The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-18
.OYSTERMEN'S BILL ]. HEARD AT CAPITOL
 IN LIVELY SESSION
Proposed Measure Would Make Private Ground More
 Clearly Designated.
Ex-senator Paddock Opposes Bills On Ground That They
 Are Not Remedial Enough


 Hartford. March ,18-The several bills heard by the committee on shell fisheries all dovetai1ed. One bill related to the taking of shell fish from designated grounds. It calls for 9 buoy above high water at each end of the designated ground. The oys- ter police go by these 4buoys They must be accurately located. The initials of the owner must be on each one. The corner buoy should speci- fy what corner it is supposed to des- dgnate. The proposed changes are regarded as necessary by the shell fish commission and the engineer Of the commission. The bill makes for 8 more specific location of the buoy. Engineer A. D. Nichols of the com mission said that at present many owners comply with rules provided in the contemplated law which would make it mandatory on all owner It also calls for g. buoy to be numbered by the lot number designated by the lcommissdon.
 Q. B. Lewis of Bridgeport spoke of sub divisions by the owners and the sengineer said this plan would not interfere with the proposed law
 J. A. Beardsley of New Haven, op- posedssonne features pertaining to the intervening buoys because no definite distance is specified as to space be tween lots. At present the distance is 800 feet.
 Representative Perry Of New Ha- ven who introduced the~ bill offered to talk the matter over with the oys- ter growers and the commission with a view to offering a substitute bill This plan was favored by all pres ent.
 The next bill considered called for the appointment of an engineer with an annual salary of s3,O00 with $500 additional for expenses Persons seeking help of the engineer are to recompense the state for such ser vices. At present the engineer of the commission receives $5 a day for a period not to exceed fifty days. It has often Happened that the com mis- sion is necessarily inconvenienced. Money appropriated for shore work and monunents ffreduently goes to the engineer and from other fees about $1,50O to $2, 900 goes to the engineer without the shell fish commission having regular engineer on duty at all times. The proposed bill was recommended by the shell fish conn-
 MT. Perry read criticisms of his assessments of oyster grounds, He said it was rather hard to assess prop erty that you cannot sec but he had tried to be fair For ten years he had had no appeals from his ratings to the superior court and he rather resented the criticisms from the oys- 1 termen's newspapers
 MT. AMing asked Mr. Perry who he thought was the paid agent rnak- ing the criticism and NTs Perry re- fused to divuIge.
 Captain William A. Lewis of Bridgeport. contended that with a good boat the grand list would great l ly increase. Tax Commissioner w, , H. Corbin wanted to go on record as in favor of the reconnendat ations 1 of the shell fish commission. If would help for a better valuation of the oyster grounds Other states have boats for their commission. Esf- dcieney and economy would be the l result.
 Vice-President Beardsley of the Oyster Growers Association of the state said his association had no paid press agent He thought angles and records of the oyster beds should be on record and if the only way to secure this was to have a permanent engineer. then very well! As to l oyster policemen the matter ought to be fixed clearly. The oystermen l think that a. special boat is not need ed to set buoys on private grounds and for open grounds a boat can be easily rented A boat for exam ming beds for purposes of taxation is moi necessary because the oystermen all ready have better facilities that are free to the commission.
 Natural growth men through ex- Senator Paddock Of Bridgeport said there was no opposition to a conn petent engineer. but as a. natural 1 grogzther he realized that the police system is bad. The present form of handling the question is not sat- 1 isfactory. Buoys are shifted some extra feet to allow steamers to gel through, therefore, one police boat l is not as good as three. as at pres e11t. The natural growthers recently turned back about $5o.0O0 worth od land to the state and this indicates that the natural growthers are moi seeking anything for nothing. But present conditions are not satisfac- tory, but the proposed measures will | ~,<,+ crsx1o Inc q dnesiTn.a T@aIiaf