The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-02-22
OYSTERMEN PROTEST
PROPOSED new TAXES
Kent Islander Says Additional Lev!
Will Mean Destruction OF Indus
tIy Talbot To Send Delegation.

Annapolis, Md, Feb. 21-Warning |
the General Assembly against tax
ing the oyster industry out OF exist |
encc delegation of 80 tongers |
from Kent Island, Queen Anne's
county, supported by two tideWatef
Senators and a Crisfield newspaper
publisher. launched today drive !
against proposed increases in oyster
inspection fees. !
For two hours the House Com
mittee on Chesapeake Bay and Trl-
butaries listened to arguments, most
of which were directed aaginst any
oyster tax legislation at this session.
Another delegation, similarly minded
is expected from Talbot county to-
morrow, and Senator Brady, of Anne
Arundel, is reported to be bringing
delegation next Tuesday.
Replying to one or two speakers
who denied the value of the State
Conservation Commission as we'll as
opposed to tax increases. Harrison
W. Vickers, Jr., chairman of the
commission, cited figures showing
that the work of three separate
boards regulating the oyster, fish and
crab industries had in 1915 cost
$4,000. Last years expenses OI
the Conservation Commission, when
substituted powerboats for sailboats
and had to contend with higher costs
he put at $4,000.
Senator Legg previously had VoIc-
ed opposition to provisions IN the
Conservation Commissions leglsla-
tive program for increasing the III
spection tax from one to two cents
bushel, and raising the tongers he
ense fees. He brought the delega-
ton he said, to show that he was eN-
pressing the sentiment of the water
men.
He and other speakers pictured
the tongers as people earning a bare
living, owningonly from a quarter to
a half acre of land, and TAXED not
only upon their industry but upon
their houses, their furniture and
their boats" Under present laws,
Senator Legg said, they are being
taxed to the limit and they cannot
endure further taxation the revenue
from which would go Into the col
fers of the Conservation Commls-
sion"
Supporting this position, Capt.
Jerome S Jones, spokesman for The
delegation, told the committee that
the oystermen feel they are taxed
and overtaxed' and are opposed to
the passage of any new bills.
Senator Robins of Somerset coun-
ey declared that with the quality OF
oysters poor and musselS prevalent,
the tongers are hardly getting
bread and butter" and some OF tne
shuckers are able to shuck only two
or three bushels day
or three bushels a day and work only
two Or three days week.
Loire C. Quinn, Jr., Crisfield pub
Usher, asserted that even the present
one-cent tax was in effect equivalent
to a tax of four cents bushel, for
the catch was three-quarters mus
sells. Higher taxes could not be
passed on to the consumer, he &c
clared, because of competition from
other States.
Mr.. Quinn advocated throwing
open to dredging the seed area in the
Potomac and charging a fee of about
10 cent bushel to dredgers. Reeve
wipe out the $4,000 deficit in the
commissions funds. Mr.. Vickers re-
piled that this step could not be TAX
Virginia, which could not be secured
for at least two years.
The tongers also objecte dto sub
stitution of fines for jail sentences as
the penalty for law violations by
dredgers. M. Vickers declared that
this was not discrimination, but re
sultedfrom the fact that it had never
been possible to get juries to convict. |
Mr. Vickers also announced that !
the Acknowledgement had informed |
him it wasimpossible to raise the tax
on out-of-State oysters to equal the
that on domestic oysters. Constitu-
tional limitations were held to keep
this tax down to the cost of actual
physical inspections" This probably
will necessitate an amendment do
ing awaywith proposed increase in
this tax from one-third cent to q
cent bushel.