met in conference and
each state agreed to work TO the end
that the pollution which its cit'zen
We're contributing to the stream or
its tributaries would be taken out
The state of Delaware was not
party to this compact, but the other
states have each year been making
y progress to this end.
"When the matter was first pre-
/, sented to the oystermen they resent
ed the action of the health althori-
ties. declaring that this activity was
= uncalled for: but later when II was
~ demonstrated to them that aside from
the interests Of the public health a
very large industry was at stake, they
co-operated with the State Board OF
Health and the result has been the
adoption of sanitary measures alone
the oyster-producing streams whicf
y could not have been effected in Sc
short a time by the State Board o.
Health. alone, because of the lack o
ADEQUATE appropriation by the Legis
lature for the work.
within the past three years
through the efforts of the Board D
Health. laws have been passed by tn
Legislature giving the Board direc
sanitary jurisdiction over the oyster
beds. and while no appropriation
were made by the Legislature 10
carving on this work, with Other
funds at our disposal We have mao
numerous Investigations. Ihese III
= vestigations, conducted by our DiNl
sion of Food and Drugs, while no
as. complete as they should have oeeh
because of the lack OF money, nay
nevertheless failed to Indicate that IN
oysters taken from the Maurice kiVe
Cove were. in the judgment OF III
Board, dangerous to health.
Can Condemn Bad Oysters.
Under a law passed last winter Ut
Board was given power to conoehl
oysters and streams from which the
are taken Preliminary nVestlgallo.s
however. made along the Mau,io ~
River do not indicate suihcieht poiiu
tion to warrant the Board IN condemn
Co. fhn nffTn0EoC q
oyster culture. ,,.,. CO.
'Tbe contention of the United STATE
=" Denartment of Agriculture that tn
Goating of oysters in water of sal
content less than that in which the
wore grown causes the oysters to be
conc adulterated with water, Is
matter entirely distinct from the iioa
mo of oysters i'm water which is S
: ,rol1uted that the oysters which nav
noon immersed in it may becOm
,lanperous to health. We understan
tbat the oyster growers in this stat
contend that the attitude OF the IO'
ernmont with respect to the hoatln
81 ovsfers in unpolluted water Is nc
warranted by law. They are not onl
CvIIline but anxious to abandon th
nractice of floating in polluted water
land are willing to aid the heait
autborities in any way in the utul
ss tbev have in the past, TO remo'
nollution from the streams.
Mismanaged Sewer Plant.
sWithin the last two months th
STATE Board of Health has had
careful investigation made OF tn
n Maurice river from its mouth
NilIville and only few minor pollu
tiona have been discovered. In tn
( e;tv Of Millville. where a sewage dis
nosaI l,lant was installed by order
tbe Board we have encountered cor
siderable trouble in forcing the at
~ thorities to have the plant proper
managed. The Board is now haFin
a reinspection OF this plant made, an
also another house-to-house nspe'
= tion made in the city of Millville te
The purpose of ascertaining whetnt
anv sewerage is getting into u
river without first passing throus
the disposal plant. For over I"
wears it has also been the policy
the Board to watch carefully for an
cases of typhoid fever that may occ'
an the water shed of the Mauri'
river. that typhoid germs may not M
their way to the oyster floats or Ded
sWhen the State Board of Heal
j learned that it was the purpose
! Tho Federal authorities to reafhr
II, their former decision against u
floating o. oysters il was understoS
tbat the Board was to present al