Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-02-21
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY u 1914
OYSTER CULTURE.

The oyster question has been claim
ing special attention in the Maryland
Legislature the past week Two Bills
are pending -one in the Senate to
amend the present law by reviewing
the survey made by the Shell Fish
Commission where il may have made
mistakes by throwing open to the plan
ter for lease bottoms that contained an
appreciable quantity of natural rock.
that the oystermen claim the right to
fish. Under this law about 5000 acres
have been leased to planters, and as
many more acres have been applied
Tor. The other Bill. advocated by the
Webster Oyster Protectivee Assoeia-
ton, that is monopoly. said to be
very profitable TO MIR. Webster. the
president. wants the present oyster
law repealed. all the Bay bottoms
given 10 the oyster pirates. the Oyster
Police Navy abolished and Captain
Howard made superintendent OF the
oyster industry.
The waters of the bay and the oys-
ters on its bottom belong TO the State,
and the State can and should sell the
right TO remove the oysters 70 planters
who will pay for the privilege. Under
the present law the oystermen have a
free gift of 225. 1000 acres. They are
not satisfied with this. and demand
that the planters be excluded from the
States property and they be allowed
TO depIete the oyster beds at their
pleasure. This they have been doing
for years to such an extent that the
oyster felds that did yield $1,000. 600
bushels now yielj 1000, 600. less than
half the supply of food products they
did ten years ago. If they are allowed
10 continue for ten years more this
profitable industry will be practically
destroyed and the oystermen's occupa-
ton gone. On the Virginia side of the
lower bay last year. on less area, l5,-
900, 600, bushels were marketed, chiefly
from the cultivated bottom.
The Campbell bill. pending In the
Senate, is in accordance with the
Democrat platform that pledged the
party TO such amendments to the pres
ent law as would protect all oyster
mems interest. the planters inelu5ed,
and conserve the food products of the
bay for the use of all the people of the
State. If this law is passed aud en-
forced, it is believed in few years
the now barren bottoms will all be col
tivated and made yield many hundreds
Of thousands of dollars to the State
treasury that will materially reduce
the tax rate and be accounted the
States best asset.
There can be no doubt of the passage
of this bill. if the members of the
Legislature VINO represent nine-tenths
of the intelligence. wealth and popula-
ton Of the inland cities and counties of
the state, are true TO their consti-
tuents. their party and the best inter
ests Of the commonwealth. The only
opponents of this just measure are the
outlaws of the tide-water counties and
the trading politician. who pander to
their ignorance. prejudice aud selfish
ness to secure their Votes at the elee-
ton TO place and keep them in Office.
SAYS the Hartford Democrat.
The principle of this bill, intelligent
and profitable oyster culture, has the
approval of u. 5. Fish Commission and
the Shell Fish Commissions of all the
states where oyster culture has been
most successful. They tell US the sur
vey of the Chesapeake Bay and tribu-
taries, made by the Maryland Commits
sion. is the best in this country, if not
in the world. and express their abhor-
ance of the attempt of selfish interests
to rob the State treasury and the peo-
pie Of the State Of the great sdvan-
tages that will sccrue TO them by the
passage and faithful execution of this
law. The advice of these expert oss-
ter culturists will fortify the real
statesmen IN the Legislature. who
were elected to put in force their plat
form promises. that in the passage of
this law they are not only loyal TO
their party, but loyal to the electors
who entrusted the lsw-msking power
TO their hands. with the assurance that
they would faithfully serve the State.
Even the man who loves snow knows
when he has had enough.
The snow storm predicted for yester-
day and today side-tracked. Thank
heavenl