Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-19
LOBSTER LEGISLATION
Big Crowd Expected When Big Fight
in Hearing Is Started on Feb. 27

The big fight on the proposed change
in the legal length of Holsters on Tues
day. Feb -, which will be held in the
hall of the House Of Representatives,
il, expected to bring the lobster men
from Quoddy Head to Kittery point
to the Capitol. but interest in the en-
tire lobster question is so great that
a good sized crowd is expected tomor-
row (Feb. 2C) VIXEN the committee on
sea and shore fisheries will hear meas
ures in regard to the lobster license
law
At every season OF the LegiSlatui 9
some attempt has been made to alter
the lobster measurement. Jaws Of the
state but 1t is doubtful if there has
been a session in recent years in
which so many propositions we've
pending in regard to the legal length
Of Holsters.
TIE fight is really that of the west
coast fishermen against the east coast
fishermen with the west coast fisher
men determined to change the law for
themselves if they canno- for The rest
of the State. One reason for this 1tti-
tude is that the west coast lobsterlnen
come in closer contact with the fish'"-
men and sniackmen of TIE other New
England states where u shorter 'crgIh
has prevailed. The east coast lobster
/ fishermen as a whole have generally
adhered quite strongly to the pres
ent 10 1-2 inch length ard in this posi-
| ton they are strongly fortified by the
attitude of the State lobster commits
sion which after considerable investi-
cation reported a short time ago that
/ the present legal length Of II IL inches
wac best adapted for the protection of
| the Maine lobster.
The three pending measures relating
to the legal length of Holsters would all
lower the present standard. They are
spoken of by their proponents as uni
form lobster laws and while not exactly
uniform for two reasons they come very
near the nine inch standard of Massa-
chusetts and New Hampshire. The
Massachusetts and New Hampshire laws
provide for a nine-inch lobster, the
measurement based upon the entire
length of the lobster All of the pro-
10 IL inch law now upon the statute
books measure along the back of the
body of the lobster from the end of the
/ pcllt III lIIc nose 10 tHe center OF the
rear end of the body shell. Again, the
Maine law and the pending bills provide
the same standard for Holsters, dead or
alive. cooked or uncooked. while the
New Hampshire and Massachusetts,
laws allow for a quarter Of an inch
shrinkage in the cooked lobster.
1t was learned today that the Cor
don hill, which in its printed form made
the body measurement four inches and
which ii was thought would include an
eight and a half inch lobster. was not
so drawn and that the four inches fiat
appeared only by clerical error, it be-
ing intended that the standard should
be four and one-eighth inches just as
in the Deering bill or in the lower guage
of the Goldthwait bill. The Gordon bill
applies to the entire State while the
Decrng bill applies only to York and
Cumberland counties. All of these bills
have strong advocates while at the same
time a considerable number of remon-
strances against any changes in the lob
ster law have already come into the Leg
islature.
The hearing is called for 7. NJ and
will undoubtedly continue well into the
night. it is understood that the COM
mittee will make no attempt to abrdge
freedom of speech on this occasion.
There is a growing sentiment in favor
Of nine-nch law for Cumberland and
York counties If one cannot be secured
for the entire State. The entire York
county delegation and nearly all of the
Cumberland county delegation are said
to favor it.