OYSTER INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 11, 14 January 1932, Page 9

OYSTER INDUSTRY

PRINCE AT COLCHESTER

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LOKDOM", 27th November. ' Breaking his rule not to attend publiu banquets during the national emergency, the Prince of Wales accepted the Mayor of Colchester's invitation to the Oysteij Feast in order to support the local industry and the Essex County Hospital. He flew to Colchester from the Hcndon Aerodrome in his own Puss-Motli aeroplane, which was piloted by Flightlaeutenant Fielden. His machine ivas v accompanied by another Puss-Moth," piloted by Flight-Lieutenant Armour, inwhich Maior Aird, thp Prince's secrei tary, travelled. , . - Urging the principle of selling and-~ buying British, the Prince said in hi*' speech at the Feast: '< .•> .-.■■■ • •..':

"I know that*EnglisH-dy'stfers .afo'-'l rather expensive, but they are uudoub't- " edly fresher; ; and,^as,aiirjulejibeitter,. flavoured; Jhan :those.,. of, our'iforeign,?; competitors;- And ;i': hope; that bothi retailers;' and purchasers Vwiil, as .far aa- c possible,; give preference; ito'-tbe., hbme:variety, thereby encouraging the^mo've- =* ment for; selling: and- buying British^ * which many of ■ns have preaihed fpi|';' so long, but the importance of Vrhich!/ the general publiei are" apparently; 0n1y.,; just.beginning to,realise., - if- i ,'i.. c "So let us turn to the industry which; *■ we are here to encourage. Aad I remindyou that I, too, am interested in<the;L production as well as the,consumption. side, being the; proud proprietor; of '-aa '"'* oyster fishery near, Falmouth/ inj thi* Duchy of, Cornwall. - ~ "One thing that you/on^ttie Colnai.. and I on the Helford Eiyer share -iik--common is that, wo have both beendoing very badly of recent y.ears: ; Wa;have had to meet keen foreign ieorJi-T petition-from both Holland and France^: and to face an abnormal mortality amcmo"' our oysters owing to a: disease the origia 1 and cause of which remain obscure. Then, too, there! are ; various eneinifes which prey on'the oyster, the worst of, wihich' is, I understand, the slipßec limpet. . , ■ . ~ ; - ■"".,••

'(in. short, the oyster industry in this country is. doing far from weU, and I can1 only hope that the efforts : whick you are'making here by constantly tending to the fishing grounds will soon restore their prosperity, and, given a good spat-fall,, put you once: again .in tha happy position of having a millioiivoi;* so oysters to ofEer to the public." "'''" '''''.