34 American Fisheries Society 



decline in rental in six years was over $70,000 per year; and we 

 learn from the office of Shell Fisheries that the cancellation of 

 ground during the first nine months of the present year amounts 

 to over $10,000, so that the business is now shrinking more rapidly 

 than in any previous year, and the total decrease of annual 

 rentals in less than seven years amounts to over $80,400, leaving 

 an annual rental of $55,000, in place of $135,000 annual rental 

 seven years ago. Mr. Round in his statement also shows that 

 there was a shrinkage of over seventy-five per cent in the volume 

 of product of oysters in six years. While the loss of revenue in 

 Rhode Island alone will amount in ten years to over $800,000, this 

 loss is of trifling importance compared with the destruction of a 

 great food producing industry. 



In Connecticut the decrease in volume of product has been in 

 greater proportion; in fact, the development and later decline 

 of the industry preceded that in Rhode Island. It is impossible 

 to secure exact figures, but it is safe to say that there are not 

 one-fifth as many oysters on the grounds in Connecticut as there 

 were eight years ago. In Connecticut the business was successful 

 and prosperous until eleven years ago. 



How was this great industry started on its downward course? 



In 1908 the Governor of Connecticut, just before the close of 

 his administration, violated gubernatorial precedents by issuing 

 a special message recommending the exaction of a large increase 

 of revenue from this industry. He afterwards explained to a 

 Committee of the Connecticut Legislature that he did this because 

 at a banquet at which some of the officials of Rhode Island were 

 present, he learned that Rhode Island received much more revenue 

 per acre from her oyster grounds than did Connecticut. His 

 superficial investigation did not extend to the primary fact that in 

 Rhode Island the state owns the oyster grounds, whereas in 

 Connecticut the state had sold the grounds over thirty years 

 before and naturally should not expect as much revenue from 

 what the state does not own as Rhode Island might expect from 

 grounds which she owns and leases to planters. His message 

 urged that Connecticut follow the policy of Rhode Island in 

 exacting a heavy direct revenue on oyster grounds. That policy 

 has proved ruinous to the industry in both states. As many of 

 the Connecticut politicians knew that the oyster growers of 



