Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-17
TAXATION OF CONNECTICUT
 OYSTER GROWERS.
Lengthy and Lively Hearing Before Legislative Committee on She'll Fish cries

cries.
 Hartford, March 16.-The question | of the appointment of a commission | to take up the subject of investigation I and taxation of oyster growers in this | state as recommended by Governor | Lilley and former Governor Woodruff, | was given an extended hearing this ] afternoon before the legislative com mfttee on shell fisheries and then ad- 1 journed to a later date for further dis 1 cussion.
 The hearing was enlivened by a l number of verbal tilts between for ] mer Senator Stiles Judson, represent l ing the oyster Planters association of ! Connecticut. and Attorney Gould of lsBridgeport, who appeared for the Oys- l termen's Protective association of that | section, the natural growers.
 No Indictment of sheIfish comn1is- soners Intended. | Senator Judson, in asking the com mittee to rule as to the method of | procedure at the hearing, said that Governor Woodruff's message contain | ed allegations, not against the oyster | planters, but which implied that the shellfsh commission had failed to per 1 form its duties in assessing the oyster | grounds at their full taxable value. He | dSHulilt lIdI lliQSe WHO came to Ia | vOr the recommendations of the for mer governor and the present execu | tive had proofs and facts to submit | to the committee bearing on that point, ! and he believed that such facts should ! be laid before the committee to enable | them to decide whether the creating of such a commission was necessary. The committee ruled that wide lati- l tude should be allowed in the hearing. Mir T1dG0ya id hn did h remarks to be construed as an indict- ment of the shellish commissioners, because they had no such intent. He said the question before the commit tee was that of taxation of oyster grounds and that the oyster planters had not refused to pay the taxes as- sessed.
 MT. Gould Favored Creation of com- mission.
 Mir. Gould said he had been request ed to appear in the interests of the Oystermen's Protective association of Bridgeport and vicinity numbering about zoo to favor the recommenda- tion and the creation of such com mission. He was not sure on just ! what side MT. JudsOn stood He said there were about 65,000 acres held by the planters. and about 1,50O acres des- ignated as natural beds. The oyster men he represented, and in fact the natural growers of the state number ing about 1..00, believed that under the present system large areas were held by the planters which were not under cultivation now, although they were at one time. and that if the lands reverted to the state they could be so treated as to become productive. He believed the present remedy in law was cumbrsome and not productive of the best results, and some better remedy should be devised to cover such a situation They believed that there had been encorachments upon the nat ural beds and the moving of outlining stakes despite all the care used by the engineer of the shellfish commission. In some cases. they believed also. that there had not been sufficient investi- gation of certain grants, and that the natural beds were growing smaller and smaller.
 Governor Woodruff would not have made the recommendations, nor Governor Lilley endorsed them with out some good reason for so doing
 Former Senator Homan favored the appointment of a commission, but did not want to go on record as favoring all parts of ex-Governor Woodru's message.
 Certain questions had been raised, anu lL was uue lilt DtUpAE LO nave q complete investigation of the subject. Not AIways We'll to Place Much Cred
 enee in Rumors.
 Mir. Judson asked MT. Homan If he had any personal interest in the mat ter. and also if he was not an early candidate for place on such commits sion. in case a commission was ere ated.
 MT IJo,,,a, ran1iad 4ba+ lie so+aras+ would not be affected in any way. Such an investigation would result in good to the oyster business. As to his can didacy. he warned MT. Judson it was not always well to place much cerdence in rumors.
 Frederick L. Perry, clerk of the shell fish commission, thought that if the commission was to be attacked they should have notice of such matter. It was then that MT. Judson said he did not want his remarks to be taken as an indictment of the commission.
 Loss Through Experiments.
 H. c. Rowe of New Haven made ref erence to that part of ex-Governor Woodruff's message which mentioned oyster grounds at Madison. Clinton and Guilford. He said he owned tracts there but that two-thirds of the acre. age had been returned to the state and it was a question as to whether the rest would not be. The grounds were taken for experiments and his com pany had lost all it had put into them. There were between 10000 and 10000 acres adjacent which could be taken up by anyone who desired His com pany was increasing it's holdings in Rhode Island because the grounds there were more valuable.
 During the hearing it was brought out that it is the custom of the plant CTS to take the oysters from the Con- necticut waters and transport them to Rhode Island or New York waters,