The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-02

there be esta blished O Board OF FTsn-
cries for Virginia. A bill was intro
duced by Senator LIE Cato, known as
the Board OF Fisheries Act, giving to
that board OF five complete control
over all the industry in Virginia. The
up-country people gour-fifths of the
member of the Legisature--would
not accept this Board of Fisheries
measure until we agree that 1t should
be supported solely out of the direc
revenues derived from the oyster and
fish industries. We OF Tidewater ac-
cepted the challenge. Before this
time there had been a deficit. From
that day in March. 1898, to this time
there has been paid into the State of
Virginia a net revenue of from twenty
six to seventy thousand dollars annual
profit from the direct taxes and licenses
of the industry. In addition, there
has been collected and expended much
for surveys, bouys, piats etc., and for
the support or the navy and the
Board of Fisheries, now the Commits
sion OF Ffsheries---of which some of
the members are here present and
! from which position I was retired
some months ago.
| There was q time when the oyster
navy In Virginia meant more than
holiday affair.
More than once have mobs been
dispersed and their boats abandoned
/ on the marshes of Smiths Island, in
the Sounds of Virginia and on the
Potomac. 1t is a story long drawn
out not ringing with Joy by any means.
. but today there In absolute order
on the $500 square miles of water
territory in Virginia The lion and tho
lamb are lying down together. The
planters and the tongers are IN har-
mony. Politics have largely been ell
minated. and a business administra-
! ton has resulted, You have taught
us, and We have profited by it. Viz
GINA Is going to produce sufficient
| oysters to supply the Atlantic Coast
States, IL need be, 50 If you can't make
a living In New Jersey come to Vfr-
ginia and We will provide for you.
As have said, l don't know whether
II could tell you. or desire to tell you
anything about the fight that we have
had on pollution matters. We are
near the seat of Government at Wash
ington. and while we now have
splendid man at the head OF the Chem
! istry Department. DIR. Alsberg, there
was time U won't go far back)
when we had a deuce OF time
through that department. Ten thous-
and people along the shore Of the
Potomac River in Maryland and Vir-
ginta were facing starvation. Under
Federal ban. not an oyster was to be
marketed Their truck Of that season
has been a failurs--because of great
droughts. The women and children
were in straits. There was nothing
in thier larders ana no prospect Of
1t for the winter. The merchants
could not afford to longer carry them.
Then we went up 10 Washington and
w-restled with the Departments. Bac-
terieligists were sent down the Peto-
mac River. and while one insisting on
"A -. tts1u ftass nta AL.
/ Of undisputed reputation gave them
n clean bill OF health. 1t was put up
by the Governor OF Virginia to the
then Secretary of Agriculture, that not
only he. but his assistant who made
the unfavora BILE report might be held
liable for personal suits for damages
Two years later, under a change of ad-
ministration. In that very department
in the presence of my Governor and
the Governor of Maryland, 1t was adj
mitted that the oyster had been great
~ wronged.
In 1907 the output in Virginia was
ten millions OF bushels. Because OF
the pollution scare it dropped sudden
| ly to four millions. and for four years
the planters carried over on the bot
toms stock that had cost 80 cents.
| When they went to take 1t up, they
were mud boxes The supply was
kept up from the natural beds. which
| were now utslnHiDk 10 SiUW tua
good effects of conservation through
vigorous enforcement of the Gull laws.
Prices have never gotten backs
and will never get back.
We shall always have to sell At q
price below you of the North, for sev-
eral reasons. Your nearness to mar
kets Is the chief one Then. you have
oysters that I am told viii cut eight
to eleven pints per bushel because
OF thinneas OF shell. Ours shuck,
though some win turn out eight pints
We have an output In Virginia that Is
more than we know what to DO with.
When one two men were catching
only Ave or six bushels a day, now
one man and a Gull boy will catch
as many as twenty bushels. this last
ing through a working season OF nine
ty or a hundred days. At the close
of last season two men I'm beat
could average six dollars day from
the public rocks. SO plentiful were
the oysters on our bottoms at the
end of hardworked season. With
a continuance of law enforcement two
| hundred thousand acres of prolific
commons will produce such an out
put as to Justify our claim of ability
to supply large part OF our country.