Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1902-03-15
SOLUTION OF THEoYsTER PROBLEM
From Maryland Republican.


and thus far very little progress has been
made towards satisfactory solution of
the oyster problem. The reason is that
two irreconcilable ideas are in conflict
and lighting for the mastery. Private VS..
Public Ownership of the Oyster is the
fight In the Senate on Thursday night
two reports were made by the special
committee appointed few days ago to
deal with the subject. The majority re-
port signed by Senators Applegarth,
Kirwan, Dennis, Dixon and Gray, is
against private ownership. The minor
ity report signed by Senators Bryan and
Rohrback is modification of the Hannah
bill and is for private ownership.
The majority report holds that the
State ought not to lease any oyster lot to
any individual or corporation. 1t pro-
poses as a substitute for the Hannah bill
that the State establish an experimental
oyster farm of 1000 acres and spend
$4,000 year for the next two years in its
cultivation.
The substitute also provides for an ac-
curate survey of the oyster bars of the
bay and!its tributaries in order that the
true location of the oyster bars may be
determined The committee expressed
the opinion that these experiments in
the planting of shells and the cultivation
Of oysters upon an experimental farm,
together with the survey of the oyster
bars, would give the people accurate
knowledge of the oyster industry and
better enable them to instruct their rep
resentatiyes az to the policy TO be pursued
in the future. They argue that if oyster
culture was as profitable as the friends
of the Hannah bill claim, the whole peo-
pie should share in the profits. Refer
ence was also made TO the large quantity
of oysters now seeking market in the
Baltimore harbor as disproving the as
sertion that the oyster industry is in
great danger of destruction.
The report also claims.that the leasing
of the bay for oyster planting would des-
troy the common right of fishery in the
bay to which all the people are entitled
and of which they cannot be deprived.
The minority report is the Hannah bill
with notifications, among which are the
following
The area for lease is limited to 100000
acres.
The area which any one person can
lease is 100 acres.
The rental per acre is 50 to 81
m. a.I.r., =, siso al a n,
er is $4,000, He is to locate losts, and
there is an appeal from him to the Board
of Public Works.
Taking of seed oysters from natural
beds in May and June is prohibited.
After the 100000 acres for leasing is
set Off the remainder of the reproductive
bottom of the bay is to be divided into
three parts and farmed by the State on
the three-field system, each section to be
closed for three years at a time, one be-
ing always opened to the public, three
cents a bushel being paid for all that are
taken to pay the expense of planting.
Until this fund begins to come in the
State is to appropriate $4,000 year for
three years TO spread shells, etc.
The Maryland Republican has OPP
posed this Hannah bill from the start and
il opposes this modification just as Wig
orously, because it knows, just as the adj
vocatcs of the leasing scheme know, that
the passage of any such measure means
the destruction of the individual oyster
man and the ultimate and, indeed, the
near control of the whole oyster indus
TRIP by gigantic trust. 1t is USELESS to
argue this matter; for the advocates of
the leasing scheme are welded to it be-
cause they see great profit in it for the
few who will control the industry and
no argument has any weight with them
unless IL leads to dollars for them. We
are very sorry that the Legislature has
dallied with the matter. 1t should
promptly have killed the bill and all
schemes for leasing. Had this been done
Immediately upon the introduction of
the Hannah bill, the Legislature could
have proceeded TO enact some measure
for the cultivation of the oyster by the
State for the benefit of the whole people.
Now, il looks rs If it is almost impossi-
bic 10 pass such legislation at this ses-
sion, because the advocates of the leas-
ing scheme want no legislation unless
they can get their leasing scheme. They
will oppose all legislation which will in
crease, or be likely to increase, the oys-
ter supply, for such legislation, if enacted,
and carried into practical effect so as to
increase the supply Of oyster, would be a
death blow to leasing, and these people
are not so concerned about the supply of
oysters as they are about who shall supply
them. They win never be satisfied with
any oyster legislation which does not
make them the sole supliers of the oyster.
Then and then only will the oyster
problem be solved satisfactorily to them
We urge upon the Legislature not to be
influenced by these private interests.
Pass the Applegarth substitute for the
Hannah bill and serve notice on these
private interests that Maryland will not
surrender and deliver over to them the
great waterway which is the common
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