50 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



stated that the superior capital of outsiders was securing all tlie ground that was good for anything, and was thus 

 keeping away citizens who wanted to plant on a small scale in tbeir home- waters ; moreover, that the great firms 

 could afibrd to undersell individual planters because of their large facilities and production, and worse than that, 

 that they bi'ought oysters of poor grade, already opened, from IS'orfolk, mixed them with Providence river oysters, 

 and so lowered the price and hurt the reputation of the honest native dealers. 



In reply, Mr. Bliss said that the law which was then before the legislature was unconstitutional, and if passed 

 it would be impossible to enforce it. The state could not dictate whose money, or where obtained, a man should use 

 in his business. The oysters within the state were taxable, and therefore Boston owners paid their ])roportionate 

 revenue. Nor could the state say what a licensee shall do with his oysters, to whom or where he shall or shall not 

 sell them. As to the scarcity of laud, that had been the cry for ten years, yet the state was leasing from one to 

 two hundred additional acres of ground every year, and there would be more and more leased for years to come. 

 Instead of harm, there was a positive benefit arising from the introduction of foreign capital, since there was not 

 money and enterprise enough within the state to successfully keep it out by fair preoccupation of all opportunities. 

 The more beds leased, the larger the number of oysters produced and the cheaper. The Ehode Island market, he 

 stated, takes only one-tenth of the oysters grown in the state. The remaining nine-tenths are sold outside. The 

 price of oysters in the Providence market has decreased each year since 1800, when the price was $1 75 per 

 solid gallon, to 1878, when it was from $1 15 to $1 20, and to 1879, when it was only 90 to 95 cents. It appeared, 

 therefore, that year by year oysters wore increasing in quantity and lessening in price. This was the result of good 

 legislation; and so long as it continued, the sta'e was bound to consider the present regulations prosier and foster 

 them. If the effects had been as terrible upon the resident oystermen as had been predicted, they would have been 

 driven from the field long ago; but there is not one of them who is not still in business and annually enlarging 

 his planting area. The state could not legislate for the aggrandizement of these few owners, but must study the 

 general benefit of the whole commonwealth. 



The result of the fight was that the bill failed to become a law, and Mr. Bliss secured his new leases. 



A DEFENSE OF EXISTING LEGISLATION. — The above sketch partly answers the question, whether the law is 

 equally wise in charging $10 an Hcre. From a careful study of the case, I, myself, believe that it is. The report of 

 the commissioners of shellflsheries for 1878, reviewing the pre\'ious twenty years, jiroves this quite satisfactorily. It 

 is admitted that at $5 an acre, for instance, the state would not have received so much money. 



In 1857 the revenue from oyster-rents was only $30. In 1858, when there was a commissioner to look after it, 

 $685 22. From 1859 to 1801, there appears no mention of oyster -rents in the state treasurer's reports. I believe all 

 dues were remitted on account of the universal destruction of oysters by starfishes at this time. In 1862, there were 

 collected $82 ; 1803, $00 ; 1864, $01. Then came the present law charging $10 an acre, and the net proceeds of 

 oyster-rents to the state at once advanced, as follows : 



1865 $ 737 72 



1866 661 27 



1867 1,568 50 



1868 1,814 40 



1869 1,949 15 



1870 1,527 65 



1871 2,186 63 



1872 $-2,772 95 



1873 4, 483 88 



1874 4,997 05 



1875 5,276 00 



1876 5, 300 00 



1877 6,045 25 



1878 6,582 90 



This shows that, in spite of a rent of $10 an acre, in spite of the fact of lively competition with Boston capital, 

 in spite of the fact of the general financial depression just passed, and in spite of the steady decrease in the selling 

 prices of all grades of oysters, the revenue to the state has steadily grown, and new leases are continually applied 

 for. It is, moreover, an admitted fact, that assignments of oyster-ground are continually taking place, at a bonus 

 of from $75 to $200 an acre. If the state is to make any alteration in this state of affairs, she would do better to 

 advance than to reduce the rent upon productive ground. 



" But," say the dissatisfied ones, "we can never be sure that a piece of ground will be suitable for oyster-growth 

 until we have tried it. If we take out, say ten acres, as an experiment, and perhaps are not able to plant it that 

 year, or try it for two or three years, and then find that it won't do, we sulicr a heavy loss, paying several hundred 

 dollars upon useless ground." 



The reply is, that men constantly do find it worth while to take the risk, even at $10. One person I know of, has 

 applied for 100 acres, beyond any territory heretofore thought suitable ; and that in case they fail, or show that 

 they have not been able to begin to use certain land as soon as they expected, the commissioners may, and often 

 do, remit a part or the whole of the rent. This very year rent was remitted upon 47 acres belonging to one person. 

 However, in their report for 1878, the commissioners referred to this alleged grievance as follows : 



At tho present time nearly all the oysters grown on private lieds are imported from Massachnsetts, Connecticut, New York, and 

 Virginia, and altliongb oysters spawn here freely, it is only at rare intervals that there is what tho oystermen call a set, when tho spawn 

 atta.chos itself aljmulantly to sticks, stones, sheila, and other substances, and grows to mature oysters. If, in some way, we could stop 

 this great waste of spawn, so that it might produce oysters, an incalculable increase in our oyster-business would naturally follow. lu 

 Couuecticut the oystermen throw into tho water immense quantities of oyster-shells at the exact time of oyster-spawning, and are thus 

 very successful, as the spawn readily attaches itself to clean, bright shells. The holders of oyster-beds here say that they wiuild try 



