1913] Address of President iST. A. S. Com. 51 



the spring of 1607, when the first permanent English colony 

 was established at Jamestown, Va. ; and, as we do this, we 

 realize that to the men who assisted in the building up of this 

 colony and to all Virginians who have followed, even to perhaps 

 the greatest of all, who now occupies the highest office in the 

 gift of the people, — President Woodrow Wilson, — tbat to these 

 men the nation is indebted for much of its success and its rise 

 to the greatest nation in the world. 



It can be truthfully said that not only in the United States 

 but also in our o^\ai States individualism and sectionalism, as 

 opposed to a national or state community spirit, has reached in 

 the past few years a point that is of positive detriment to the 

 best growth and development of our country. We believe, how- 

 ever, that we now have at the head of our national government 

 a broad-minded, conscientious man whose attention is directed 

 to measures of nation-wide importance, which he will endeavor 

 to see are considered in a manner that will be for the best in- 

 terest of the country at large, and not for the benefit of any 

 particular local section or community or interest at the expense 

 of the country as a whole. I believe that the influence of this 

 man is going to be wide-spread throughout the nation, so that 

 various measures that are coming up in the states will be con- 

 sidered from the standpoint of the State, and not from the 

 standpoint of the county or township. It is undoubtedly true 

 that questions that come up relating to the conservation and 

 perpetuation of our natural resources of whatever character 

 they may be, must be considered from at least a state, and in 

 some cases a national standpoint, if the best results or even any 

 good results are 'to he obtained ; and this is very true in connec- 

 tion with the shellfish industries. 



Virginia is one of the few South Atlantic States that has 

 taken a decided practical step looking toward the conservation 

 and perpetuation of her shellfish industry, and through the con- 

 scientious work of her able commissioner, Hon. W. McDonald 

 Lee, she has reached the place where she can point with pride 

 to what the State is accomplishing in the oyster industry. Her 

 Lynnhaven and James River oysters are famous not only in the 



