Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-03-11
.ANT|-PLANTERS SCORE
AFTER LENGTHY DEBATE
shepherd Oyster Bill Goes to Third
Reading in Both Houses.
PUTS CRIMP IN HANNAH LAW.
Vote il The Senate Was Close, But
in House Opponents Of Culture
Have a Safe Margin.

The Senate and the House OF Dele.
gates have passed the amended Shep.
herd bill to the third reading file.
Aeti IN was taken in the Senate last
eight in the House yesterday after
noon. The vote in the Senate was a
to 10; in the House, SO to al.
After adopting the committee
amendments and after rejecting all
amendments not offered by its friends,
the Shepherd bill was passed to its
third reading file in the House. Ii
will come up for final passage in the
House late this week or early next
week, and unless there is q serious
break in the forces which yesterday
lined up solidly for the measure. it
will be favorably acted upon.
The bills are past the amendment
stage. This practically ends the fight
for oyster culture, aud, according to
its advocates, ends culture as we'll.
Both houses fought the battle TO a
finish, the House during the day and
the Senate at night. With the displ-
sition of this question (for the pass
age of the bill is now assured) the
Legislature will now take up the road
question and following this, the tax
commission bill.
Senator Campbell, who closed the
debate, read letters to refute the
statement made by Mate Twilley,
whose testimony Senator Ogden used
IN debate. He next read letter from
George w. Wolford, of Cambridge, a
former opponent of oyster culture
and one Of the most prominent oyster
dealers, who urged no restricti ons
being placed about planting. Senator
Williams delivered the last spec Oh
and exclaimtd he would vote against
the bill because it was q maksshift.
The vote was taken at ii o'clock and
Immediately after the Senate ad.
journed.
Before the bin went through three
amendments were submitted by the
antis, which were intended as a sop.
The first of these made the time limit
for filing protest to the beds already
leased June j, .916. The second made
the lessee a party to a suit brought
against the Shellfish Commission.
The third makes, not only the lessee,
but anyone who intrudes in natural
bars liable Otherwise the bill re.
mains unchanged.
The steps taken in the House that
will apparently lead to final passage OF
the Shepherd bill and to what has
been pronounced as the slow doom OF
oyster culture in Maryland waters,
were without applause, without enthu-
slams, without shouts OF triumph
The fact dawned upon the foes of per
manent oyster culture in their hour
of triumph, that theirs was bsrrer
victory, that they had taken a steI
backward. they found some conso
lation for their days work of retro
erosion by declaring that they hsC
made concessions to the cdlturists by
adopting the amendments offered 10y
the Committee on Chesapeake Bay ant
Tributaries.
Despite the concessions that wer,
made, Mr. Wilkinson. OF Baltimor T,
who led the fight to retain the Hamal
law, declared that he would prefe
that the Haman law be wiped off th
statute books than that the Shepher,
bill should become q law. On tn
other hand, Mr.. Dawkins, who he
been the most consistent and mos
earnest foe of the Hsman law sine,
its inception in 1909. refused TO &C
cept the Shepherd bill, which hessaid
was tsrred with the same stick as tn
Hamsn law.
An amendment, offered by SIP eak
er Trippe, that the shepherds bill
should be offered as q referendum &
the congressional election this yes
In the entire State was voted down