OYSTEE CULTrEE COMMlSSIOir—MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 
39 
1341. 
Knight, before a Select Committee of Mr.W.J. 
*"? I'Oo'sl'itiv e Assembly m 1867. In answer to a question from my honorable friend Mr. "Wilson—“ What Langham. 
fn r?! ?nu ” ^r. Kuight says,-“ I think two acres would be plenty^d 
comfortaldc snh Chairman—“ Do you think 2 acres would be a sufficient extent to^afford a 21 Nov., 1876. 
comfortable subsistence for a man with a family, through the whole year ? ” ho says—“ Yes, after the first 
J fn n't I have your opinion! as a pmeMcal man and 
SrctwnS ht. ^he subject of Mr Knigbt’s evidence, as to whether 2 
■rSinrS .ubmtoce for a mon >,i.b . f.mll; .luriog thowbolojc.rf 
i?f„ ^»>’ond. 
Si ‘gllniTdMoophorsoo, «. to tho rates obtained for 
.... ov 4 acres in some cases would fetcli as much as £50 
have been planted, where there 
ETf; ™.1> ILVe^ ' ™ ■' “ “P»‘ ”»«™ i- i I 
1344. It is when compared with the 8,000 or 10 000 acres In Hn»n« nf +u i ^ i. • -i. 
+r. 4-^ _ _ 4- 4^ 4.’ 4.\ 4, ' 1 • iH somo oi thcso leascs : hut supposing: it were 
extended to ten or twenty tunes that size, which would bo 40 acres of good oyster ground with the privilege 
of getting oysters oil the rocks or mangroves, do vmi tliiTil.- ^_ ^ ^ - gruuuu, waa ino piivutge 
of it ? Yes; of coursi 
as good oyster ground. 
are adult oysters for 
, —- •—j ---'-j ••**»v»* ui?‘lu a 
rocks or mangroves, do you think a man would bc'able to make a good living out 
Yes, ot course I do not consider the whole of these 10,000 or 20,000 acres in these leased rivers 
1345. No, you have spoken of them as the entire areas claimed by the lessees ? Yes 
134(>. Is it not the very same m respect to squattafyes_cverv « • i. * -i n i 
tain portion of it? Yes. quaua^es-ciery acre on a run is not available-only a cer- 
1347. Do you see any objection to the Government liccnsinfr _ _ i. r n ^ 
remove the spat from the rocks and mangroves, and sell it to peLns to’lay down S fatten ? ^T^t wo’u d 
unknown cdiaracter trespassing on their property in that they would not care to have persons of 
1348. There might be exceptional cases of that sort, hut how few of the rivers of which you have iust 
given 118 an account have orchards or pnvate residences fronting them ? No, but all those^rivers do not 
grow spawn to the same extent. ° ^ uu nut 
1350. Would you not have a better cbeck upon tbein if they bad licenses than if they were without them ■ 
you could cancel the license if they did not stick to it ? Yes, it might be done in that way. ' 
1351. Do you not tbmk ooking to the interests of the general public as well as to the interests of the 
oystennen, that it won d be a mutua advantage that a number of men should be able to earn a comfort 
able subsistence for themselves and their tamil.es by collecting the young ovsters from the rocks Lid 
selling them for growing and fattening purposes ? I think it would be better to reserve certain places ffir 
the purpose of collecting spawn, than to give them permission to go anywhere they liked. I would have 
certain places specially reserved for that purpose like Broken Bay or a portion of sLalhaveu or the lower 
portion of Sydney Harbour. ^ 
1352. Do you see any objection to their getting spat off the rocks in Sydney Harbour or Middle Harbour? 
I think many private gentlemen would object to these men going in front of their places 
1353. But supposing those places were reserved, wherever, for instance, there was a wharf or iettv on 
private property, would you see any objection then ? No, not in cases where it would not interfere with 
pnvate property. 
1354. Don’t you think it ^yould he the means M utilizing the large number of young oysters that are 
going to waste, besides providing valuable food ? Yes, no doubt it would j o j 
1355. AYhich will never become valuable as long as it remains where it is ? No; there are places where 
the spat will grow ; lor uistance, on the Parramatta Eiver up to half-tide' ^ 
1356. Up to low-water-mark? I have seen fine oysters in the Parramatta Eiver 2 feet above low- 
water-mark. 
1357. But although some of the spat may live and become good oysters, there is a great deal of it that 
is lost ? Yes. 
1358. Wliich could be utilized i£ removed and planted m good laying ground? Yes 
1359. If it is found to answer well in Prance, as it is, and unlimited liberty is given there to persons to 
collect young oysters from the rocks, do you see why wc should have more stringent ro-^ulatious in this 
country ? No, I do not see wlu^ 
1360. And are you not aware that in Kent, in the neighbourhood of the AVliitstable Company’s ground 
on the Commons, there arc men, women, and children constantly engaged in knockino- oysters off the 
reeks as small as a threepenny hit, and selling them. Don’t you tliink a similar system sliould be adopted 
here ? I don’t think there is any occasion for it hero for a long time, because there is plenty of spat to 
last for a number of years. ^ 
1361. But you toll us that Captain Griffin was desirous of obtaining spat from the rocks on the adioining 
lease in order to utilize it, and the lessee would not allow him. Do you think, then, that it is premature 
to adopt such a system? I think there might ho reserves made'in the dift'erent rivers 
collect spat. 
premature 
on purpose to 
13G2. Do you think it would bo good policy to reserve a portion of every river, which should never be 
dredged, and from which spat should not be taken—a reserve solely for breeding ? Yes, I think a portion 
should be reserved tor breeding purposes. ^ 
13G3. Are you aware that in Drance a portion—either ouc-fourth or one-fifth- 
inent for that purpose ? Yes, I believe it is the case. 
-is reserved by the Govern- 
13G4. 
