The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-07
OYSTER BED
COMMISSION
Bill introduced in the
House.
Would PROTECT THE BEDS
Provides fof Appointment Of Com
mission Of Three members.
vesse'.. By Terms Of BiII would Hav.
to Take Out License to Gather
Oyster. From ss.adi.s
Grouads.

Providing for the protection of the
oyster beds OF Alabama. and the con.
servation of the supply of oyster, ar
oyster commission bill was introduced
In the House yesterday by Representa-
tive Lyons OF Mobile.
The bill 10 lengthy. covering twenty
three typewrttten pages. and with Its
provisions covers practically every de-
.nand and need and precaution essen
tial to the preservation Of the oys-
ters Of Mobile Bay.
The bill provides for an oyster COM
mission, OF three members--two Of
Mobile County. and one of Baldwin
County. The three are to be appoint
ed by the Governor, for terms of two,
three and four years. respectively. and
are to be picked from citizens who
possess no interest nthe oyster traf-
dc. but who are familiar with the
business and its necessities, The es-
sential duties of the COMMISSION will be
to foster the growth of the beds, to
prevent exhaustion. or oontraband
gathering.
BY its terms, the owner Of vessels
which are used In the gathering Of
oysters from public reefs or private
bedding grounds must take out a
license. which is granted upon the
payment OF license fee of 80 cents to
the secretary OF the commission. IA
schedule Of privilege taxes are also
embodied in the bill--s100 for each can
ming factory. 1-16 OF cent for each
barrel canned, 8 cents for each barrel
of oysters caught and packed.
The proceeds from the sale oil
license and privilege taxes are to ac-
crue to the oyster protection fund. for
defraying the expenses OF the oyster
commisison4 The expenses are various
in character. Each commissioner Is
to receive IS a day for the time spent
In superintendence and business In re-
gard to oyster protection; secretary
Of the commission 10 to be named by
the three members. to draw a salary of
$500 Q year; q deputy commissioners
is to be appointed, and vessel equip
ped for his work OF patrolling the oys-
ter beds, to detect violations Of the
law, to superintend the beds to pre-
vent determination, to see that oysters
caught are culled OF shells and small
oysters and to arrest violators. II
a chase is occasioned between the veR-
sci OF the commissioner and a cone
traband fisherman, the commission boat
may call to the assistance the fishers
in sight.
A closed season for oyster fishing.
one of the most important featurGN Of
the bill, Ia provided. and between May
1 and Sept. ]. no oysters may be
taien.
Between the months Of May and
Sept. ], the deputy commissioner shall
traverse the oyster fields in his vessel.
ana spread the oysters. In some In
stances the oysters accumulate In
piles, and In others great bare places
in the beds are left. BY spreading,
the aocumulations are levelled. and the
bare places filled. In doing this. the
bill provides that no oysters be kept
out Of the water for more than FOUR
hours. to prevent death of the ash
When the deputy commissioner, by
his inspection, finds a bed in danger
Of determination, he can declare, 1t
closed for q period OF not more than
two years. and prevent fishing thereon.
Steam dredges, by the bill. Will not
be allowed to take oysters, and no
dredges will be allowed to operate west
OF q line between Kings Bayou and
Fort Gaines, nor east of line between
Mullet Point and Little Point, on Mo-
bile Bay.
Private lands. leased by the State,
may extend out, from the shore 500
feet, and no more than 100 acres VIII
be rented to a single tenant. A rental
price Of from so cents to IS an acre.
will be charged the lessee.
The bill was drafted at the instance
Of the Mobile Chamber of Commerce
and carefully revised in Moptgomery
before presentation yesterday by rep
resentatives of the divergent interests
OF Mobile County and Baldwin County