The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-03-22
The Importance of Regulating the
Trap and POund-Net in the
PatuXeut River.

letting you know how important it is to
our people to get a favorable report on
House Bill No. 275, for regulating the
trap and pound-nets in the PatuXent
River.
Our County borders On this river for
something over forty miles, and during
the past three or four years it has
been impossible for the seine haulers
and pound fisherman above Swanson
Creek. which is the boundary line of
Prince Georges County on the Patux-
ent, to catch enough fish to feed their
immediate families. Heretofore they
have been able to supply the farmers
along the shores of this river for miles
back; and it has been the custom of
these farmers to salt away fish with
which to feed their hands during the
winter season. Now, in order to get
enough fish even to supply the table,
they are compelled to drive from the
shores of the Patuxent River to
the Potomac on our side, and to
Annapolis on the Anne Arundel County
side, and to the Bay on the upper
Calvert County side. These farmers,
mind you, are compelled to go to other
sources to get enough fish to supply
their tables, and can get none for
packing, and yet the Patuxent River
with proper legislation would supply
the whole of Prince Georges County
with enough fish for all purpose and
some to spare. Why this condition?
Because the pound and trap-net fisher
men have been allowed to string their
nets across the mouth of. the Patuxent
River during the season when the fish
are trying to get UP the river to fresh
water to spawn; and as these nets only
leave sufficient room for steamboats, to
pass, that is about the only thing that
does pass during the season. The con-
sequence is that all the people along
both sides of the river, from Point
Patience up a distance of over fifty
miles, can not get enough fish to eat,
while down at Solomon's Island they
are ground into fertilizer in the fish
factory, which puts forth such astench
in the summer that it prevents visitors
from going to Solomon's Island who
would otherwise spend their summer at
this beautiful resort.
When attempted to get hearing
before the Committee on the merits of
this Bill, was told by Mr.. Harris, the
Chairman, that they were going to pass
the Milburn Bill which should salty u.s.
Now the Milburn Bill will only accent
uate our trouble. 1t is nothing but a
subterfuge, and will not benefit or
help our people a particle. Let me ex-
plain to you to trick of this Bill. 1t
provides that no net shall be set in the
mouth of any river or tributary of the
Bay at less distance than five hundred
yards apart. That. sounds good, but,
these fisherman at Solomon's Island
know that the Shell Fish Commission
established line from Drum Point to
Hog Island as the mouth of the Patux-
emit River, and there are from six to
eight miles of river from this line to a
line drawn from Cove to Cedar Point
which they can fill up with pound-nets
under the subterfuge that it is the Bay.
when it is really the mouth of the river,
and thus defeats the very purpose
which House Bill No. 275 is designed
to prevent. All that our Bill demands
is that the people living along
this river from Point Patience up be
given an equal opportunity. There is
not man on either side, not directly
or indirectly interested in the Durm
Point trap-nets, who does not approve
this Bill. 1t is crying shame to per-
NIT the whole run of shad and herring
to be caught at the mouth of the river
by one or two owners of nets and
ground into fertilizer, when our peo-
pie who reside on the shores of this
river for over forty miles can not get
SllouSu " CoC. Anu again, IL CIlS 1871
are not allowed to get up into fresh
water they can not spawn, and it spoils
the whole of next season and depletes
the river.
l trust you and your colleagues, both
Democratic and Republican, will give
this important constructive legislation
fho o{f
gard to partisan motives or feelings,
but for the good OF all the people, not
only in our County, but all the Counties
bordering on this river. We only ask
that you get the Committee to give
US decent hearing in the matter, and
we will soon convince them this legis-
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