Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-02-01

hoJ more Cnan SlbUU to De divided
among all the oystermen.
For the first five months of this sea-
SOC, September to January, inclusive,
there has been shipped just GA sacks,
selling for about 5000, which would
bring the whole output for this season
to not more than 5000. Surely this is
enough to show that something different
is needed.
AS to the bill: have been told in
connection with this proposed legisla-
tion that nearly every man expected
and looked for "joker" in the bill, and
that because had presented this
measure, there must be one there sure.
Now l want to say that drew that bill
after an exhaustive examination of all
the laws aud reports of the Eastern
oyster states, more especially Rhode
Island and Connecticut, finding from
the reports that they nave been the
most successful of all; that it is written
in plain English, and means Just what
it reads. There is no "joker" in it, and
Ii ~ becomes law, viii be the means
OF establishing good industry and
bringing many thousands of dollars
into the county annually.
1t provides for the County Court to
regulate the designating and marking
out of the private beds, and assures to
the owner Of such the ownership of all
oysters and shellfish he may plant and
grow on them, and for the plating and
recording of the beds, so that all may
know where the private beds are and
who owns them; also that the transfers
shall. be recorded the same as land, so
the title can be examined. In the case
OF the present owners of private beds
the county pays the expenses of this
plattinS and recording, that it may be
no burden on those who have held them
under existing laws. In case of all
future beds set out, the petitioner shall
pay all expenses.
The general provisions about new
beds, will Eot effect to any extent, as all
available grounds not natural beds are
now occupied, but will help other bays
NOTABLY Coos) in starting the industry
1t has been asserted that this bill would
stop the digging of clans by any person
in this county, but this is not the case,
as it does not affect that at all, the
private owners of land, holding down
TO the meander line, and the state hav.
ing given all the tide lands down to low
water to the railroad company, and no
CLANS are dug below low water.
The bill assumes that the grounds
under the waters and used for oysters
come from the state and the people and
must be used for that purpose, and so
long as the person is holding bed and
using it for the growing and selling of
oysters, he is protected in his rights;
but if he does not, and it is held for
speculation, or to keep others from
using it, it reverts to the state and the
Court can lease it to others.
In setting apart some of the natu raj
beds for leasing for the propagation and
growing of oysters, it is, as the bill
states, to revive the industry, and gives
the present oystermen the preference in
leasing them for as much as they can
care for, and the balance can be leased
to other parties.
The natural beds have been cleaned
so close that it will take ten years of
the best kind OF work to restock them,
aud hundreds of tons of shells must be
put on them to catch spat, but by plant
ing the Eastern spat at the same time
it can be gradually brought to be valu.
able again. With proper care there IS
no reason why the output cannot be
made to bring into the county 100000
annually in seven or eight years.
There is no intention OF depriving
anyone in the least of any rights they
now have, or to cause them loss or
harm in any way. AS stated above, the
present oystermen are protected in
their private beds, are given preference
In the leasing portion of the grounds
set apart, besides there being enough
Of the natural ground left, which, II
properly kept up, will give them plenty
of spat TO keep their beds up with.
NJ. NJ. DAVIS.
i 1.-THE future OF the oyster industry on
Yaquina Bay is an important and ripe
topic for discussion. After a careful
perusal OF the bill, the editor Of The
LEADER felt justified in signing the re-
monstrance against its passage. But
every citizen who IL familiar with the
NJ, hipct m N NJ raaliZa that tho ovetar an