The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-23

Washington. D. c., March 22.-Thc
State Of Virginia stood second, Massa-
chusctts being first, in regard to the
value of It's fishery products in 1905.
contributing per cent of the total
value OF the fisheries products OF the
United States. and II per cent. OF the
total catch or quantity in pounds, or
per cent more than ossachusetts,
according TO the United States Census
special tisheries report submitted 10
the Secretary OF Commerce and Labor
by T.. Dana Durand, director OF the
Bureau OF the Census. for whom 1t was
prepared by William ". Steuart, chief
statistician of the division OF manu-
features,
Iii the value of It's shad, menhaden
alewife. croaker. cavier. sturgeon, crab
and hard clam products. Virginia stood
first in 1905 among all the States In
which commercial fisheries were car
ricd on.
The taking Of oysters was the most
important branch of the fshing indus
try OF Virginia, that product pcina
valued at S2.34S,OQo. The shad and
menhaden products ranked next IN
Importance. each being valued at be-
tween 100000 and 100000 while clans
and crabs followed In order. the pro-
duct OF each having q value in excess
of 100000.
Though fisheries are conducted at
nearly every available point along the
Atlantic coast from North Carolina
to the Maryland line. the most i'm
portant fisheries OF Virginia are in the
waters of Chesapeake Bay and its tri-
butaries. This latter district covers
an extensive area comprising not only
the waters or Chesapeake Bay, but also
Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds, and the
tidal waters Of the Potomac. Wiconico.
Rappahannock York and James Rivers.
labor nnd Capital Invested.
In 1905 there were engaged In the
tisheries industry in Virginia oo.o66
Persons. with a total capital employed
in vessels and fishing apparatus OF
about s3,000,ooo. The value OF the fish
cry products of Virginia for 1908 was
$4.7l6,0oO.
In the total value of equipment and
in the quantity of products, increase.
are shown at each canvass from 1891
to 1904. The value of the products In
1904 was 76 per cent. greater than In
1897. The figures for 1905 however
show a decrease In every item as com
pared With the figures for the proceed
ing canvass The increase in the num-
Der of motor boats has been marked
1866 power boats being reported in
1905 as compared with only thirty
eight in 1901. The value of apparatus
of capture decreased $4,000 or Il
per cent. while the products showed a
! decrease from 1901 to 1908 OF 16 per
cent In value and e per cent. In
quantity.
The number of persons employed In
the fisheries Of Virginia has gradually
declined since 1897. or the total mum
Der of persons employed In 1905 rs
per cent were engeged In the shore
and boat fisheries, and 90 per cent. in
the vessel fisheries. In the latter about
so per cent, and in the shore and poat
fisheries about 40 per cent. Of the per-
sons employed were wage carriers; TIL,
proportion Of proprietors and indepen :
dent fishermen being smaller than in
most other States. About 81 per cent.
of all persons reported We're connected
with the fisheries Of the Chesa peake
Bay district, while the re1na ming Is
per cent were engaged in the fisheries
along the Atlantic coast.
OF the total capital invested In the
fisheries industry Of Virginia, about
90 per cent Is credited to the Chesa-
peake Bay district.
Sailing Graft Prepondcrated.
BY far the larger number OF fishing
and transporting vessels we're sailing
craft While the latter greatly out
numbered steam and motor vessels in
the Chesapeake Bay district, the lat
ter class has a value moro than twice
that OF the sailing vessels. and tom
=
lantic Ocean district however, the
sailing vessels represented a greater
value than the steam and motor ves=
sells
The apparatus OF fish capture re-
ported for the shore and boat fisher
les OF Virginia largely exceeded in
value that reported for the vessel fish
cries, the investment In tho former
case being s4@S.0o0 and in the latter
$4,000. The capital represented by
this form OF investment in the Allan
tic Ocean district was only $1,000, or
II per cent Of the total Investment in
apparatus OF capture for tho entire
State.
or the fishery products of Virginia.
which form per cent. OF the total
value OF all fishery products Of tho
United states. oysters We're by far tho
most important, the value Of The Yield
In 1903 forming only a small fraction