The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-05-04
TARIFF THE ISSUE.

tives. For the past two months, the
United States Senate has been foun-
dering about over the Rate bill.
With a division in the majority par
ty, an Executive backed by an alert
minority, the tangle may we'll be de-
scribed as a hopeless one. In the
House, the Republicans have been
trying to dodge the tariff issue, but
the minority, through the leadership
of John Sharp Williams, has forced it
to the front despite all evasions, and
it now seems asif this falls campaign
will have but the one issue.
1t has been suggested that the Re-
publican party recommend some
changes before the adjournment, but
this will have but little weight unless
these changes are embodied in the
shape of a law, as the Republican
party is in charge of all three
branches of the Government.
1t seems that William Jennings
Bryan has been a prophet, and the
predictions that he made in 1896
and 1900 are all coming true The
country is awakening to the fact
that its great wealth is in the hands
of comparatively few persons, who
have been made rich by tariff mo-
nopolies. There is hardly a branch
of the public service but what now
seems to be favored with some little
graft, all of which is indirectly trace
able to the same cause; and the in
surance Investigations have demon
strated that nearly all of the corpo-
rate interests of this country have
been contributing to the campaign
fund of the Republican party.
1t is conceded that the Democrats
have made good use of the recent
revelations and are turning them
into excellent campaign material.
While there is no doubt but what
the Second Congressional District of
Maryland, of which Hartford is a
part, will return Democrat to the
House, yet it is an inspiration to
know that there are strong chances
of the Democrats being able to or
ganize the next House, and at least
prepare and present bill that can
be used as the Presidential campaign
issue in 1908.
WILL AID THE SHELLFISH CONMLS-
SIONERS.
The bill to authorize the Secretary
of Commerce and Labor to cooper
ate through the Bureau of Coast and
Geodetic Survey and the Bureau of
Fisheries with the Shell6sh Commits
sioners of Maryland in making sur
veys of the natural oyster beds has
been favorably reported in the House
of Representatives. This bill was
by Congressman Gill, of
Baltimore city, who has strong hopes
ofgettingit through Congress before
1t authorizes the Secretary of Com
merce and Labor to designate such
officers and employees of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey and of the Blu
reau of Fisheries as may be neces-
sary, upon the request of the Gov
ernor of Maryland, to cooperate
with the Shell6sh Commissioners of
this State. The use of such instru-
ments, appliances and steam launches
as may be necessary to make the
survey, as well as all maps and plats,
is also authorized. The Secretary of
Commerce and Labor is authorized
to mark the points of triangulation
in such a permanent manner as to
enable the Shellfsh Commissioners
to thereafter intelligently perform
their duties.
Representative Gill was member
of the State Senate in 1904 and an
ardent supporter of oyster culture.
Since in Congress he has continued
his active interest on the lines of
helping the passage of the legislation
as much as possible. In urging the
passage of this bill before Congress,
Mr.. Gill called attention to the fact
that nearly all of the United States
was interested in this measure be-
cause nine-tenths of the oysters taken
rom the Chesapeake bay are shipped
out of the State of Maryland for con-
in all parts of the Union.
Immediate action was urged on the
grounds that while the output of
oysters in 1885 from the Chesapeake
pay was 100000 bushels, it has
lwindled to only 100000 last
year. "Not only is it necessary to
restore the production of oysters in
but it is said by the scien-
life experts at the Johns Hopkins
University, and corroborated by the
scientific investigators of the Bureau
IF Fisheries of the Federal govern
nent, that the output of oysters in
and the waters of the
Chesapeake bay can be brought up
to the yearly yield of 2O,000,000
bushels. This will bring Maryland,