The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-06-09
MOONS PHASES.
OYSTER LEGISLATION.

W 01 LIN LES4SLAL WV
Coincident with this falls cam
raign comes the question of oyster
legislation. And it is not new sub
ject either, as every session of the
legislature in the past generation and
some Of its predecessors has had to
deal with its vexatious details in
some manner. The situation today
is largely due to the sins of our faith
ersin not long ago adopting modern
ideas when other commonwealth
more progressive were getting the
best opinions from experts so as to
protect an industry that was fast
decaying under primitive methods.
The first wrong was when oysters
became mixed up in politics. They
make much more servicable combi-
nation with public roads, as the Deer
Creek Farmers Club has shown.
Both parties are largely to blame, as
neither one has hesitated to deceive
the ignorant tongers who make a
precarious living in this manner, and
by filling them with silly notions re-
specting the effort to change their
method of livelihood, try to conv nee
them that their only salvation is to
vote for certain men to protect their
interests. In this manner small
solid phlanx of votes is every session
sent to Annapolis, and this little
coterie would trade away the birth
right Of Maryland in order to pre-
vent any legislation that would look
to the permanent culture of the
oyster.
Aswas forcibly pointed out by Mr..
Williams in a recent discussion, the
only way TO defeat the object of this
little band is counter-organization.
The highland counties should give
good portion of their political
thought to intelligent study of this
question, and when they do it will
become plain that the Chesapeake
bay is not the property of the ada
cent owners, but that every resident
has an equal interest in making it a
paying investment that will CON-
tribute its quota towards the needs
of public government. The present
bill has for its object the diversion of
the fund, that will be raised, into the
Department of Public Roads, but ex-
perts agree that the time is not far
distant when the net amount will
exceed this one requirement and
would goa great way towards help
ing maintain the public schools, for
whose benefit a large portion of the
present state tax is levied
Sometime ago these columns called |
attention to New Jersey, where the
entire expense of state government is
obtained by taxing its public fran
chises. This is not possible in Mary
land because Of the proximity of New
York, the money centre of the coun-
try, and the kindly New Jersey incor-
poration laws. Almost every big
corporation in the country is financed |
in New York and is operating on a
franchise obtained under these laws.
The income thus obtained is almost |
gold mine for meeting the expense
of government.
While Maryland is not situated as
is her more fortunate neighbor, yet
she has mine of wealth equally as
capable ofproducing money for gov
eminent needs as does the City of
New York for the State of New Jer-
sey. She will not have to go out of
her domains for source of revenue
that will be as certain as the ebb and
flow of the tides. The Chesapeake
bay can in time be made to produce
untold millions from intelligent oys-
ter culture, and the private wealth of
her citizeps will be added to at the
same time.
There is only one stumbling block |
in the way of this step of progression.
Will the people of Maryland allow a
little combination of bay shore poll
ticans to stand in the way of the
path to reach millions for public reve-
nue. and increase the general prosper
ity of everyone living within our bor-
ders !? We think not.