Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-20
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from page -

| a potato field would be dug over. acc-
Ton | of Chapter 81 of the Laws oil
! lS.o was enacted to protect the more
| important fields Of clans from en'hc
exhaustion. and appears to 90 so ny
| n close time for tie months Of june.
July. Augusta and a part of Sepicm-
her, but 1t does not in my opinion hch-
eft the State. In certain sections the
cams are thus allowed to grow Tor
three months and become more picaii-
fui WhcH at tho end Of the protective
period a larG" gang Of men are ietdv
to commence digging and shipping. ana
at the cad Of three months the result
winch would have been arrived AZ
without close time has been accom-
pl:shcd. simply by the employment OF
more men daring 4 shorter period. and
! the hats have been as Thoroughly aug
and If possible more thoroughly dug
and drained than they would without
4 close tinrc.
Fave ut this time no suggestions to
offer rS to restrictive legislation To
. limit thc size of the clam marketed
: as proposed by some would ne inlpoS-
Sble Of enforcement The demand for
, the state Of Maine CLAIMS is certainly
! rapidly increasing and as citainly the
store IS being depleted. the demand be
: ing more than the supply. therefore the
pric" Shonld naturally be enhanced tn"
supply gradually dccrCa sing, the price
as gradually ncreasing-thcn by tho
law of compensation where the price
: gets beyond Il certain limit the pendu-
, lum will swing back. the demand will
, he less. the price will 70 down. and
perhaps upon that theory OF economies
/ the clans will protect themselves and
the State be as well off without a
change III the present law.
J Now. gentlemen, this idea Of the
thing regulating itself by economic
laws. | do not believe. nor 10 |
believe il will lie readily accepted by
YOU. The demand for the Stat" Of
Maine clans is certainly rapidly in
crcasinG and the store AS certainly be
/ ing depleted. the demand bclnG NOR"
| than the supply, and Yet under thcS"
\ conditions The clans being unable to
protect themselves AMI multiply !
know in my own town there is not on"
barrel dug ana shipped now where
Their" were -four a Few years ago. ana
the flats are dug over and over again.
/ OF flats where the best digging was,
have no clans in them at all now. Does
it not seem more reasonable to think
rs the price is enhanced by the de-
creasing supply. that the fats will be
dug over more thoroughly 50 that the
higher price may be obtained?
| Now. Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen,
what is it that brings Il bill such as
this bill before you? We have a bill
/ reported unanimously from the com
I mttec on sea and shore fisheries ought
to pass. What are the general Stat
/ utes relating to CLAIMS. Section d.
/ Chapter 40 as amended in 1899. reads:
| Section p. Chapter 40. a town may
! at its annual town meeting or the city
/ council Of any city, by ordinance 1899,
! fix the times in which CLANS may be
/ taken within its limits and the price
/ for which its municipal officers mag
grant permits therefor. and unless 50
! regulated by vote residents of the town
may take clans without written per
| nit. but without permit any inhabi-
! tant within his own town or transient
Z person therein may take CLAIMS for the
/ consumption of himself or family.
/ keepers taking CLAIMS for the use Of
| their hotels nor does il interfere with
any law relating to the taking OF shell
< fish for bait by fishermen Whoever
takes clans contrary to municipal
/ regulations authorized by this section
! shall for each offence be fined not
more than SO or imprisonment not
I more than 50 days.
| Perhaps as YOU have listened to the
reading Of this you have wondered
| Why having such general law as this
| 1t is necessary to enact a special law
| like the one before US. The trouble is
! found in the following sentences of the
| previous section:
/ But without such permit any in
habitant within his own town may
4 take shell fish for the consumption of
| his family and any fisherman may
/ take anywhere such fish suitable for
| bait and necessary for his use not eX-
Cecding seven bushels in the she'll"
Now in practice a town votes certain
| rcStrictions-wc have made various
regulations from time to time in my
town, across the Kennebec river. and
| tIl'oiiiltb " l'ltllS " tlllottt tue
same. The trouble arises. not from the
/ inhabitants of your own town but
| suddenly you will find Il lot of strang-
ers digging for dear life. If you ac-
cost them and inform them they are
not permitted by the regulations of the
town to dig clans they inform you
| that they are fishermen and can dig
seven bushels per man. 1t is not pos
| Sible to follow them up always and
find out if they are using them for bal
and the result is. under this guise. the
town regulations are evaded and when
they have depleted the flats they seem
to be satisfied.
Sometimes they come in vessels. and
by the time you have hunted up a
warden and driven them off they have
dug all that they could anyway as the
tide is covering the flats and they are
perfectly willing to sail away and ga
at work either on the flats in the next
town. when the tide falls or in some
| other distant part of the same town
| ana the fisherman clause seems to he
a convenient loop hole when they are
brought in court. Now gentlemen.
you will see if you look at the law be-
Tore us. that it does exactly what