Evening star., 1947-04-04
Gov v.LaneDeIays |
Talk With Tuck
On Oyster y Pact
Fog in. Chesapeake
Slows Yoeht Trip
To Mount Vernon
By james BirehfieId

Negotiations between Maryland
and Virginia to revise compact be-
tween the two States that is older
than the Federal union were de-
layed at Mount Vernon this morn.
ing by the late arrival Of Gov. Lane
of Maryland.
The Maryland Governors once
reported that the State yacht Po-,
tomac. bringing Mr.. Lane and his
party to the conference, was de-
layed In Chesapeake Bay last night
because OF heavy fog. The Gov
ernors party was expected 10 arrive
before noon.
Gov. Tuck of Virginia drove out
from Washington where he snent
the night and was met by Mount
Vernon Superintendent Charles q.
Wall and by Representative Smith.
Democrat, OF Virginia, and w. Sell
den Washington, member of the
Virginia House of Delegates and a
collateral descendant of George
Washington who was present when
the original compact between Vir-
ginia and Maryland was signed In
1785. -
May Only Set Procedures.
Members of the Virginia delega-
tion explained today's conferences
probably would only set procedures
for revising the two-State agree
ment. Difficulties arising from the
compact signed before the Federal
Constitution was adopted have made
Maryland fearful that her seafood
resources in the Potomac might be
seriously damaged.
The original compact granted
Maryland free shipping rights in
the virginia waters Of the bay and
gave Virginia equal fishing rights
on the Potomac River, although IL
recognized Maryland's S ownership of
the river to low water mark on the
Virginia shore. The adoption of
the Federal Constitution nulIified
Maryland's shipping advantages
gained through the compact since
States no longer had sovereign
powers to regulate navigation.
Maryland, fearful OF the threat
OF unlawful dredging in the Po-
tomac to her diminishing seafood
supply, recently passed legislation
providing for the trial OF Virginia
offenders in Maryland courts and
for the drastic penalty of confisca-
ton of their boats. Gov. Lane
signed the law last Saturday.
Gov. Tuck of Virginia, when the
legislation was pending In the Mary
land Legislature, wired the Free
State Governor that Virginia would
consider such legislation '.nulIity''
of the compact agreement. vir-
ginia law still provides that Mary
landers arrested by Virginia ofi-
c1als for violations be turned over
to the courts of their native State.
Dealt With Lightly.
Both Maryland and Virginia in
1881 passed concurrent laws making
oyster dredging illegal In the Po-
tomac. Maryland, however, claims
that Virginia watermen who violate
this law are dealt with lightly by the
Virginia courts.
Maryland officials claim there Is a
fleet OF go or more boats, mostly
owned by Virginians and all oper-
ated from the Virginia shore, that
are presently engaged in unlawful
dredging operations in the river.
They add that so long as Virginia
looks on these operations with q
blind eye 1t is impossible to protect
the Potomac seafood resources.
Gov. Tuck is visiting Mount Ver-
non for the first time today.
With Gov. Lane are Maj. Robert
N. Archer, chairman of the Mary
land delegation, and s. w. G. Webb
and William Hilgenberg, members
of the delegation; David Wallace,
executive director of the Maryland
Tfdewater Fisheries Commission;
Louis j. ODoanell, assistant to the
Governor, and Attorney General
Hall Hammond.
With Gov. Tuck are former State
Senator C. O'Conor Goolrick of
Fredericksburg, former State Treas
urer Tayloe Murphy of Warsaw,
Mayor William D. williams of Colo
nial Beach, Attorney General A. P.
Staples, Commissioner of Fisheries
Charles M. Lankford, jr.;; M. w.
Armistead III, secretary of the
commonwealth; Lewis Jones, Fish
cries Commission attorney; Senator
Robert o. Norris of Lancaster, Dele
gates Charles r. Unruh of West
'moreland and w. Collin Chiffon Of
Lancaster and Commonwealth's At
torney Joseph A. Billingsley Of King
George