The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-16
DIR. CEMLER's OYSTER BILL.
The Reasons W by it Should Become
law

WILMINGTON ISLAND, Nov. l3.-EGitor
Morning Ne,Os: Having learned that
there was a meeting of some oystermen at
Thundcrbolt last Sunday for the purpose of
collecting funds to send lawyer to Atlanta
in order to defeat protective oyster bill [
have framed, at which WAS either misrep.
resented or misunderstood, l am constrained
to present to the publica few of the features
and some of the reasons why the bill
should become a law Withouta knowledge
of the provisions of the bill some colored
and few white oystermen have subscribed
money to defeat their own interest, the
former under the false and stupid belief
that l am seeking to mouopolize the terri
tory and that the bill exacts a license to
fish and crab. | have been partly in
duced to move in this matter by frequent
conversations with DR.. Carey, the fish COM
missioner of the state, in which he urged
the necessity of such measure, and | am
recently informed by him that he has men
toned it in his forthcoming annual report.
The importance of the subject to this COM
munity must be my excuse for the length
of this communication.
/ also learn am mourning the enmity of
some of the oystermon. Now, Mr.. Editor,
my sons are themselves shippers of oysters,
and if my bill is antagonistlc to any OYSTER
man it must necessarily be so to them, for
they are dependent upon the latter for
supply. Naturally the larger quantity they
are able to collect the more money will my
sons be able to realize. 1t makes no discrimi-
nation whatever, and if any one class will
be more benefited than another it must be
the negro oystermen, simply in conSe-
quence of their greater number
Truly believing the oppo siton is either
attributable to want of Intelligence or fore
sight, and that I am deserving of gratitude
instead of ill-will, | shall proceed in
this matter, enmity or no enmity, and leave
it to the intelligence of the legislature
whether it will pass the bill for the general
welfare or reject it and entail upon every
oyster consumer in Georgia the inevitable
necessity of paying enhanced prices in the
very near future.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TEN YEARS
in Germany, have lived off and on for
sixty-one years, and constantly for
the past twenty-three of them,
upon this island, nearer to what
a few years ago were the most pro-
ductive oysterbeds in the state of Georgia,
md have thus been better situated to note
the rapid exhaustion of the oysterbeds
than any other man in Georgia. candidly
believe that if the legislature fails to pass
this, or a similar law, there will
hardly be an oyster left in Chatham
county in twenty years, and the community
will have to import a supply for common
use from those states which have not failed
to protect the oyster interest by legisla-
tive enactment, and, that the children of
these same oystermen, who are venting
their ill-temper against me, will find moth
ing left but few dead shells on those banks
which could, and should, give them a sup
port. Only few years ago my sons
oystermen would sometimes each tong
twelve bushels Of first quality oysters on a
10 xxhi 10 Iyy no thaxy
have come in with one or two pecks. The
bunch, or raccoon oysters, which formerly
lined the marshes above low-water mark
and supplied the stock for opening,
have already disappeared, and now recourse
is had to the small tonged oysters for open
ing. l herewith challenge a contradiction
to these assertions, so well known to every
longer, and dare any man, who even be-
fore last Sundays gatheriDg) maliciously
misrepresented to the ignorant negroes
that I am seeking to take the bread out of
their mouths to present his reasons, if he
have any or his motives of opposition, to the
public, in your columns, and should he be
incompetent of doing it himself / suggest
the employment of a lawyer for the pur-
pose.
My son was the first, some years ago, to
make the experiment of shipping opened
oysters to the north, and when | applied to
the Ocean Steamship Company for space
in the ice box of the steamship for a two
gallon can, the remark was made by the
manager cit looked like sending Goals to
Newcastle Now, between the agent of
the Norfolk Oyster Company and my son,
alone, many thousand gallons are shipped
every season, which partly replace the
large quantities of northern stock exported
to Europe. Although my son has taken
out license for boat i'll South Carolina,
at $25, and has sent as far as Doboy, it has
been impossible to satisfy the demand, and
the quantity he is enabled to ship is decreas-
ing annually, with an increase in the num-
Der of tongers.
EVERY SINGLE CLAUSE
of my bill is contained in the Maryland
oyster law, and indeed in many instances
are literal copies from those of the laws of
Virginia and Maryland.
submit the copy of letter sent me in
answer to an inquiry addressed to the
comptroller OF the treasury at Annapolis:
COMMANDERS OFFICE,
MARYLAND STATE FISHERY FORCE. {
DEAR DoCToR-Yours of the 9th received, and
IN answer send you the oyster law and a report
OF the comptroller to the last general assembly.
The number of vessels licensed to catch oysters
IN the Chesapeake bay and Potomac river issued
by the state was 81 over ten TONS paying over
TO the state about $4,000. About 760 vessels
over ten tons were licensed to catch oysters in
certain rivers and inland bays from counties
ouJOAuAuE Jne same. am unable to give the
amounts received from the same as it is paid
tothe counties for the public schools About
gVOO small boats. from 20 to 80 feet long, are
licensed by the counties from So to S. The
receipts also go to the schools The number of
men employed in the industry of catching oys-
Iefs as far as can be ascertalned, is over ~ 900
me police force employed to guard the Mary
Iahu waters from violators and to protect the
exempted grounds from depredators is about
Ivy men; two steamers and thirteen sailing yes
sels cost TO the state in way of salaries and re-
pairs, fuel and rations, S67, 900 per annum. The
licenses sold by the state are kept in a fund
Ano"n as the oyster fund. Yours, etc,
=. BY reference to the comptrollers report
the status Of the oyster fund appears as
follows;
lotal receipts for fiscal year 1887
:, ana balance from fiscal year 1885. S196,925 81
disbursements during fiscal year 1887 G., 22f SO
Balance to the credit of oyster fund
P'' ", 1901 SlSJ, dUo 10
!, me Two steamers above mentioned were
$4,000.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l put it to every intelli-
sent being, oysterman or not, If under the
operation of sucha law, % 900 men can find |
aSupport in Maryland for their families,
aui the interest has become of such vast
Importance that it requires rifles aud can
non 70 drive away depredatOrs from the /
user beds, how is the same law injuIiouSly |
toeliect those who expect to make Il liyelI |
no9d from oysters in this state5
Before submitting the clauses of the bill |