Evening star., 1947-02-01

mac seemed due to go into next
week with the issue still unsoNed.
A bill, directing that Virginia vio-
lators arrested on the river by the
Maryland fisheries patrol be tried in
Maryland courts, has passed the
Maryland Senate and may be acted
on in the Lower House at Annapolis
next week. Under a 60-year -old
agreement, violators arrested on the
river are tried in the courts Of their
own State.
Oystermen Write to Tuck.
Mr.. Mayo gave the press a copy
of letter he had written to Gov.
Tuck of Virginia. In it the Potomac
oystermen, who held well-attended
meeting at Colonial Beach during
the week, offered, with few pro-
visions, to abide by rulings of a BIZ
State regulatory commission. The
provisions were that no one be given
exclusive rights to the natural oyster
beds in the river; that the commits
sion take into consideration the fact
that thousands of Virginians de-
pend entirely on oystering in the
Potomac for their living and that
the commission shall include at least
one representative of the oystermen.
Gov. Tuck, according to an Asso-
ciated Press dispatch from Rich
mond, said he was unaware of dis
pute with Maryland over oystering
until last year.
II had no indication until then
that there was any bad feeling in
the matter" the Governor said, cor
that any particular situation had
arisen between the two States"
1t was at this time last year when
the Virginia Legislature was in ses-
sion, that opposition from the Po-
tomac oystermen brought about fail
ure to pass resolution authoriZ-
ing a three-man committee to meet
with a similar committee appointed
by the Governor of Maryland and
study the oyster problem. Maryland
took this failure as an affront and
began unilateral action when its
Legislature met. The Virginia Leg
islature meets in even years; the
Maryland in odd ones.
Owner Would Lose Heavily.
The Colonial Beach oystermen
refer to Landon Curley, who runs
the shucking plant, as "the man"
They are concerned about him be-
cause, if the river is closed to oyster
dredging, his loss will be so much
greater than theirs. "He stands to
lose $4,000 a year." one oysterman
said.
Mr.. Curley, a big man in his
40s and no different from the
oystermen in dress or talk, said,
I'm concerned about these boys.
If they have to tong for oysters
they won't make a dollar"
Mr.. Curley said increased oyster
ing due to wartime high prices had
depleted the oyster beds. Potomac
oysters once were sold as high as
1925 tub Ca little less than a
busheD and are now bringing 50 a
tub to the oystermen.
FavOrs Regulated Dredging.
However, he is for regulated dredg-
ing. The oystermen say that oysters
are dying of old age in deep water
where hand tongs can't reach them.
They claim that dredging in these
beds is good for the industry.
The oystermen have been going
out at o'clock in the morning to
avoid the Maryland fisheries patrol.
They used to go out at o'clock at
night. Its been a long time since
they operated their dredges in day
light. They say this work in the
dark is bad for the oyster beds; they
can't see to Gull out the little oysters
and throw them back in.
Maryland has five patrol boats,
the oystermen said. Virginia has
two working out of Munroe Greek,
the same harbor used by the Colon
ial Beach oystermen.
Airplane Motors Ready.
when the boys see the Virginia
patrol boats coming they pull into
a creek" said one of the oystermen
They don't want to embarrass them
by staying right out there dredging" Z"
Jim Lawrence, q former steeple-
jack and structural ironworker, who
has been having good time oyster
ing under recent conditions, took
this reporter behind a shed to show
him something. He pulled tar
paulin off large object feet high.
1t was 2,700-horsepower Allison
liquid cooled airplane motor-the
kind used in the P-38s, P-39s and
P-51s. Another, uncrated, motor of
the same type was behind it.
Let them catch us with that in
my boat" he said.
Mr.. Curley came along just then
and added a word of caution.
THAT" he said, 'is going to be
used to give summer visitors pleas
IRE cruises on the potnnacn