Evening star., 1949-03-05
|Neg|ectCharge
Is Brought al
Oyster Hearing
Tidewoter Inspector
Says Boot Is Too Slow
To Catch Dredgers

IoSotch Dredgers
By J. l. Michael
Special Correspondent Of The Star
ANNAPOLIS. Mar. 5.-An in
spector for the Tidewater Fish
cries Commission was accused
yesterday of incompetence, neglect
Of duty and falsifying official
reports on oyster dredging.
After a seven hour hearing be-
fore State Employment Commits
sioner Walter D. Owens. attorneys
were directed to submit briefs
within 10 days to support and
defend the charges against Guy
z. johnson. IS, of Rock Point,
a veteran of Is years service in
the State conservation enforce
ment fleet.
The charges were preferred by
David H. Wallace. executive
director Of the fisheries COM
mission, on information supplied
by Chief Inspector John Walter
Smith Foster and inspectors
George F. Ball and Howard C..
Shenton.
Illegal Sales Watched.
All the inspectors said they had
watched dredge boats operate il
legally and sell their catches to
buy. boats from various points
along the shore from Cobb Island
to the Potomac River Bridge, be-
tween December 81, 1948, and
January 3. 1949.
At no time during the period,
the inspectors testified, did they
see Inspector Johnson's craft in
the river. although Mr.. Wallace
contended, the daily reports in
dicated that he had been on pa
troll in the area.
Inspector johnson, in COM
mand of the patrol craft, Chester
River, was. it was testified, nor
mally" assigned to the Cobb Is
land-Popes Creek section, but at
times was called to help other en-
forcement boats drive dredgers
from oyster bars farther down
the river.
The fisheries commission said
Inspector johnson was guilty in
that he had neither prevented
dredgers from operating in his
territory nor apprehended any
boat so engaged.
He was accused Of flasifying
daily reports required by the COM
mission which were intended to
show what areas his patrol boat
had covered each day.
If the Chester River had done
no more than anchor outside the
mouth of Cuckold Creek" Inspec-
tor Foster declared, mo dredgers
could have operated on either
Swami Point or Cedar Point" the
two main oyster bars in that Sec
ton of the river.
II had asked Inspector john
son whether illegal dredging was
going on" Inspector Foster testi-
fed, "and he replied that there
were no such activities. Upon in
vestigation, found there was"
Inspector johnson admitted he
had not made an arrest for
dredging this season but explained
that the Chester River lis too
slow To catch a good rowboat."
"She will only make 9 miles
an hour" he asserted, "and I got
disguised at the way those high
powered dredge boats ran away
from me. I haven't seen a boat
actually dredging this season." he
continued, "and how could 1?-
Those fellows have some kind OF
a signal system along the shore. !"
Says No Details Requested.
Inspector johnson defended his
admittedly laconic daily reports
with the assertion that the Fish
cries Commission had not asked
for more detail in the two years
the reports have been in use. He
insisted that the data fled was
correct.
Inspector James Saunders, mate
on the Chester River, pictured In
spector johnson as a Jealous Of
f1cer.
Among the character witnesses
who testified for Inspector john
son were State Senators Louis L.
Goldstein. Calvert County, and
James B. Monroe, Charles County;
Thomas p. McDonagh, chairman
of the State Athletic Commission
and Wilfred L. Wellman. a retired
Marine Corps officer Of Cobb
TS1and