The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-12-13

alu tnat IL mas Deen unJuStly charged
with favoring legislation in the interests
of a few sportsmen, to the exclusion OF
the rights of the much larger and more
| important class of our citizens. who are
employed in the laudable business OF
capturing fish for market and for a liveli.
hood, whereas the Association can, with
a clear conscience, affirm, that; while in
such measures, which it has from time to
time proposed, it may have erred in judg,
ment, it has ever been impartially desi-
rous and mindful of the best interests of
all-the market fisherman and the sports.
man alike. -
Thirdly, because it has been unjustly
charged with endeavoring, in times past,
secretly to introduce bills for passage in
the Legislature, whereas it has always be-
lieved, and still believes, that all under
handed methods in this regard are both
| obno Xious and reprehensible and it there.
fore desires hereby, to make know in
advance, and most fully, what legislation
it is now projecting, in order that this
time, at all events, there may be no mis-
understanding of its motives.
| Fourthly, and finally, because it believes
that every one who stops to consider will
appreciate and admit, that one general
law, applicable to the whole State, is far
more desirable, than many and often con-
| tlicting local statutes, for the simple and
manifest reason, that the former is more
readily enforceable nov; of such a charac,
ter are the proposed laws whose provi-
sions are here set forth and for which it
bcspeaks, in advance, the co operation
and counsel Of all interested citizens of
the State of Maryland.
| The Association proposes three sepa-
rate, general bills:
| 1. A bill applicable to all tide and salt
waters and only to them.
2. A bill applicable to all fresh waters
above tide and only to them.
| 3. A bill whose sole objects is to abolish
the use of pound, purse and staked or
other fixed nets, in tide waters, for a
Period of five years.
The first and salt water bill contains
the following provisions:
| l. Fish to be caught only for food
2. Haul seines, buck and gill-nc.s to be
lawful in the Chesapeake Bay proper the
entire year and in the tide-water tribu
taries of the same from November first
to June thirtieth, inclusive; the object of
this provision being to so frame general
law as to meet the requirements of fisher
men both in the upper and lower Bay and
its tributaries.
| 3. Dip nets and hooks and lines, g. G.,
used as trot lines or with the hand or on
rod and reel OF in any other way) lawful
throughout the entire year. .
4. No seines hereafter to be landed on
the shore; the object of this being to pre-
vent destruction of under sized fish
5. No white perch less than seven
inches, no yellow perch less than eight
inches, no rock or tailor less than ten
inches, and no pike less than fourteen
inches to be retained.
6. Unlawful to extend any nets more
than half way across tide waters.
Z. A penal uffense to use dynamite or
any explosive substance in tide-waters,
except for bona fide engineering or
mining purposes.
| 8. license necessary for all residents
of this State if engaged in the business of
fishing, i. e., if they use haul seines, buck
| or ri To o,rturo fch l., I'd,
| for sale, the cost of which license shall
be $500 per annum, together with a
fee of % cents to the Clerk for issuing
same, to be paid by applicant; but no
license necessary for those who use dip
nets or hooks and lines
| 8. Non residents not allowed to fish at
all for market within the limits of the
| State of Maryland
And after these provisions follow only
the penalties and method of procedure
applicable to the respective violations.
The fresh water bill contains the fol-
lowing provisions
1. Black bass, pickerel and pike perch,
otherwise known as wall-cyed pike and
California salmon, not to be caught be-
tween April first and June fifteenth (the
object of this provision being to protect
these fish during their spawning season..
None of these fish to be caught at any
time of any size less than ten inches in
length or in any manner except in tie
manner known as angling, lac, with rod
and reel or with a line equipped with a
single hook, either baited with natural
bait or ted with artificial flies or by the
use of spoons or spinners, each equipp
ed with a single hook only.
2. Unlawful to take white perch under
seven inches long, yellow perch under
eight inches long, pike under fourteen
inches long and rock or tailor under ten
inches long. This, a repetition of salt
water bill
3. Diamond back terrapin protected
during their spawning season, e., from
April first to October thirty first, and I'M
lawful to take them at any time smaller
than five inches long on the under shell
their said spawning season, or at any
time to hunt or destroy their eggs
4. Unlawful to so obstruct streams con
tanning or stocked with trout as to pre-.
vent said fish from freely going up and
down stream.
5. Owners of all dams on rivers re
quired to keep fish ladders on same so as
to permit fish freely,t to go up and down
said rivers.
No nets or seines to be landed on the
shores of any waters, salt or fresh, and
no under sized fish to be left to perish or
the said shores, or anywhere else, wher
caught; but to be returned alive to the
water, if possible,
7. Lawful to catch or destroy German
carp, or any kind of carp, and cells, al