The Brunswick news., 1912-10-22
uEssE MERCER, STATE GAME
WARDEN, TO START AN
"OYSTER CAMPAIGN"
SOURCE OF LARGE REVENUE
Georgia Has Thousands of Acres of
Land Along the c ,ast Line That
Could Be Used for Oyster Beds, and
Under Protection of the State.

Jesse Mercer, state game warden,
spent yesterday in Brunswick in the
interest of what he termed his "oys-
ter campaign" When seen by a rep
resentative of The News Mr.. Mercer
gave a very encouraging report on
the work accomplished since the Of
tce of game warden was created
something over year ago. He stat
ed that protected game was increas-
ing in every part OF the state, but that
the most important work he had in
lvew for this section of GeoI 5Ia; III
fact for the whole coast line of the
state, was the cultivation and pro
lection of the oyster.
lhe laws for the protection of the
oyster are entirely inadequate" said
Mr.. Mercer, "and 1 suggest that the
board of trade, the state senator and
Representatives from this district, the
canning and fish companies as we'll
as business men who have the pros
perity and welfare of the community
at heart, call meeting for the pur-
pose of considering and preparing the
proper and adequate laws for the
protection and cultivation of oysters.
Now is the time to consider the ques-
ton and I would gladly come here
for the meeting and help prepare a
draft of such a law to present to
the next legislature for cons deration
Georgia has thousands and thou
sands of acres OF land along the coast
line that could be used for oyster
beds and with proper protection and
cultivation the state would derive
revenue enough from this source
alone to more than pay the expenses
of the game commission not to men
tion the financial returns to the bus
mess interests. These beds would be
under state control and protection
and leased out by the acre, or any
satisfactory way, to the canneries and
oystermen."
AS an illustration of how the oys-
ter will grow said Mr.. Mercer, -.
B. Abrams of the Glynn Canning COM
pany, planted in May, 1910, $1,000
bushels of oyster shells and in June,
1912, gathered 100000 bushels from
the beds. Seed oysters are not need
ed in these waters, but the young oys-
ter attaches itself to some object and
l think good law would be one call
ing for the return of at least 25 per
cent OF the shells of all oysters gath
cred, to the beds, and if the state
protected the beds the canning COM
panies especially would be very glad
to do this, but at present they have
no way to protect the oysters they
cultivate from other people.
'EThe great trouble with any new
propaganda, like the game laws, is
the little interest the people take in
seeing the law carried out, the wood
men resent the law and the business
men don't care, but even with this
lack of cooperation We have accom-
plished a great deal and | expect to
do even more, especially for the oys-
ter, and l trust the people of >Bruns-
wick and Glynn county, in fact this
entire section of the state, will help
along the lines / suggest.
"The people in the interior, espe-
cially the mountain country contin-
ued Mr.. Mercer, considered at first
that we were interfering with their
God given rights, as they called
them, in prohibiting hunting protect
ed game out of season, but they know
different now, and are loyal support
ers of the law.
There are more quail this season
than ever before in the history of the
state" said Mr.. Mercer, "and all
game will increase and the oyster
will become a source of great wealth
if the people will but take an inter
est in the matter and help along the
campaign of education l am start
ing" Ms-IM