The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-28
TO TRY FOR A NEW LAW.
OYSTER NAN NOT SATISFIED WITH
THE PoSTELL ACT.


THE POSTELL ACT.
The Operation of the Law as It Now
Stands Discouragingto Oyster Farm
ing in Bryan, Chatham and Liberty
Counties-The Rice Resolution in the
Senate EXPECTED TO Result in a New
Oyster Law-The Oyster Mems OBJ
jections to the Postell Act-Protec-
ton Needed Against Non Resident
Tongers.
Those who recognize the advantages 70
accrue from well-directed legislation to en-
courag oyster farming iu Georgia waters
are not satisfied with the Postell law, and
they are vitality interested in the fate OF the
joint resolution introduced in the Senate by
Senator Rice. which provides that the gov
ernor be empowered to appoint commits
sion, consisting Of three citizens Of this
state, who are familiar with the oyster
growth and interests Of this state. and who
have no immediate interest therein, 10
investigate and report to the next general
assembly of this state what changes, If any 4,
are desirable or necessary IN the laws Of tha
state governing the oyster Interests
One of the active friends q oyster pro
lection says that the PoStell law IS oaly AZ
initial step in the direction q pvossctioa.
the substitution Of which for tie original
Oemler bill viii not tend 70 encourage cy-s-
ter farming in the waters of CHATHAM,
Bryan AMI Liberty Counties, SIS by TIE
Postell law oysters may not re planted 81
less distance than 900 feet from escl shore.
AS none OF the waters IN these COUNTESS
suitable for oyster farming are 400 1est
wide, little II any encouragement > ohe- Cd,
under the present lAw. T. engage IN oyster
farming. Is il would DecsssltGts planting n
the deep waters Of sounds, here the sand
bottom is not adapted to me successful
propagation OF oysters, and where the
ravages Of the drum fish would render oys-
ter farming more doubtful experiment.
THE OPPOSITION OF THE DEALERS.
A gentleman VINO took quite an active
part IN bringing TO the attention Of the leg
islature the necessity of legislation TO pro-
mote the oyster industry says that from
the outset the opposition came from dealers
who have never tOnged an oyster and who
have no intelligent idea of the good results
which would flow from wise legislation
upon the subject, but thst demagOguery
operated confluence representatives to deal
with the subject reluctantly, and one rep
resentative IS quoted as saying that if the
committee on agriculture reported favOra-
bly, Oh the original bill the governor would
have to call out the militia to suppress a
bloody riot among oystermen. In the face
OF such an assertion, gravely made by
representative from the seaboard, inland
members did not feel safe in running the
risk OF enacting a law which was repre-
sented to be the forerunner of trouble.
GOT WHAT THEY COULD.
Disappointed In getting a reasonable bill
TO promote oyster farming, the friends of
the industry had 10 be content with what
they could get and the Rice resolution is
for the purpose of having the subject pre-
sented TO the next general assembly by
men who, after a full investigation
shall recommend such legislation as will
bring intelligent legislation to bear to build
up an industry which has done SO much TO
enrich the er-bearing waters OF Mary
land, Virginia and North Carolina.
Thwarted in their purpose to get such
protective legislation this year, the friends
Of the industry supplemented their recon-
mendation for the passage of the Rice joint
resolution by a request that Gov. Gordon
should ask the United States navy depart
ment to make photographic survey of the
Georgia coast, and advices from Atlanta
are to the effect that q vessel has been
ordered ont south for the expedition, and
that the survey will begin next week.
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY.
1t is learned that request was made that
Ensign Drake should have charge of the
survey, but it is not known VINO will be in
charge. The request was made for the de-
tail Of Ensign Drake by reason of the expe-
rlence Of the ensign in oyster waters, as he
assisted Lieut.. Winslow in the hydrographic
survey in North Carolina waters. aud the
lieutenant also made photographic surveys
in Virginia and Maryland waters He
resigned his office in the navy TO go into the
employ of the Pamlico Oyster Company of
North Carolina, after the passage of pro-
tective laws in that state.
In recent letter to Dr. Oemler, who has
taken an active part in legislation TO encour-
age the oyster industry, Lieut. Winslow
says that the people formerly had no
regular labor in the vicinity of the oyster
beds Of the Pamlico waters. but eked out
precarlous subsistence ny fishing a id indif-
ferent oyster longing. Now the
Pamlico company alone employs from
100 to $50 hands who earn from
81 to S. per day.
DR.. oEMLER's VIEWS.
DIR. Oemler's views are that intelli
gent oyster farming, protected by
wise legislation, would not only en-
large the oyster output and make the
oyster trade of this section a most valu-
4~-Sa~@eAA
section, but it would cheaper the cost of
the oysters aud the demand would be large.
as the oysters in Georgia waters can be
readily tonged here at a season when they
are locked up by ice in Virginia aud Mary
land waters
As DIR. Oemler's bill was emasculated so
that the present law bears little re-
semblance tothe draft of his proposed bill.
he preferred that the commissi )n should
be first provided for and no legislation
had until the commission reported to the
next general assembly. The bill as
1t passed is held to be objec-
tionaile by those interested in pro-
tecting oysters for home oyster farmers
and oyster fishermen, and by those own
ing lands on waters suited TO oyster farm
ing for the following reasons:
OBJECTIONS TO THE BILL.
/. On the ground of the 1000 feet limita-
ton.
2. On account of the twenty-year lease
clause, with privilege of thirty-year re-
newal, which gives vested rights before the
real needs are Investigated by competent
commission to recommend wise, intelligent
and prudential legislation.
8. That the law provides no oyster COM
missioner or officer to look after the lots
taken up under the operation of the law to