Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-03-17

Leasing Barren oyster Lands.
III y Howard Ilaman. ofthe BALI
more tsr, who seems to evinee such
deep interest in the subject Of oyster
plating, has sent lis address made be-
fore tie road convention some time since
around The STATE. asisiae the views Of
the local press upon the pr 5sst Of rails
ing money to repair the p'iblis roads by
leasing out the barren oyster bottoms Of
the Chesapeake bay for oyster planting
purposes. The sulbci Of oyster plant
ing seems 10 be hobby with Mr.. Ha-
man. and why. We are ut loss to com
Prehcni He is lawyer by profession.
citizen Of Baltimore city. and Not d.
, city Of Indirectly interested 10 the prop
Asatiuu It oysters so FIR as VIC are able
to lesra; yet. for several years past, he
has been attempting to make himself
conspicuous by his advocacy Of The plan
Of farming cut the oyster hands,
There must be niger in the
word pile" some where. for men As .
rule arr nps giveazA tie performance
Of exeessiesrAlIEss'se ~ rishSas seeins-i;lpl.
70 present or future possiblTs5 81 re
muneratiye return Mr.. Hannah NAV
be the emPlt yed attorney f.some Of the
oonnectisut oyster painters for
aughl we know. who having succeedei
in gobbliug up the ey.tcr lands Of Con
necticut are anxious to push their cutter
prise into broader 6,ld and extend
,heir well paying industry into Mary
land waters. For one-a Journal rep
resenting IN part, an oyster seciien, we
aSs emphatic in our aisarproval os any
snch scheme. The bottom of the
Chesapeake. as Nr. Haulau SeA con-
tends in his circulating pamphlet, is the
property OF tue State and should BE-
used in common By oil its citizens =
To lease the oyster beds would DOT pro
mote the industry, i would csipple
and ruin. 1t would drive out of the
business all the snail GRATIS now engaged
ia the carrying of oysters to market; it
would ruia the men who hive their
small sums invested in the necessary ap-
taPtenauces TO catch the me,ionless BIZ
valves and would drive out Of employ
nent hundreds Of persons engaged in
the catch who have been depending
apon that pursuit for years for liyeli
hood.
But says Mr.. Hsman. let the State
lease only the barren bottoms; no harm
san possibly come FROM ,hzt That is
rue enough, 80 far as It goes. The
proposed plan looks harmless upon the
surface, bat it is deceptive There is a
scheme deep and hidden at the bottom
nf it, (which sadly mars its perfume
The Leasing Of the barren bottoms is but
the entering wedge into we'll maiured
plan to win popular favor and will ul,i-
Hlately end in securing for the monoro-
list aud the eapit-lis, control Of the en-
ii E oyster industry.
We 10 no, pretenl to say that the re-
cent sclieiae Of holding a road col.yen-
sion in Bal'hasre caF, to lay before the
people The proposition to raise money rs
repair the publio r~aIS by leasing the
oyster beds. was intended as bate to
catch the unsuspieioas eountrymcn. but
it locks very much like it The public
road sadly needs repairing and we will
give all aid possible 10 that much needed
improvement. hut, will not consent
70 the building up Of one enterprise at
the expen-e Of pulling down another-
The destruction Of the oyster can be pre-
vented, in Other why's besides leasing thu
beds shorien the season, AMI
protect the Young oyster.
will remedy the evil and will loi
work hardship upon any branch,
Of the trade. And besid,s the
people Of the oyster growing sections OF
The State are the proper ind most com.
petent 10 judge o The needs and de-
hands Of the oyster trade. There is ne
cry coming from 'hem % lease the oys
ter beasr they asia for Legislation to pro
rect the industry. but spart from that
shey are satisfied. Surely these people
must be alive 70 tbeir own interest.