The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-01-07
CONSERVATION OF BARREN BOTTOMS

measure was prepared by the speaker.
interchange of views between Honorable
Joseph e. Seth, who represented a number
OF tidewater senator's, and the speaker,
Of s the Ras
Amounted. The members of the Committee
We're William 81. Buckler Chairman, S. a.
Miles, is j. Giarence k8ne bole Hnz0 H.
Thomas, w. w. Parker and Francis *.
Carey. The compromise measure above
referred to was prepared by me under the
instructions OF the Committee after they
conferred with Senator Seth and Senator
Brewington. from the tidewater counties,
and Senator Brown, from Washington
(see Exhibit E.'J It was presented to
the Legislature and after the planting part
had been cut to pieces, against the agree
ment. through the advice of Thomas b.
chster it was passed as the Act of 1906.
1t was stripped of its practical features
as a planting bill, and was only a survey
The survey made under the bill was
conducted by the most eminent practical
and theoretical men in the United States
Captain e. c. Yates, of the United States
Coast and Geodetic Survey. and DR.. Cas-
we'll Grave. of the Johns Hopkins Univer
sity. We're actively engaged on the prem
ses during the whole survey, and Dr.. II.
L. Moore, the most eminent expert in the
United States, was in frequent consulta-
ton with them. | have no doubt this sur
know that on many occasions when there
was doubt as TO the nature of the sur
vcEcd bottom, The benefit of The doubt was
given TO the OyStermen.
In 1905 the democratic party'S platform
contained Inc following pledge:-
We favor the fullest opportunity for
the putting of this law 1.-THE Act of 1906
into complete practical operation, and We
are opposed to all attempts to annul it by
repeal. or 10 modify it by amendments
that will destroy or weaken it's efficiency
Appeals were made to the legislature Of
zoos and 1910 to carry out the agreement
of 1906 and the pledge of 1908. but to no
purpose.
In 1917. against the strong influence of
Thomas r. Webster. part of the prom
Uses of 1906. and portion Of the pledge
amendments. Fifteen months after the
passage of the Act. the number of acres
of oyster lands leased or applied for was
thirty eight thousand. If these leases had
been granted. this would have laid the
basis for final gross revenue of nearly
$2OO,OOO per annum.
The statement regarding the admins
tration of the barren bottoms under the
Act of 1906 and the succeeding Acts is not
complete without giving the amount of
of Maryland. The total of the appropri-
ations from the general treasury for the
Shell Fish Commission from 1906 to 1914
is S213.OoO. The greater part Of this sum
il for the survey which was made in the
, interests of the oystermen.
In 1914, largely through the. efforts Of
commission merchant i'll Baltimore City,
the Shepherd Bill became a law.
The Shepherd Bill has accomplished two
results. The present amount Of land held
under lease lin good Standing accord
ing to information from the Shell Fish
| Commission, is about 1900 acres. Land
; opinion. for reasons hereafter stated.
amounts to about $500 to 1000 acres.
Under certain provisions of the Shep-
herd Law. the area of 100000 acres which
hiI
under survey authorized by the Act of
1905 have been directly increased by about
through the marking out Of what are
called neutral zones other areas agEre
eating some thousands of acres. In other
words, the public lands to be set aside
Tor drcdgcrs. tonGers and scrapers have
Leen increased by about thirty-tve per
cent. reckoning the aggregate Of the neu-
These are the lands on which nearly
S::.GM.noO have been spent and great in
hu$try nearly destroyed.
More than this, through what is known
a$ the condemnation clause Of the
shepherd Bill. proceedings have been in
SuIuted T." condemn about 1000 acres Of
lands were public beds. IN unscentifc
and wholly erroneous definition of Il nat
nrhl bed was inserted III the Shepherd
Law. and as Il result of this definition,
demiati"n proceedings, 2l15 acres have
been condemned with verdicts against the
State hGgrrgatin@ s;237.975. If verdicts for
similar amounts are rendered in the other
cases pending. liabilities of the State will
amount I" S4O6,W0 through the passage Of
The Shepherd Bill.
Granting that the G3.OOO acres of land
added /" rne public lands through the new
survey WAS AL depleted and had partly
"Ci!uGht up. IT, the oyStermen say, what
is tee, value of this land in the hands of
tive system as compa red with its value in
TN" hands of planters: The verdicts rem
d~red in the condemnation cases are an
eloquent answer TO This question. The
lands added to the survey, if leased
out. would b" WORTH i'll short time
$G.-OO.G0O. and would produce direct
revenue. In the hands of the oystermen
they are worth nothing 10 the State and
little 1" the industry as now conducted.
Upon the aforcGOinG. | submit that the
present system OF Oyster Culture in Mary
land. both nS 10 natural beds and barren
bottoms. is failure We all know that
have the most productive lands Of this
of the fact. but we have shown ourselves
incompetent to use what Nature has pre-
scented 10 uS as Il free gift.
WHAT L. TO BE DONE:
Th" present Governor Of Maryland oc-
cnpird for two years the office of Comp
!r"I"r OF Maryland. Th" Governor,eIect
irid this post during four years They
are both natives of Dorchester. the fine
county lying in the heart of the tidewater.
1t is to their financial reports, therefore,
course of Mhrylanders who want to build
up lneir State should follow. tunder the
present trying circumstances regarding
Us greatest potential industry.
GOLDSBOROUGH PLAN.
The Honorable Phillips Lee Goldsbor-
ouGh in his report Comptroller of 1899,
on page II. states very accurately the
cor condition of the Oyster Fund. The
constructive suggestion the then Comp
trOller made WAS rs fOllwS:-
1T is, i'll my judgment. the duty of the
Legislature Of 1900 to come to the assist
ance of the State Fishery Force by making
an appropriation sufficient to relieve it Of
its present embarrassment"
The Comptroller then referred to a re-
port Of his predecessor, Mr.. Robert p.
Graham. who said the oyster industry is
too important to the welfare of our State
to he treated in other than broad and
liberal manner.
Briefly. the suggestion of the Comp
sums which had been spent upon de-
clining industry the State should present
to the Oyster Fund some of the money
belonging to all it's citizens. No construc-
tive suggestion looking to the increase OF
the supply of oysters was made at that
time. or, as far as | know, at any other
time in the report of any Comptroller of
Maryland. | have carefully examined the
reports of the Governor elect during three
years of the four when he was Comptroller,
and | do not find that he discussed the
Oyster Fund in the body of his reports.
though of course. the usual exhibit show
ing receipts and expenditures for account
OF the fund liz accurately presented. I
nj of will nfoip