The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-16
OEMLER'S OYSTER BILL.
THH SAVANNAH DEALERS TO
OPPOSE ITS PASSAGE.

the Bill-Dr Oennler's Claim for
Restrictive Legislation in the Inter
ests Of the Oyster Industry-What
the Dealers and Fishermen Say
About 1.-THE Kind OF Legislation
that DR.. Oemler Proposes.
The oystermen are very much worked up
over a bill which has been sent to the legis-
lature and which was drafted by DR.. A.
Oemler. The Thunderbolt oystermen held
a meeting few days ago, and it is learned
raised about s75 for a fund to employ coun-
sci to go to Atlanta and antagonize DIR.
Oemlers bill. This sum is to be augmented,
it is understood, by additional subscriptions
from the oyster fishers and oyster dealers of
this city, and j. F. B. Beckwith, Esq, is to
represent them at Atlanta.
The oyster trade of this section is very
large, and any legislation on the subject is
of vital interest. There are about 100 boats
| engaged in the oyster fisheries along the
Georgia coast, and there is much indigna-
ton among the fishers that an effort should
! be made to restrict them in the prosecution
Of the fisheries. About so gallons of oys-
tiers are shipped daily from Savannah, and
any legislation calculated to limit the season
or to restrict free oyster taking is calculated
seek to abridge them in their free trade.
THE VETOED BILL.
At the session of the last legislature bill
was passed shortening the season and re-
strlcting the free fisheries, which was vetoed
| by Gov. Gordon, and when it was known
that an effort was being made to renew the
bill at the present session the oystermen
became very much excited, and only the adj
| vice of cooler heads prevented them from
| oh icvlia l,xr lat yla
directed against those who seek to get bill
passed that they think desire to monopolze
the oyster fisheries.
Elsewhere in the MORNING NEWS DR..
Oemler the author of the bill now before
the legislature defends the bill he desires to
see become a law. In an interview with
DR.. Oemler yesterday, he said that the
funds subscribed at Thunderbolt were raised
under misapprehension of the bill, which
| he claims will. if it becomes a law, do the
oystermen more good than harm, and that
oyster dealers will also be benefited by its
Passage.
! PROVISIONS OF THE LAW.
| DR.. Oemler's communication does not
fully cover the provisions of the bill
Among the features of the bill which his
communication does not cover, he says. may
be mentioned the following: Planted oys-
tiers shall not be tonged except with the
consent of the owner. Boats licensed shall
have the number painted on the boat. A
penalty for using boats not licensed is fixed
at from $50 to 5000 fine, or imprisonment
from six months to one year, and consta-
bles, inspectors and licensed oystermen may
arrest offenders, and the penalty for resist
ing such arrest is from $50 to 500 fine, or
imprisonment from six months to one
year. One-fourth of the fine, under the
provision of the bill goes to the informer
A penalty of $50 to 300, Or from one to six
| il
marks.
DR.. Oemler claims that the sole object of
the bill is to increase the oyster plant He
says that oysters are getting scarcer year
by year, because there is not adequate pro-
lection He wants to make the opening of
the oyster season Sept 1, and he wants to
Gull the oysters on the natural banks.
} OPPOSED TO THE BILL.
1t is understood that Messrs. Sullivan,
, Ambos, Hudson and others are bitterly OPP
posed to restrictive legislation. Mr.. NJ M.
Sullivan, who is said to handle the great
bulk of the oysters at this port, says that
the bill is gotten up in the interests of DR..
Oemler's sons, who want TO monop0liZe the
trade for northern shipment. He thinks
that ample protection is afforded by the
law of 1882, which gives citizens the right
, to plant oysters, and be protected, 90 feet
below water mark, whereas the bill Of DIR.
/ | Oemer wants it fixed at over 100 feet He
claims that the state has no right to lease
the public lands or to lease beyond low
: water mark without a special grant from
the government. which controls the fran
chise to all navigable streams within the
a states borders.
1t is untrue, said Mr.. Sullivan, that there
> is any decrease in the oyster supply along
I the Georgia coast" There are thousands
J of oyster beds that no living being has been
over yet They may have been over them,
1 =
boats must be utilized to work there beds.
l would be glad to have a law to pre- ect a
man who has an oyster bed on his own
, premises. By that | mean to low water
mark, or even 30 feet outside of it; but not
100 feet. 1t is outrageous to fix any such a
limit, and the state has no right to grant
any such limit on a navigable stream.
AN IMPRAC TICABLE FEATURE.
1.-The bad features of the proposed bill are
that it seeks to compel oystermen to cult
oysters on the natural banks This imprac-
ticable. Oystermen do Gull their oysters at
their own landings and i'll two or three
Q years their artificial beds produce merchant
able oysters Most of the oystermen have
e small bats, and they cannst Gull on the
natural banks, storms and other causes pre-
a | venting. | would be willing TO agree to a
bill that would not provide for close time.
| would be willing to concede 30 feet be
low low water mark, without the provso
that oystermen should be compelled to Gull
on the natural banks; and l would favor a
license for boats at not to exceed 81 pei
ton"
DEALERS TO MAKE FIGHT.
1--WE will fight the bill" said Mr.. Sulli-
van. SIT is the same bill of last year with
: slight changes, but not of such character
as would lead us to support it, We don't
want an army of informers.' What VIZ
want is to have an open season the elimina
ton of the clause providing for lease o.
y ten years Of premises 100 feet below low
Il water mark in navigable rivers, a distance
encroaching on government domain and
= therefore unconstitutional, until the govern
ment shall have ceded it to the state. W.
= shall answer DIR. Oemler," said Mr.. Suli
( van, land we will antagonize his bill and
e defeat it if we can. III 1t were unconstitu
tional last year, when Gov. Gordon vetoed
= it, it is, although slightly modified, uncon-
stitutional STILL
RUTLAND, GA, Sept. H. 1888.
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