Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-01-01
ANOTHER FIGHT ON
OYSTERS IN SIGHT
Move in Next Legislaturet to Amend
the Shepherd Law Expected.
SYSTEMATIC CULTURE.
Large Area in Upper Chesapeake Bay
Without ANY Restrictions.

The speech of b. Howard Haman. the
father of oyster culture in Maryland.
in Westminster on Tuesday night. in
which he declared that the Shepherd
oyster law has not come up TO the ex-
pectations of its authors. has unleash
ed the opposing fighters those favor
ing and those opposing systematic
oyster culture
The result is that there will be a
renewal of the old fight in the coming
Legislature. with Senator James A. Ar
cher. of Hartford county. leading the
forces in the upper branch of the As
sembly for culture as originally plan
ned by Mr. Haman while Mr.. Wilkin-
son will lead the forces in the House
The most convincing argument to be
brought forward against the contin
uance of the Shepherd law is the large
expense saddled upon the State as
result of the legal proceedings by
which oyster beds leased under the
Price-Campbell amendment TO the Ha-
man law, were restored to the State
The condemnation of these lots has
resulted in awards in Somerset county
alone amounting to $257 900 Awards
in other counties will bring the total
sum up to about $500,000. The State
faces the alternative of paying the
sum, if the decisions of the lower court
are upheld by the Court of Appeals.
or abandoning the proceedings. thus
permitting lessees to retain their
holdings
1t has been claimed that The lots to
be restored to the State contain
large supply of oysters, which viii pro
vide partial compensation to the
This assertion is disputed by many
oystermen familiar with the lots in
question. There is well defined move
ment TO have the Legislature pass a
bill authorizing the State to engage in
oyster culture This movement is bas-
ed upon the fact that the State. under
a law enacted two years ago, has en-
barked in the enterprise of taking oys-
ters on the Jumps" in the upper
Chesapeake Bay and transplanting
them on depleted and barren bottoms
in the lower bay.
There is also a well defined agita
ton in favor of setting side a large
section of the chesapeake Bay eXclu-
sively for oyster planting. 1t is pro-
posed that bottoms of the Bay ,irrespec-
tive of their natural oyster producing
qualities, be leased; that there be no
discrimination between individuals and
corporations. except that bona fide
oystermen are to have the preference
in the selection of lots. and that lessees
use steam or any other kind of power
most suitable in the pursuit of their
industry.
After all. with the oystermen. the
men who take and sell oysters for a
livelihood, the most serious problem is
the low price of oysters. They put
forth the argument that there is no
need 10 produce more oysters If those
now taken do not yield prices suffl-
ciently high to enable them TO make a
decent livelihood
They suggest that campaign be in
augurated in the large consuming
centers in the East and Middle West
by which the fact win become well
known that as food, oysters are not
a luxury but in reality. are cheaper
than beef and other meats: that in so
cents worth of oysters there is more
/ nutriment than in 20 cents worth of
beefsteak
With these facts well advertised, it is
claimed that the market for oysters
will be enlarged and larger prices
obtained.