The Rise And Decline Of The Ol^mpia Oyster 



TRADE WASTE 



All of these enemies of the oyster have been met by 

 the oyster growers, and kept within bounds, by persist- 

 ence and hard work. But during these years the 

 population of the west has been increasing, and with it 

 industries have been creeping in, building their process- 

 ing plants upon our shores, and using our waters as a 

 sewer in which to dump their waste. Many of them are 

 making use of the tim.ber resources which surround our 

 waters. In the beginning our waters were clean and pure. 

 The East Coast and its industrial centers had their trade 

 waste, but in the beginning the growers had no thought 

 of those conditions ever existing here. The shores of our 

 inland waters were sparsley settled. Those with vi- 

 sion of the future could not have foreseen the present 

 conditions. Industrie? with trade waste have slowly but 

 steadily closed in upon us. They now threaten to do that 

 which should never be permitted in a country such as 

 ours: Cause the destruction of our God given natural re- 

 sources, our oysters, clams, sea foods, and all eatible 

 marine life. This subject is of such grave importance that 

 it will be covered in a separate chapter. (See Appendix A) 

 It will also be referred to in the chapter covering the de- 

 cline of the Olympia Oyster industry. May we hope that 

 the decline may not mean the death. We hope for proper 

 control of trade waste which would mean that co-exis- 

 tence may result; the survival of both natural resources 

 and industry. 



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