The Portland daily press., 1895-02-06
THE LOBSTER LAW.
Remonstrance and Petition Against
the Gamers.

Who Demand Close Time of Three
Months-Portland Very Much Interest
ed in the Hearing Before the Commit
tee Today.
The ever recurring lobster controversy
between the fishermen and dealers on
the one hand and the Gamers on the
other comes before the committee on sea
shore fisheries at Augusta today. The
following remonstrance- and petition have
recently been circulated among the deal
ers of this city, and the fishermen who
bring Holsters here and have been signed
extensively by them and forwarded to
the legislature:
To the Lobster Fishermen and Dealers
of the State of Maine:
"un January 18th there was presented
| to the Legislature a petition from East
! port and other neigh boring towns,
| backed by bill, demanding and pTovld
| ing for the regulation of the lobster fish
ing industry. This bill provides for the
canning and sale of all Holsters without
restriction to size, from April goth to
July lst. 1t also prohibits the shipment
OF any HOLSTERS out OF the state from Au-
gust 1st to November 1st, being three
months close time. If this bill should
| become law, no greater misfortune
could befall the lobster fishermen OF
Maine. or those directly interested in
/ this branch of the fishery, for it would
cripple the lobster business of our state,
and turn the entire trade into the haods
of fishermen and dealers in other states,
where there is no close time. Past expe-
rience has taught us all how detrimen-
tai close time is to the lobster hsnef-
men of Maine, and also how unjust 1t IS
| for the lobster fishermen OF our staJe 10
| be deprived of an equal right with the
/ fishermen of other states knowing th1ss
as we do from experience, we feel 1t to
be the duty of every lobster fisherman
to use his best efforts to prevent the en-
aotment of law chat practically de-
stroys his business. For the past six
years we have had no close time ON mar
ket Holsters, and the result is that the
| income from that branch of the fishery
| has more than doubled in value in that
time, 40 that at the present time the
| lobster industy of our state ranks third
| in value among the fisheries ins Maine.
while by the most reliable statistics the
report of the United States Fish Conn
mission, the catch during this period.
has been the largest on record.
Considering the large army of men en-
gagged in the lobster business in this
state. most of whom have large families
to support and are dependent upon this
important industry for a living, we be-
| lieye it to be the duty of each and every
one interested in the lobster business to
sign the enclosed petition and remon-
strance, and thus appeal to the present
| legislature of the state NOT TO put
close. time on Holsters OF ten and one
| half inches and over in length, nor re-
strict shipment of the same out OF the
state. The hearing on this matter Will
occur on February 9th, before the Legls-
| lat;ye Committee on Sea Shore FISHERIES,
at the State House, Augusta. Maine.
| We sincerely hope that every person in
terested in the lobster business will do
| all in their power to secure as large
| number of signels TO the enclosed remon-
STRANGE as possible in their locality, and
wake up their fellows to a sense of the
| impending encroachments upon their
rights. As the time is limited, we ask
you to take hold of this matter at once
| and lose no time in having this remon-
STRANGE signed and returned as soon as
possible"
The "enclosed petition is as follows:
"To the Honorable the Senate and
House of Representatives of the State
of Maine, in legislature assem- bled:
"We, the undersigned citizens of the
Estate of Maine, being interested in the
! lobster fishery of our state, most respect
| fully demonstrate against the enactment
of any law which Will have tendency
to put close time on ths catch and sale
| of Holsters of ten and one-nalf Inches,
/ and over, in length, at any season OF the
year {excepting female Holsters With
eggs attached).
/ .Believine that resident and non-resi-
dent spectators are trying TO secure
| legislation in their own interest in our
/ state. which, if successful, will cripple
/ fp1 fprV1nflT
| pray that the interests of citizens OF our
own state, whose living depends Oh this
great industry, may be projected, and
as in duty bound will ever pray.
The significance OF all this is that the
dealers and fishermen have been endeav-
oring, as usual, to bring about ten and
one-haif inch law the year round, such
as prevails in Massachusetts,, and there
by abolishing the open time from April
Goth to July 1st, when the Gamers get
in their work with the small Holsters.
To offset this the Gamers not only de-
mand the open time, but also close
time of three months from August 1st
to November 1st This is the time when
the Gamers are packing all kinds of fall
produce,-- and when, the fishermen
saw, they don't want any one else to
handle Holsters while they can't pack
them.
The result Of this close time, tie fish
ermen say would he that the HOLSTERS
would be caught and carried to Massa-
chusetts and other points, and our state
would get none of the benefit of the bus
mess during the close time.