Rowe. — Destroying a Food Industry 63 



By 1881, the towns along the coast had realized large 

 sums of money with but little expense by selling oyster 

 grounds to the planters, in pursuance of the laws then 

 existing authorizing such sales. For instance, prior to 

 1881, the town of Stratford received clear of all ex- 

 pense, $5,600 on a sale of about six thousand acres. 



This industry having proved a success, the legisla- 

 ture in 1881, created a Commission so that the state in- 

 stead of the towns should receive the proceeds of the 

 sales of the grounds. It was provided that this Com- 

 mission might sell oyster grounds for the same price at 

 which the towns had previously been authorized to sell, 

 and the Commission in pursuance of this new legislation 

 procured an office, held frequent meetings and employed 

 a clerk and an engineer. 



If the business of the state had been administered 

 upon the same economical methods as that of the towns 

 had been, the state should have received net proceeds to 

 the amount of $45,000 on the sales of the next seven 

 years. But on investigation in 1888, it was found that 

 the business of the state had been transacted in so ex- 

 travagant a manner that instead of netting $45,000, the 

 state had lost $45,000. 



A summary of the official reports showed the follow- 

 ing figures: 

 Cost of Commission, its employees and 



expenses to June, 1888 $84,647.15 



Total proceeds sales of ground and engi- 

 neering same $57,091.00 



Deduct for worthless ground returned to 



the state 18,247.40 38,843.60 



Net loss to state $45,803.55 



At a legislative investigation in 1888, it appeared that 

 each meeting of the Commission cost the state thirty dol- 

 lars, and that their pay was drawn, according to the re- 

 ports of the Commissioners, for nearly every week-day of 

 the year. Also that the expenditures for the Clerk of 

 Shell Fisheries and the Engineer were of extravagant 

 proportions, so that, although the oyster growers had 

 paid the state over $57,000 for grounds, instead of net 

 proceeds there was a loss of over $45,000. 



