Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-05

'tpublic" oyster grounds of the State is for bidden. In the latter part of the same sec tion it is provided that steam dredge boats ''may" be used on the s'private designated" grounds of the owner in any of the waters of this State.
 The hearing Tuesday was upon this part of the section. ssNo opposition" appeared to this section except from one locality in the State, namely, Fair Haven.
 Quite a number from Fair Haven appeared, and at previous hearings gentlemen from oth- CT parts of the State expressed their views.
 The gentlemen from Fair Haven urged that dredging for oysters injured the surrounding beds, and secondly that the privilege of dredg ing might be misused by trespassing on sur rounding beds.
 On the other hand it was claimed by oyster growers from Milford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Branford, that the damage to surround ing beds is immaterial, and that the damage would of course be more upon the ground dredged than upon the adjoining beds, and it is not reasonable to suppose that the owner ot ground could wish to dredge upon it, if ma terially injurious.
 To the second objection it was replied that any privilege might be abused, and that the same laws which prohibit longing upon neighbor's ground likewise forbid tresspass | ing with dredges, and in reply to all objec- l tions it was proved that in all other sections of the State dredging is allowed, either by 1 sail or steam, by the owner upon his own oys- | ters, and it is not found objectionable either as causing damage or encroachment upon 1 neighbors.
 1 It was further urged against this provision 1 that it gave steam vessels the preference in l allowing them to dredge. But this bill does not forbid sail vessels to do so; and on ask | ing the opposers of the bill if they wished to dredge with sails, most of them replied they did not. It was further shown to the com 1 mittee that there is @ tract of ground owned | by myself in New Haven harbor through which the United States Government has made an appropriation to dig or deepen the l channel, and unless the oysters upon this | ground are taken up they will be destroyed by the Government dredges The Government diggers cut into the bottom from two to four feet while the oyster dredge drags upon the ! surface.
 The objectors to the provision were asked
 if the Government digging, being much ! deeper than the oyster dredge, would not l be more injurious and they replied that the | Government digging would last but 8 month
 or so, while the oyster dredging would last longer.
 That objection has since been obviated by Ia provision limiting the oyster dredging in
 New Haven harbor to thirty days. I The oysters being scattered and in from | eighteen to twenty feet of water at low tide,
 1t would be very expensive to tong them. | Finally. on general principles, it is unrea \ sonable to say what kind of boats man may \ use on his own ground to take up his own \ oysters.
 It is not reasonable to prescribe that mar
 must use a wooden blow because @ majority | do so, or to insist that he shall use hoe in-
 stead of potato hook to dig his potatoes. It was afterwards suggested as compro
 mise that the dredging in New Haven harbo1 | be limited to short period of thirty days ol so, thus giving opportunity to save the
 oysters in the channel, but making the privi
 lege temporary out of deference to the ob jectors. That, it seems to me, should remove
 any objection, unless it be factious and ma licious one.
 Respectfully, HENRY 0. ROWE.