The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-16
GREATEST FISHERIES
STATE IS virginia.
TAKING FIRST RANK AFTER RE-
coyERY rRoM POLLUTION
SCARE.
LESS MONEY NEEDED
IN ANNUAL REPORT
TO GOVERNOR SHOWS ENoRM-
IrY OF STATES WATER
INDUSTRIES.
S MONEY NEEDED

The total net cash profit turned into
the State treasury since the ofganiza-
ton Of the fisheries boards is 1884,
1858, and the net profits from the
rentals and licenses during the last
year IL $S2,4S0.3S. plus the added
boat values. 1t 10 shown by the M
| tenth annual report Of the commits
sion OF fisheries o. Virginia to Gov
ernor Mann. The report, just from
the printer. IL signed by w. MELON
aid Lee, chairman; s. Wilkins Mat
thews, secretary. and George =. kee-
yell, j. NJ. Hooker and ]. /. Tucker.
commis sioners.
year were $7e,7o2.z2, and disburse-
ments, tA4.21z.S9.
| The report stresses the fact that
through the channel Of the commits
sion OF fisheries only licenses and rent
ais are collected These cannot In
crease to any great extent. as there 10
limit to demand for renting grounds
and the number OF workers electing to
go upon the rocks This limit IL fixed
| by the demand for oysters, and as
more oysters by far are on Virginia
bottoms than there Ia call for. and
/ prices on the ground have been cut
| in half In recent years, the direct rev.
enues cannot be greatly Increased.
The indirect revenues, or taxable val
ues created by the industry and col
lected for the State through other
channels are largely increasing year
| by year.
On Splendid FOoting.
! The commission IL self-supporting
from these direct licenses. and re-
turns a surplus to the treasury, and
the officials maintain that this depart
ment should be regarded In the same
/ light the agricultural department Is.
40 ~
present time n IN the recummenuH--
ton Of the commission Of fisheries
! that the annual amount Of $4,000
hitherto allowed them out OF their
collections be reduced to e40. 600. This
determination during the past year II
brought about by the fact that the
commission has now ample navy. and
! a good footing as to require less ex-
pendtture, presenting the prospect Of
gradual reduction annually.
/ Leads An Other States.
Oyster output. between twelve and
thirteen millions Of bushels. the larg-
est in the States history and largely
excelling that of any other State.
shucking and handling. $4,000. eco.
| Fish output 100000 shad, valued
at $1,1i0,000: other food fish, u, $50
/ 900; menhaden, $2.ooo.0o0.s In fish
! output also Virginia exccls any other
State.
/ Crabs and CLANS. sa5ec.ooc vir-
ginia exceis IN output OF crabs but not
/ in CLAIMS. The latter are not strictly
indigenous to the South.
Total output from fsh. oysters and
/ crabs about seventeen millions of dol
4 lars la a sum greater than our wheat
I or hay crops or any other Virginia
! crops except corn and tobacco.
VVSt
j sons actually engaged In these water
pursuits. with some sixty thousand
more directly dependent upon them.
and many more persons and enterprises
Indirectly dependent.
+ HeaIthful and Cheapest.
I Since the pollution" scare set In in
1908, when the bottom dropped out OF
/ the oyster business. Virginia has been
gradually recovering-each year show
| ing rapid increase In output. Today
the healthfulness OF oysters has been
| fully re-established, and as q meat diet
the cheapest on the market.
James river people have been salts
fed by a re-establishment OF the old
( Baylor lines: the people OF the Potomac
I are prospecting under the new concur
I rent laws with Maryland, and through
| out the entire Stoo square miles of salt
water territory oysters seem to be In
great abundance.
The all-absorbing question Is "more
market" This the oflicials declare be-
| yond their power to produce. and caN
upon the newspapers to help create a
demand for the cheap and healthful
meat diet Of fish and oysters
LegislatiOn s1@wested.
| The report mentions the fact that the
! last session of the general assembly
! was the first in twenty years not to he
| troubled with the oyster subject. and
1 oyster officials are averse to reopen
ing the vexing problem this session.
They admit. however. that there are
some changes of more or less import
ance that might be made with beneht
| but doubt the wisdom Of troubling the
/ legislature with these. The most i'm
| portant Is a suggestion to raise the ban
on nonresident capital 70 far as leased
grounds are concerned.
1 The Legislature IL urged not to re-