The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-01
OYSTER GROUNDS
To PAY HIGHER
TAXES HEREAFTER
Committee on Investigation
Finds Beds Rapidly In
creasing In Value
Private Cultivation Began
in This State in 1845-Ab-
clifton of Perpetual Fran
chise Advocated.

chise Advocated.
The oyster industry Is large and
important one, and by industry one
can mean both providing oysters and
consuming them. Two years ago the
State Board of Equalization was di-
rected to investigate oyster properties
especially with view to their own
ership and taxation. This competent
board went into the matter seriously
and their report was made public yes
terday.
It is a long and exhaustive pam
| phlet, covering over LIS pages ano
| whoever reads it is sure to know more
about oysters than when he took Il
up. Cultivating oysters began in this
| State in 1845 and deep-water cultiva-
ton in 1870. 1t is interesting to read
| that the great bulk Of shipment OF
! oysters is to the West, "shelf oysters
as far as ST. Louis and Chicago. and
| others even to the Pacific Coast. East
erners who have Travelled West are
i told out there that all the "best" Oy.
sters are shipped West. and only those
I that will not stand shipment kept fol
/ eastern consumption. This is a par
Of the Western dissatisfaction. but
| it is gratifying to know that they car
and do get good oysters out there. /,
| stands to reason that ours are better
| It is a curious fact about Gomez.
ticut oysters that they do best wher
| transpIanted. The Connecticut seec
oysters are pronounced the best, but
when these are transplantable they
thr We best in Rhode Island or Long
Island waters. Inquiries developed ad-
missions that something like 5000,00t
Z, L. knlx mn
tiers in the past five years, and the
investigators imply that this is far
under the total. The board set an
expert. Captain E. Frank Lockwood OF
Coscob, to examining the oyster beds
On the strength of his examinations
and reports they fixed valuations OF
beds at from S. to $3.50 per acre, as
against 81 to $40 hitherto. After hear
ings they held to S. as q minimum
value. The oyster ground tax in 1905
was $11,892; in 1909, after this equaii-
cation, it was $26,141. The gain in a
year was $14.249.
The board advise against our sys-
tenn of perpetual franchises and ad-
vocate leases at small price per acre
with additional charge for oysters re-
moved. They testify that the attitude
Of owners was altogether friendly and
they stood ready to pay any fair tax
but they did feel that they should be
in return reasonably protected, es-
pecially against sewage and factory
the State oyster police provision be
abandoned as futile and that inspec-
tors be given full power or dismissed
and they call attention to the foolish
ness Of State buoying when It's only
use is to private owners. Thousands
board recommends the following
1chano for taxation.
1. Place a fat valuation on all
ground under State jurisdiction Of say
$40 per acre.
2 Place a productivity of two or
three cents bushel upon all seed or
other oysters taken from any grounds
in this State for sale. or for the pur-
pose OF removing the same out of the
State
g. Require a daily report to be made
by the captain or person in charge Of
ing oysters-this rerort to be made
directly tor the shell-fish commission
and without inspection by the owner
or manager of the property from
which the product is taken: also an
other report to be made quarterly by
mission covering the same field.
4. Appoint proper number Of State
inspectors. say three. who have the
right to go upon any oyster boat at
any time and examine and measure
the contents. and to go on property
of any FISHERMAN on shore for the
purpose of making proper investiga-
ton of the accuracy Of the reports
handed in.
It might be necessary to provide for
other details. but in the main 1t seems
that this plan would be fair to al
concerned in, that it would do away
with all questions as to valuation Of
grounds The real test as to such VAL
uation Is productivity. If ground pro-
duces we'll it ought to be made to
pay accordingly to the State If 1t
produces nothing. then 1t would have
to pay nothing except the fifteen mills
on a valua ton of $40 as specified. and.
of course. If the ground produced moth
ing. the owner might release it to the
State in accordance with the present
law practice.
It may be said that very much of
the ground now being held is. and al
ways has been. held in violation of the
terms of the original grants because
no use of it for purposes of oyster
culture has ever been made by the
owner. The ground has been held.
apparently. to enable the owner to
make large claims as to the amount
Of his acreage for purposes of adver-
Using. 1t may be said however. that
if ground is Of any use whatever for
purposes of oyster culture it must be
would require the owner to pay to the
State only fifteen cents each year per
acre on ground so held.
The proposed law would be auto
matte in it's operation There would
be no assessor nor board of relief The
owner would pay no hing Except the
fifteen cents an acre.. if the ground
produced nothing. If the ground pro-
duced little he would pay little. If
it produced much. he would pay and
would doubtless be willing to pay in
proportion. The claim is often made
before the board of relief that no set
has been secured for certain num-
Der of years and that there has been
nothing taken from the ground ex-
cept old oysters. and that the value Of
the franchise for that particular year
has been CORRESPONDENCE low. These
claims would adjust themselves under
the proposed law. and 1t is difficult to
see how any injustice could be done to
anyone.
The report contains many special re-
ports and letters bearing on one phase
or another of he oyster question. In
respect of pollution of oyster waters
the conclusion is that while there are
unsafe places and while it is true that
fever has zone abroad from typhoid
oysters. still here is a vast amount
of water that is safe.
ALICE DURYFA. NEWARK
MISSIONARY IN CHINA
n