THE STATE AS OYSTER-PICKER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 10

THE STATE AS OYSTER-PICKER

TO CONSERVE THE BEDS. (BV I'ELEGHArH—PRESS ASSOCIATION/)' • > Auckland, April 25. , "The Department does not intend/ working tlio oyster beds at'a loss, neither is there' any desire to make a huge profit," ~ said Mr. L. I<\ Ayson,. Inspector of Fisheries, when interviewed this morning. "Like a private firm, the Department is beset .with numerous expenses at the outset, and wc have to provide storage and special launches, 'qmploy the best of pickera, and make provision for the storing of the oysters at Waihekc. By charging 12s. '6d. per sack we are making a reasonable demand,, and that quotation is much lower than tho price whichhas ruled for many years. Further than that, the oysters will be of far bettor •quality, and dealers in Wellington and other Southern cities are oinphatic in their approval of the new system." "It possibly goes against the grain of some Auckland merchants," continued Mr. Ayson, "but the main object of tho Department in taking over the control of the oyster beds is to maintain their preservation. Mr. Stevenson, Inspector of Fisheries in the Bay of Islands territory, is here to assist nie on the occasion of tne new regulations coming into force, and lie will tell you that for the last forty years the beds liavo been open to indiscriminate picking, and the result has been ruinous. The sequence has always been the same, and at tho end of the season it has been necessary to closo the beds down. Under tho now system, by systematic working, wo will be -able to, take off now crops year, after year. "There is no selfish motive behind tho Department's action, and the present courso of absolutely prohibiting all and sundry from picking oysters in or out of season has -been resorted, to with . a view of conserving tho oyster beds and keeping them in order year .after year." Messrs. Dalgety and Co. will hold ! a stock sale at'.Otaki on Wednesday, at 1 p.m. In (ionjunction with tho New Zealand Lonn and 'Mercantile Agency Co., they will hold a similar sale at'Palmerston Nortli oil Thursday, at 11.30 .a.m.- . ■•/ .. .. '