The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-06-10
OYSTER PLANTING
what New jersey and Delaware Hav, Done
10 Pr mote and Protect thr Induauy

\ letter from Enston, Mi, 10 the
Baltimo,c sun says
II is certain that plans Will be laid
before the next General Assembly of
Maryland for state control and State
disposal Of some If the oyster bottoms
if only tho barron ones 1t is, there.
fore. important to note what other
states are Going ia this direction. In
New Jersey new oyster Law goes into
effect on June l6 which, -iugulary
enough, although providing for the
leasing If the lands under the waters,
is SD conservative and had been SD care
fully considered in It's formation thar
it seems to meet AZ the beginning with
the approval Of all the various oyster
interests Of that State, which are al
most identical with those of Maryland.
Briefly stated this law provides for
the appointment by the Governor Of
three commissioners, who shall by a
majority vote appoint person to be
known as oyster superintendent This
commission is vested with the power to
enforce the provisions ~ all acts per-
tanning 70 the governing and regulation
Of the oyster industry They will have
power 10 lease 10 applicants residing IN
New Jersey any Of the grounds south
# what is known as the Southwest
Line. NJ lease can be- granted to any
person not citizen and actual resi-
dent Of that State All persons now
holding ground under what Is known
as the common consent custom are
allowed so days 90 express their desire
To retain their present holdings The
law requires th At the tax shall be not
less than % cents per acre The COM
mi.sioners viii have power % regulate
by ordinance, as circumstances require
the oyster industry. The oyster super
intendrnt is o. be- the executive officer
and viii have supervision Of the vari-
Gus guard boats He and his subOrdi-
nate officers will have power % arrest
ON sight. without warrant, all persons
who violate any # the oyster laws and
ordinance. one feature Of the law Is
it forbids the employment Of cheap la
hor from other places and this com
mends 10 strongly % the tongmen and
the poorer oystermen.
Tho Delaware bay is one of the best
of the natural homes of the oyster IN
this country, but the importance Of the
industry has been rapidly declining OF
late years. and nearly all the Delaware
bay grounds are barren Of natural
growth. The oyster producing area Is
put at l1j square miles, or III. 900 acres
Maurice river cove, deep tributary OF
tho Delaware. has long been noted as
one Of the best oyster planting sections
on the Atlantic coast, and for hall a
century the business has been carried
on there, but it is no longer profitable
10 any great extent Millions OF BUSH
els of Chesapeake oysters have been
planted in Maurice river The plant
ers, however. had no legal right to
their planting grounds They staked
of and operated sections of river bot
tom by common consent and resisted
the invasion Of their assumed rights rs
best they could without any aid from
the State. The title remained III the
State They have been held without
any compensation to the State, and no
taxes are levied upon them or upon the
oysters cultivated thereon
As time went on serious controyer-
sizes arose, and great losses were an
nually sustained through depredations
of persons, who would rake the beds
defantly and openly. Thess facts and
the diminishing value Of the entire
oyster business Of the Delaware caused
the last Legislature to adopt new sys'
tenn, as sketched above. There is good
authority for the statement that all the
Jersey oystermen, from the highest to
the lowest, and all the oyster interests
Of the Delaware, from the greatest TO
the smallest, approve the new law as
being complete Not in the whole his
tory Of the industry have they had such
prospects as they will enjoy under State
control.