Evening star., 1912-11-12
ADVICE Of EXPERTS CONFER ON OYSTER
Suggested Remedies for Re- Maryland and Virginia Asked
publican Sick Elephant to Send Representatives Here.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE POLLUTION THE SUBJECT
Support Of Meeting Set Thursday
Constitution. Agricultural Department Chemists.
RESTORATION CONFIDENCE ANALYSIS POTOMAC WATER
Of Condition
Regulars Widely. Bivaves
Maryland and Virginia Asked
to Send Representatives Here.
POLLUTION THE SUBJECT
Meeting Set for Thursday to Meet
Agricultural Department Chemists.
ANALYSIS OF POTOMAC WATER
Report to Be Made to Secretary Will
son on Condition of River Where
Bivalves Are Procured.

How soon another chapter will be added
to the story Of polluted Potomac water
and the oyster beds will depend entirely
on the states of Maryland and Virginia,
according to a statement by the Secre-
tary of Agriculture today.
Invitations have been issued to the
health authorities of the states mentioned
to meet In Washington Thursday OF this
week in conference with the representa-
tives of the Department of Agriculture
to consider the report to be made to the
Secretary of Agriculture on the state Of
the oyster beds.
The two states have been notified that
If it is not convenient to send representa-
tives to the Department of Agriculture
the department chemists will be sent to
meet them at any pace they may name
More interest was aroused in the Ques-
ton of Potomac oysters by a statement
from New York yesterday that ship
ment of oysters from the Shrewsbury
river had been seized by the district at
torney on the recommendation of the
Secretary of Agriculture. 1t proved, how
ever. that this was Shrewsbury river in
New Jersey. and not the river of the
same name on the eastern shore of Mary
land Secretary Wilson SAID:
1T is not as though this was an iso-
lated case. These seizures are being
made every day. The oysters We're sim
Pay reported to me as polluted and l IN
dorsed the seizure. / do not even know
what Shrewsbury river they were from.
Say River Is Polluted.
The officials of the bureau of chemistry
went down the Potomac last spring and
after collecting samples of water from
many of the oyster regions made a pre-
liminary report to the Secretary of Agri-
culture stating that the Potomac water
was badly polluted with sewage.
The report was challenged by the
health authorities of Maryland and Vir-
ginia and toward the end of ctober. when
another investigation of the Potomac
was made representatives from the two
states were invited to accompany the
Agricultural Department chemists. They
did SO, and it is thought that the analysis
of the samples they secured are near
enough completed to warrant meeting
this week to consider their report. II
probably will be fortnight longer before
this report is ready to submit to Secre.
tary Wilson, and how long 1t will be
before he is ready to make it public it is
impossible to say.
After the preliminary examination OF
the Potomac water last spring another
trip by the department chemists was
made in September. No report on this
analysis has yet been presented 10 the
department. The same ground was gone
over in October, and it is intended tc
collect more samples some time in De.
cember. On the result of these severa
investigations will depend the future
status of the oyster trade from the Pc.
tomac.
1t was explained by one of the de-
partment officials today that the depart
ment has no authority to prohibit the
shipment of oysters from any region
hIrf hn oy,, ,Ix-e.f e,l,< 49,
there is strong likelihood of pollution
from any particular beds, they can
seize and analyse an oyster shipment
and if it is found to be contaminated
can condemn it.
The mere knowledge that such seiz-
ure of oysters from any given region is
likely, it Is thought, will be enough to
break up the trade in that locality.