The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-01

ment by which another examination of
the waters and oysters of the Potomac
river is to be made. a resolution was
adopted calling upon Governor Colds
borough Of Maryland and Governor
Mann of Virginia TO appoint from each
State chemist and bacterioiogfst.
who shall. with the cooperation OF
the government experts, make another
examination of the Potomac river
waters and oyster beds. The govern
ment experts promised cooperation
If this joint examination finds the Po-
tonac river waters polluted, as claim
ed by the government experts, and the
oysters contaminated b this pollution,
an effort will then be made to compel
Washington city and Alexandria to
erect sewerage disposal plants so that
the big oyster industry of the Potomac
river can be saved from destruction.
Oystermen Are indignant.
The Maryland and Virginia oyster
men are indignant over the embargo
W hieh the Federal authorities have
placed on their product. They con-
tended that the typhoid bacillus which
the government experts claim to have
found IN the oysters MAS purely local
| They also claimed that these Federal
! experts do not claim that all the oys-
ters are contaminated because the
water was found to be polluted. Mr..
Lee asked the government officials TO
cite one case of typhoid fever which
could be traced TO the Potomac river
oysters. They replied that they knew
of no specific cases, but simply found
Ii condition, and that condition Is the
Potomac river from Washington to
Blackstone Island is contaminated
with Washington and Alexandria sew
erage. DR.. Doolittle told the oystermen
| that the Objectionable report will ulti-
mately help them, as it will result in
compelling the government to erect
| at Washington sewerage disposal
plant which would relieve the situ-
alton.
| Want State Bacterioiogists.
A sentiment against having a bac
Theological expert of the bureau OF
, chemistry participate in today's con-
ference developed as soon as the Mary
lapd and Virginia men got together.
Representative Thomas Parran of
the Fifth Maryland district, had been
asked by the governor of Maryland
to be present at todaya conference,
! land to Ask the bureau of chemistry
TO detail a bacterioIogist from the fed
t'crat burear- to be present. which hc
did, but the Maryland and Virginia
| men decided that they would prefer
| to have any further oyster tests made
by their own State haeteriologists.
| The meeting today was called by
Governor Mann. of Virginia, and Gov
ernor Goldsborough. of Maryland.
who designated various fish and oys-
ter commission officials OF the two
! states to participate.
Governor Mann WAS arouse Il by the
recent chemistry bureau report which
I declared that Potomac river oysters
We're unhealthy. and SHOULD he, avoid
ed as food. and after conference with
] Governor Goldsborough. Of Maryland.
he instructed Mcdonnell Lee, chair
man of the board OF fisheries of Sir-
GINA, and William D. Saunders. the
. dairy and food commissioner of Vir
ginia, to represent the State at the
meeting
/ Maryiari was represented by
! number of officials concerned with the
I oyster business of the State, as we'll
as individuals, led by the attorney
/ general of the state. Edgar Allen Poe,
] Representative Thomas Parran. Shell
! Fish Commissioners Reveil, Graves
and Maithy: Oyster Police Fleet Com
4 f,iander. T. r, Howard. Deputy
Commander f. J.. Piowden. State Sem
] ator Wilkerson, State Senator Lancas-
/ Ter. DIR. Walter u. Dent, or ST. Marys
touHtst 't'."SA y. <spSit, "a s2s' mai
county. and Charles G. Lancaster. OF
! Washington.
Bring Oysters Here for Tests.
The Maryland men brought to
/ Washington for test oysters from the
1 SO -ca fIaa N tnfeGIsad DISTRICTS, aaaasig,,
the Blackstone Island bar, the Cohbs
| Point bar, thu Swan Point bar and
t the Lancaster bar in The Wicomico
/ river. These oysters We're taken by
| Commander Howard in deep watet
1 along the river and from the shallow
water at Blakistone's Island. and
/ conhmander Howard pointed out that
/ IL there were aay germs or microbes
coming dcwn the river, as tho bureau
Of chemistry claim. they wonid appear
in the tests az fhese oysters and. he
told his sfeituw-contererx that fac-