The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-02-16
Oysters and Public Roads.


The following is synopsis of the
address of Mr.. B. Howard Hannah
before the State Road Convention
in Baltimore, on Ian uary 18th,
1898.
Mr.. Haman stated that the Deer
Greek Farmers Club of Hartford
County had requested him to dis
cuss the means of increasing the
revenue of the State for the pur-
pose of building roads.
"No one can deny that money is
necessary for road building since
good roads, unlike great men, are
made; not born.
There Is a lost and sunken
treasure at the bottom of the Ches-
apeake Bay, which has been used
for time by portion of the clti
zens of the State, then wasted and
thrown away.
"The bottom of the bay and all
its navigable tributaries belong to
the people of the whole State. Be-
low these great salt waters lies the
States farm. We are tenants in
common of this vast inheritance.
Who owns the title in fee simple to
to tie bed of the broad and beauti-
full Patuxent, the Choptank, the
winding WE and the aristocratlc?
The jewellers among the rocks of
Deer Greek, the inhabitant of Ale
ghany County, together with his
brother from Talbot, st. Mary's
and Dorchester.
GLOW has this property of the
State been managed? What is its
present condition? What are the
future possibilities?
"Twenty years ago the beds of
the Chesapeake Bav were as prolific
as the far famed waters of Arcachon
or the land beneath Cancale Bay.
Baltimore dredgers operated then
only the largest and best oysters
were taken. Thirty wears ago oy-
sters were sold from two to five cents
per bushel to farmers of tidewater
counties as fertilizers.
1.-The results of the everlasting
in the beds of the bay are manifest.
Many packers have amassed wealth;
many commission men have made
completeness; thousands OF boat
men have earned their living.
"The present condition of these
great natural beds is well known.
Many of the most famous natural
beds or rocks of the bay are ex-
hausted. Not one is as prolific as
it was ten years ago. A great por-
ton of the supply during the last
season came from the rivers.
"In 1884 there was to the credit
of the oyster fund the great sum of
$244, OS1.59. The report of the
Comptroller for 1892, shows that
there is now to the credit of this
fund balance amounting to only
$40, 70S.4S. The Comptroller
makes the following significant
statement. For o number of years
there has been gradual decrease
in the balance to the credit of this
fund and recent legislation has not
tended to increase it,
"What are the possibilities of
this property of the State in the
future? The answer to this ques-
ton depends upon the action taken
by the next Legislature.
eff no action be taken beyond a
mere tinkering at the laws after
the fashion of previous legislation,
the farmers of the State will be
paying before 1896 taxes for the
support of the oyster navy.
"If Maryland adopts system of
oyster culture such as has been in
troduced in other countries and
other States, the Treasury Of the
State may be enriched by a sum
sufficient to keep in repair the roads
and bridges of the State. | have
not forgotten that this sum amounts
to $5O0,00O every year."
"The area of the natural beds of
the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland
has been estimated to be 200, 900
acres, leaving an immense tract of
about 100000 acres of land now
unproductive, but which might be
made valuable through oyster Gull
ture. Rhode Island received in
1882, 81, 100000 from 1000 acres of
leased land. This is at the rate of
$11 rental per acre. A rental of
only 800 per acre from our waste
lands would yield a revenue of
s40O, 100000 per annum. This
would surely be better than an
average loss to the treasury of about
s25, 900.
The speaker then furnished sta
tistics from France, England, Hol-
land and other European countries;
olso from G,vernment Renorts and