The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-24
RUN THREATENS
/ OYSTER INDUSTRY
Fish Commission, Alarmed at
Pollution Report, Will Con-
suit Congressman.
HAS COST STATE MILLIONS
Planters in James River Ordered
to Move Stakes From
Natural Rock.

! Discussion OF the report on poilu-
ton OF oyster grounds in the Potomac.
! published a few days ago by the Pure
! Food Bureau in Washington, was the
! principal topic before the State Com
| mission of Fisheries. which met yes
/ terday morning at Murphy's Hotel. All
| members were present: Chairman w.
! Mcdonald Lee. of, Lancaster; George
B. Keezell. of Rockingham: J. NJ.
! Hooker. of Patrick: J. L. Tucker. OF
! Amherst, and Secretary s. wilkins
Mathews of Accomac.
| Members Of the commission found
! themselves far from agreeing with the
| report made public from Washington.
/ feeling that pure food faddists' are
! responsible for great injury to the
oyster business in Virginia.
VIII Ruin Industry.
Commissioner Lee was especially
! respondent. saying he had lost heart.
! Unless there is a change he assert
! ed. the oyster industry in Virginia
! will not be worth mentioning All
, were agreed that the two people who
| are suffering are the producer. who
| cannot sell his oysters. and the con-
sumer who is paying the same high
! prices of nve years ago, although the
! best of the product Is going begging
! at the wharves at twenty-fi five cents
the bushel
Without any definite idea as to what
| was best to be done, the commission
| appointed committee to take the
| matter up. and TO confer with the
! congressman from Virginia and Mary
! land. Hope was expressed that the
! situation may be gotten at in some
/ The committee is cOnnOSe6 of
Chairman Lee. Secretary Mathews and
| former Senator KeeZell
The report referred to was to the
! effect that oysters in the Potomac
| River are polluted TO a distance OF
| perhaps 100 miles below that city. or
| to Blackstone Island. in Wesmore-
! land County. The pollution Is sup
| posed to come from Washington sew
erage. andathe colon bacilli. which may
contain typhoid bacteria. was said TO
have been discovered in the oyster
| grounds above that island Response
bility for typhoid in Washington was
| laid at the door OF Potomac oysters.
Discounts Report.
Personally. Commissioner Lee ridi-
cules the report. He does not believe
il possible that the sewerage Of a
city the size Of Washington can pol
lutte a stream for such a distance. es-
| pecially since the oyster ground does
not begin until a point some sixty
miles below the city.
The people of Tidewater," he said.
.'eat raw oysters the year around. II
| is staple article Of diet. Yet sta
tistics will show there is less typhoid
| in that section per capita than in any
| other part OF the State. Does that
look like pollution
This report will cost the State I'M
told money Millions have been lost
to the Virginia oyster industry in the
| last five years by pronouncements OF
| faddists, and it bids fair to reach to-
| tai ruin. The West and Northwest has
! already practically stopped eating oys-
tiers. The beef trust smiles. Oysters
| in the average market will average
in cost 12 cents a pound of solid
meat, making a cheap food. while
| beef costs much more. One hy in a
| market can cause more meat Infection
| than exists in every oyster in the Po-
| tomac.
Will Suspect All.
LAS a rule. the public will no: 1is-
! tnguish between one field and anoth-
: er. An oyster is an oyster. and one
| taken from grounds which have s5so-
! !utely no chance OF pollution from
I sewerage will he regarded with sus-
| picioN Is the result OF alarming re-
! ports.
i Further. the Potomac oysters have
Aren examined and nothing wrong
! has been found by experts
! The oyster grounds have an i'm
d; mense yield this year There Is the
!, greatest abundance. but thousands OF
j bushels go begging at the wharves
! The price to the consumer ought &c
/. be much less than it Is. In view o!
I what the producer gets.
1t is possible there may be state
i Investigation of the Potomac. Dairy
\ and Food Commissioner Saunders mac
4 the matter in mind. but the govern
J ,nent report has interviewed.
/ Move From Natural Rock.
! The Fisheries Commission ordered
| the planters in the James Rive'
! Grounds in Warwick County TO re-
l move their stakes from natura! rock
As a result Of the agitation regard
I ing the matter. a survey was mac
:! ara IL was found that some OF ths
! larses. planters were on the rock
due To mistakes made by earlier IN
spectors who granted licenses. VI
; Sep,embe- -. 1911. the planters were
given one yea: TO remove the stakes
s,d tina, time has now expired the
! nI.n,ers must get away from the na'
tgral rock. A.. ~
Z The commission renewed the u
J re,se Of Captain r. w pairing -
dredse In his planting grounds IN TN
James.