The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1908-03-14
GAMERS CHARGE RIDER WAS INSERTED
In OYSTER BILL AND PASSED WITHOUT
THEIR KNOWLEDGE.

Much dissatisfaction and displeasure
are being evlnced by the packers and
Gamers of the Mississippi Gulf Coast
over the passage of the Oyster Bill at
the present session of the Mississippi
Legislature, which was signed by Gov
ernor Noel on the 7th inst. In reply to
a letter from local canning interests ad-
dressed to the Governor, asking if the
newspaper reports were correct and if he
had signed the original bill with the OBJ
iectionable rider, that official replied, in
part, that he had, and, since there was
no opposition heard on either side, he
thought there was no objection to it..
The rider in the bill is that no dredging
of any kind will be permitted by the
canneries or any other interests or pri-
yate parties in the oyster beds owned by
the State; that oysters in said territory
shall be taken only by the longing pro-
cess, subject, of course, to the usual tax
per barrel paid by the State. The op-
position arises from the fact that there
are no tongers engaged on the Coast,
outside of Biloxi, where these men ply
their vocation in Back Bay, near Biloxi;
that no tongers will work out SO far from
the shore, unable to return home at
night; and, furthermore, that where the
water is so deep and the sea at all times
ANYTHING but calm, it will be with much
difficulty, if successful at all, that the
bivalves could be fished. Another OBJ
lection, and one that hurts, is: The
original Oyster Bill, it is claimed, was
framed at Gulfport, with the members
of the Mississippi Oyster Commission
and owners of the number of canneries
along the Gulf Coast concurring, and
the rider in the bill was introduced and
passed as if in secret. Why this should
be done, no one seems to know; nor will
anyone offer plausible reason. Cover
nor Noel further states in his letter that
there is no other remedy than to have
the Coast Representatives, or one of
them, to move that the bill be recon-
sidered; and, accordingly, Representa-
tive Bloomfield, from Jackson, repre-
senting the Coast district as floater, was
wired last night and asked to exert every
effort towards securing the desired
remedy.
The territory which the rider affects
is situated miles off from Waveland, and
is reef that was built by the State as a
source of supply to the Gamers and as a
source of revenue o itself after the de-
cision had been rendered by the United
States Supreme Court in the friendly
suit between the States of Louisiana
and Mississippi. 1t was decided by the
State of Mississippi to expend $32, 600,
which it has done. The Gamers, CO.
perating with the State of Mississippi,
furnished much of the shells for spread
ing the bed of the then proposed reef
and for spawning purposes to catch the
oyster spat, at nominal cost, and many
barrels were given to the State abso-
lutely free. 1t was generally under
stood between the State and the donors
that this action was. to assist the State
in maintaining her factories on the
Coast. The Oyster Commission few
months ago invited the packers to in
spect the proposed amendments to the
older present law, and, if there were any
suggestions, that body would be glad to
discuss and adopt them if of mutual in
terest. The amendments were exam
ined, and the packers gave their appro-
val. These amendments were offered,
through the proper channels of repre-
sentation, by the Oyster Commission,
but the Gamers now assert and insist
that without their knowledge another
amendment was substituted and dredg-
ing in the new reef dredging by sail
over Mississippi territory being per-
mitted) made an offense. The Missis-
sippl Gamers, oyster commissioners and
State representatives have always
worked in harmony, in constant touch
with the other, and the Gamers COM
plant is that their supply will not only
be largely curtailed, but that the faith
has not been kept. 1t had been intended
to have one of the older State reefs
closed for 18 months, and this new reef
was to have taken it's place and thereby
both reefs benefited; for it is claimed
by the Gamers that dredging is benefi-
cial to a new reef, where the bivalves
are so clustered and "bunched', so to
speak, as to permit of no expansion.
The growth of the oyster in new reef
is inclined to be long and narrow; dredg-
ing spreads and gives room for the
oyster to assume the full normal size.
An Indignation meeting was held at
Biloxi on Thursday, and the action
taken is related above. The outcome
will be awaited with interest.
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