The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-19
FISHERIES Commission
Files ANNUAL REPORT
Operated at Net Profit 20 State Treas.
ury OF s30,s0s.s5, Although Hit
BY High Repair Costs.
GROSS INCOME WAS sto2.4so
All branches of Water Products De-
partment Prosperous Due TO Ad-
vance I'm Prices, Although Labor
Shortage Is Severely Telt.

| 80 SIftEtly Etlt.
The annual report OF the commits
sion OF fisheries was hled with Gov
ernor Stuart Saturday, showing tina
the commission has had a prosperou,
year and that the interests committed
10 It's care are prosperous notwith.
standing the very considerable short
age OF labor created by the war situa-
ton.
FROM the various branches OF the
commissions work a total cross in
come was collected of S102.490.16,
netting, after paying the commission
OF ten per cent to inspectors, $92,-
@s4.ul' while the expenditures, made
fatheF larger than anticipated on ac-
count of the considerable sums found
necessary to expend on repairs to the
ooats In the service, amounted to
sol '4so.le, leaving a net profit to the
state treasury from the operation OF
the commission OF s30,S03s5
| AS to Letting Down s>ars
Attention is called to the fact that
tine food administration is urging that
all restrictions upon the taking Of
hsh Tor food purposes shall be re-
moved during the emergency Of the
war. The commission indicates that
TINS is matter solely for legislative
action and indicates too that the law
makers should be guided by the real
1000 neds of the country before de-
cld1ng upon any radical departure
from the present policy OF the state.
which is having the effect of con
serving and increasing the wa,er
products of the commonwealth.
The commission likewise points out
that there Is a report that an effort
is 70 be made looking to the repeal
OF the law permitting the leasing of
pottom IN the Chesapeake bay for
deep water oyster planting, the sixty
crao dredgers in the state, the report
says, being apparently DESTROYS that
several hundred thousand acres OF
bottom shall be withheld for their
use during the winter months.
While the practica bility or deep
water oyster planting has been estab-
ilshed. this branch OF the oyster in
dustry is now at a standstiIl on ac-
count of the labor shortage
1t Will be recalled that the policy of
chairman John S. Parson, of the com
mission, IN leasing q very large acre
age TO Frank Darling and his assoc
x
expense demonstrated the feasibility
OF deep water planting. has been very
nercely assailed by the grabbing in
terests. Mr.. Darling is the largest
handler OF oysters in Virginia. and one
OF the largest in the United States.
Operation of Seed Oyster Export law.
An Intelligent !aaa-eaa-s,e
formed as TO the operation of the
amendment to the oyster law permit
ting the shipment. under the super
vision of the com mission. of seed oys-
tiers from the state. For the fiscal
year ending September 30 total seed
oyster shipments to points without the
waters of the comm onwealth were
32l,3l2 bushels. tax OF one cent n
bushel If paid on such exported stock.
while the increased demand created
by the right to export has had a bene-
flcial effect upon the industry.
Total gross receipts from the oyster
industry were s77,S05.1s. divided as
follows: Ground rentals, s59,159.07;
licenses from 4,597 tongmen using or
binary tongs. $4,000; from 4e4 tong
men using patent tongs. s2.470; from
2b3 dredsers, 1898: from t39 shucR
ing houses. si.I27; from ffty-three
shippers of barreled oysters, $3.50: one
cent bushel from S21, 212 bushels
of seed oysters carried out OF the
state. TH.ei312
From tba cisr,r,,r~ ,ns,,.. a.
+o+s1 ra,,us.,, - saS i.uustfy me
tongmen paid 1913 and lis buyers
Frorn fha crsh1,ira - 90 o. go ",
from so1 crabbe-s s,.,1.,,stsa noeisSeS
ees and eFt,stw $3.50 'eeu - az
giving total tncoma tt,a - 500:
sTA59 'iio' eii "iH VI
Tho hsbi,g hr,,.h -. 49,, 1T !
maid stqoe1S - - IL N"t
mepbada, nnoratt 'Sn W
s195 which oov1a. p" ~, pNe
five nacLars of e.h ''o '"e'i'S
FYnes ,rnnosaa for y-to,a+,o,,- -
oyster law brought !, soss1 80 "a.
- ~ t,.'' s ,ous". ~ F%,oo4' ana mis- |
Pnnatr ga rx,rs,
At,arti,n ts naJIa5 va ,'oa'S'
tba cor,r,tsai,, ,, 'sie 11e. may