The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-17
Oyster Scarcity Denied

Editor Newport News Press
Sir.--My attention has been recently called to
an articles published some days ago by the Press
in which an oyster tonger from Hampton is
quoted saying that the oysters are scarce this
season in the James river and that the catch
is small" This so called tonger is further quoted
ms saying that THE fact that James river was
not poCed the past summer season may account
for the small strike, but at any rate the several
thousand men who make their living in the river
longing the bivalves have little to look forward
to this season"
| have since the opening OF the season dis
cussed the outlook with over one hundred diff
fereut oystermen. ] have not yet heard one say
that the oysters were scarce or the strike small;
hut upon the other hand they have been unanf-
nous in declaring that there a greater strike
this In the James river than had been
seen there for twenty years There is abso-
lutely truth In the statement that the James
river was not policed during the past summer.
and any oysterman or fisherman whose duties
called him in the river last summer will tell you
that there less violation of the law than
there had been since he could remember
The Oysterman's Protective association, an
organization representing some five hundred
oyster tongers upon both sides of the James
river. is pledged to the protection of the oyster
rocks in James river. During the past sum
the only Instances of violation of the oyster
laws that they found in the river we're where
certain planters under the pretext OF removing
oysters from ground that had been declared
natural rock, would dredge out a little beyond
their line of stakes / do not believe that there
has been one instance of oyster tonger vio-
lating the season law during the past summer.
Seed oysters have been selling at from twelve
to fifteen cents per bushel since the season
opened. and there have been one or two boats
from Hampton which offered only ten cents
per bushel, but they have loaded with difficulty,
If Mt all This is unreasonably low price for
oysters, but that 1t is not due TO the fact that
they not in demand for planting purposes,
is evident from the fact that there has been
an abundance of buyers upon the rocks ever since
the season opened
The tongers attribute the low prices TO the
fact that the Virginia planter knows that the law
will not permit planters from out Of the state to
come here and buy In opposition to the Viz
ginta planter This gives the home planter a
monopoly of the market, and by means of a
"gentlemans agreement they set and maintain
the price of oysters upon the rocks The same
is true of the shucker to some extent, and while
he obtain cheap oysters from the rocks,
yet we do not find those oysters selling any
chea per, for table purposes than they did when
the shucker paid nearly double as much as
at present.
that such absolutely false reports should be con-
tinually finding their way into the newspapers.
and doubly strange that each report eliminates
from some person persons in Hampton Can
it be possible that the purpose of these reports
| is to deliberately SANDER the oyster industry
! in he James river, in order that they may graf
! fly some ones political ambition, and boost the
1 chairman Of the commission of fisheriess
J. TOOMER GARROW.
NJ. s. CARTER,
u. l.. MOJTNTJAY,
Members Of the Board of Governors, oyster
mans Protective Association