Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-02-12
LIVELY HEARING ON
THE OYSTER BILLS
PrOtestanls Of Culture law Before
Legislative Committee.
WOULD WIPE IT OUT ENTIRELY.
Captain John Frank and Local Elem
Join With Large Delegation From
Dorchester coualy.

friends a oyster culture ia Mary
land appeared before the House Com
mittee on Chesapeake Bay and Tribu-
taries Yesterday afternoon in opposi-
ton to the passage Of any law that
would either repeal or-maSe inopera-
tive the present oyster culture law.
The especisl bill under discussion
is known az the Anderson bill, waich
repeals the present law. Addresses
were made By ex-senator J. McCulloh
Brown, Of the Maryland COnserva-
tjan Society; } T. HARDWOOD, Charles
Morris Howard, German Emory, rep
resenting the Canned Goods Elk
change, John p. Insley, Swtpson Earl
and w. C. Watkins.
The Haman.Seth oyster lease and
culture law, which was enacted ten
years ago, is hanging 10 the balance.
Forces are lining up in and outside
the legislature which are assuming
such proportions that the repeal Of
the Law is claimed by representatives
of the tideWatsr counties who have
assurances Of support in Baltimore
and Western Maryland.
The widespread opposition among
oystermen to the present law was
voiced this week at 8 joint meeting
Of the Senate and House Judiciary
Committee. Large delegations from
this county, Cambridge and the lower
sections CT Dorchester county urged
re peal Of tn law Spe ches in favor
Of this action were made by r. w.
Mills, w. w. Cook and Shriver Nc
Laughlin, of Dorchester county, end
Capt. John Frank, of Annapolis.
All the proceedings of the commit
tees were relative 70 the Hannah law.
The committee have under serious
consideration a bill, which has been
framed by w. Thomas Kemp, counsel
10 the Oystermen's Protective Asso-
citation. According 10 the views of
leading m tmbers Of these commit
tees, a majority would have reported
in favor Of Mr. Kemp's repeal bill If
called upon to DO so. In ether words,
there will have to be a change in sem
timent if this bill is not reported
favorably.
The Kemp bill repeats the Haman-
Seth law, lutting the Shellfsh Com
mission out OF busint Is and transfer
ring its records, leases and other doc
uments to the commander Of the oys-
ter police force Continuing, the
bill says:
Outstanding leases Of oyster bot
toms issued and in force at the time
OF the passage Of this act shall not be
affected by the repeal of the statutes
under which said leases we're made,
but said leases shall continue in
force until the expiration Of the re-
spective terms thereof now current,
unless forfeited or surrendered or
unless the interests Of the lessees be
acquired by the State By condemna-
tion or otherwise
Three or more residents of this
State may at ~ time hereafter file
petition in writing, alleging that
five or more adjacent acres OF natural
beds or bars described in said petition
have been leased prior to the passage
of this act, such petitions 10 be fled
with the clerk Of the county in which
or nearest to which the area in que s.
ton is located. Immediately after
the filing Of such petition. the clerk
of the Circuit Court shall docket
suit at law in which the petitioners
to be the plaintiffs and the lesses de-
PENDANTS The defendants shall au-
swer said petition on or before the
next succeeding rule day Of said
court