Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-07-29

Local oystermen, or the few men
in this vicinity who continue in the
business, will be interested In the
case recently started by the federal
authorities against Michael B. How
lett, a south Jerseyman, who ships
from the famous Maurice River Cove
grounds.
Jersey oystermen have been at
odds with the Washington authori-
ties for some time over the question
of 'foated oysters, the health
department declaring that this is a
dangerous practice and does not
give the purchasers what they are
paying for. The recent arrest of the
south Jersey FISHERMAN will bring
the issue to a head.
The Newark Evening News com
ments on the situation as follows:
'The arrest of a Maurice River
| Cove oyster grower on a criminal
charge made by federal authorities
hat he had shipped In interstate
commerce oysters alleged to be
filthy, putrid and unfit for human
food promises to finally settle a
long-standlng dispute between the
national and state health authorities.
"The Health Department at
Washington had ruled against float
ed oysters, especially those taken
from the Maurice river. The con-
tention of the department., which
was fully upheld by DR.. Wiley, was
that the waters Of the Maurice river
were sufficiently polluted with sew
age to make 1t dangerous to TAX
oysters from the stream. 1t was the
further contention that 'ioated' oys-
tiers we're adulterated in violation of
the provisions of the pure food law.
A 'foated' oyster Is one that is tax
en- from its original salt bed and
placed in fresh water, where 1t be-
comes plump and white. The
floating simply adds water to the
bulk of TIL oyster and not AM solid
substance. AS a consequence, the
Washington authorities claim that
the public purchasing such oysters
is not getting what 1t Is paying for,
no matter whether the oysters are
sold by the quart or the pound.
1.-THE State health authorities, on
the other hand, have held that the
floating of oysters in Maurice riv-
er is not dangerous to health, as
there is not sufficient pollution OF
| A.. z,oo,, tO in inrn tho hiVDlVpS
and that oysters '1oated can In no
way be classed as ad~ulterated.
LAS a result of this disagreement,
Maurice River Cove oysters have
been legally dealt in in New Jersey,
for they are raised and treated with
in the confines of the state, but have
been classed as impure food when
shipped out of the state. The arrest
of the grower, Michael P. Hewlett,
will bring the federal and state au-
thorities into the contest, and doubt
less the disputed points will be set
tied by the testimony OF unpreju-
diced experts.
THE state should do all it can to
protect such an important industry
as that of raising oysters, which
brings in annual returns of over
SO, 900, 900, but in affording such
protection nothing should be done
that would endanger health or tend
to defraud the purchasing public.
Oysters with a clean bill of health
from both the state and national
governments would be a far greater
asset to New Jersey and her oyster
growers than would a reputation
that was In the least tainted. The
case of Mr.. Hewlett offers an oppor-
tunity to place all the facts before
the public concerning the Jersey oys-
ter. If the authorities at Washing
ton should, at the trial, make good
In their claim, then 1t would be up
to the State Board Of Health to
change it's attitude, and make the
Jersey oyster worthy Of the conf
dence of the people. On the other
hand, If the outcome of the Hewlett
case should sustain the opinion OF
i