Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-09
RESTORE THE OYSTER BEDS

RESTORE THE OYSTER BEDS
Senator Browns bill to restore the
| natural oyster beds in the waters OF
this vicinity to the public is expected
to come up for third reading in the
senate tonight. This measure which
| the senator has introduced in behalf
of the large number of oystermen
who have been practically driven out
Of business by the so-called trust
should be passed. Monopoly Is bad
enough anyway, but 1t ought not to
be tolerated In anything that nature
has given us. No matter under what
pretense the law was enacted where
by these valuable lands under water
could be leased to private concerns 1t
was a serious mistake and the quick
er the legislature can undo the wrong
the better.
The waters of this vicinity abound
in natural beds for shell fish. These
beds belong to the state and up to n
| year VI lWO aSO COulo pV ppCloNNu
by anyone Hundreds OF men who
| followed the water for q living sup
| ported their families on the income
| derived from the sale of oysters
, taken from these beds.
During the war most Of these
oystermen abandoned their skiffs for
the time being and went to work in
the numerous munition plants that
were established in this section. In
the meantime the large oyster deal
| ers who have gone into the business
in a wholesale manner came to the
, state with the proposition that the
state lease these oyster lands for a
nominal sum to be worked exclusive
ly by the leasee. Seeing a chance to
| derive additional revenue. and with
those who were most vitality affected
busy in other lines, the necessary
legislation was passed.
These big oyster concerns have
| little regard for the future as far as
| the oyster is concerned. They put
their steam ~dredgers on q certain LOT
and tear 1t all to pieces so that while
| they get all the oysters that are to
be found there at n grab. they also
| ruin the bed for any future growth
| and thus a permanent loss is sustain
ed.
When the oystermen began to re-
turn to their old occupation following
the signing of the armistice they
found that what little ground they
had left to operate on had beer
gobbled up by the ~so-called trust
and when they started to tong oysters
in their small way they were arrested
for ~trespassing.
1t was pretty hard for these mer
to realize hat natural oyster beds
that had always belonged to the
! people and were free to anyone de,
string to work on them, should sud,
denly have become private property
An examination of the law, however
! proved that their ancient rights hat
been taken away from them.
It Is this legislation that Senator
Brown. through the bill he has intro
duced and which comes up for fna
passage in the senate tonight, is at,
! tempting to undo. The bill removes
the unjust restriction placed upor
the individual oystermen who depend
upon these natural oyster beds for {
livelihood. The bill also viii protecr
these beds from destruction.
We feel sure thai II the member.
of the legislature thoroughly under.
stand the situation they will pas.
this bill and see hat the rights o
the hundreds OF oystermen of Mid
dlesex and Monmouth counties ar,
restored. The bill is in capable hand.
with Senator Brown as It's sponso.
! and we are glad to say hat 1t hal
good prospects of being passed.