The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-16
GENERAL LAWS Enacted By the Legislature of
 Alabama.


 per annum and the sum of fifty cents S05O for each license issued. Nothing herein contained shall prevent his receiv- Ing his regular per diem also, If he should be member of the Oyster Commission. The said Commission shall also elect As Cmef Deputy Oyster Commissioner and exceeding three in number, who shall have the same qualifications as the Chief Deputy Oyster Commissioner; and the Chief Deputy Oyster Commissioners and his assistants shall serve at the pleasure of the Oyster Commission and may be removed or discharged by the Oyster Commission for such acts as shall seem proper to the Commission The Chief Deputy Oyster Commissioner and his as- sistants shall visit the different points where oysters are canned, shipped, caught or grown, and shall enforce the provisions of this act. The Assistant Deputy Oys- ter Commissioners shall receive, during the time they are employed, compensa- ton at the rate of not exceeding Sixty Dollars SGO.0O per month together with their actual expenses of transportation. If for any reason the Commission shall not be able 10 hold it's annual meeting on the first Monday in September, then the meeting shall be held and the foregoing officers elected at the first meeting held after the first Monday in September.
 Sec. 4. Licenses for Catching Oysters.- That any owner of any vessel desiring to catch or take oysters from the public oyster reefs or private bedding grounds of this State for commercial purposes shall first obtain fronf the Secretary of the Board of Oyster Commissioners a 1i- cense therefor, and said license shall have effect until revoked by the Commission, and no vessel shall be used in catching, planting or bedding oysters for commer- ciaf purposes on or from the public reefs and private grounds of the waters of this State unless so licensed. No license shall be issued to any person who is not a bona fde resident of the State of Ala bama and a naturalzed citizen of the United States. but a license may be is- sued to any natural person who is a bona fide resident of the State of Alabama and a naturalized citizen of the United States, and to any corporation chartered under the laws of Alabama and doing it's bus mess in Alabama.
 Sec. ,. The Secretary to Account for License Blanks.-That the State Auditor shall furnish the said Secretary from time to time a sufficient number of li- cense blanks of form adopted by the Oyster Commission, which shall be charged to said Secretary and all unused blanks shall be accounted for annually by said Secretary, and all money col lected therefor by said Secretary shall be paid into the State Treasury monthly and placed to the credit of the Oyster Protec- ton Fund.
 Sec. 6. Licenses-What to Show; Fees for Same.-That each license to take or catch oysters in the State shall state the name of the applicant and of the name of his or her vessel. and a license under the provisions of this act shall not be used except on the vessel so mentioned in the said license. and the applicant therefor shall pay a license fee of Fifty Cents (s0.5W to the Secretary of the Commits sion.
 Sec [. Boats to be Licensed-That no person shall take or catch oysters for commercial purposes from the public reefs or private bedding grounds of this State in an unlicensed boat, and all per- sons shall exhibit their licenses for taking or catching oysters.
 Sec. S. Boats to Carry Signs.-That the Board of Oyster Commissioners shall have printed sufficient number of signs in black figures on white canvas, num- bered from one to two hundred consec- utively, and a greater number if needed. and shalf also have prepared a sufficient number of metallic signs in size six by eight inches, numbered from one to five hundred, or greater if necessary, letters two by three inches; the said metallic signs shall be used on all boats of one ton burden and under; and the black fig ures on white canvas shall be used on boats over one ton burden. The black figures on white canvas, above provided for. shall be twenty-two inches in length and of proportionate width. The black figures on white canvas shall be, when the vessel carrying same is fishing or taking oysters attached to one of the sails of the vessel in some conspicuous place. When vessels of one ton burden or under are fishing, catching or taking oysters they must have exposed the me tallic number furnished at the starboard side of the vessels in some conspicuous place.
 Sec. g. Privilege Tax on Canning Facto- ries and Shippers.-That each canning fac- tory shall pay a privilege tax of One Hundred (s100.0O Dollars per annum on each steam box, and each shipper of raw oysters, a privilege tax of one-sixteenth d-16) of one cent per barrel on all oys- ters handled. Each canning factory and shipper of raw oysters shall receive from the Secretary of the Board of Oyster
 
 the payment of said sum to said Secre- tary, as well as a license fee of fifty cents for issuing the same, and 1t shall be unlawful for any person to can or ship raw oysters without first having paid said tax and received said license.
 Sec. 10. Tax Per Barrel.-That in ad- dition to the privilege license required by this act. further tax and fee of Three Cents per barrel is hereby laid upon all oysters canned and packed in, and on all oysters shipped raw in and from this State, and on all oysters caught or taken from the public reefs or private bedding grounds for packing, canning and for shipment or sale raw. Nothing in this act contained shall be construed to Impose this tax upon the taker or catcher of oysters from the lands under the waters of this State provided that said taker or catcher of oysters Is not engaged in tho business of packing, shipping. canning buying oysters in the shell, or conducting the business of any oyster dealer. If the person who takes or catches oysters should sell them in parcel lots of five barrels or less, then he shall be deemed a dealer in oysters as to such parcel lots of less than five barrels, but If he dis poses of his entire cargo or diTposes of it in parcel lot of more than five barrels, then he shall not be deemed an oyster dealer This tax shall be paid by the per- son, firm or corporation packing or can- ming said oysters, and in case of oysters sold or shipped raw by the person mar ketihg or shipping same, that is to say, by the first dealer marketing said oys- ters, and any oysters sold by any person who has purchased same from a dealer who has paid the license thereon, shall not again be taxed. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of this Commission to collect from each firm, corporation, pack CT, commissionman, dealer, or other per-