Evening star., 1960-10-30
Byrd Denies
Agreement Is
Any 'Giveowoy'
BY PAUL HOPE
Star Stan Writer

BYRD, who also heads the State
Department Of Tidewater Fish
cries, said that instead of the
compact being a "giveaway"
to Virginia, as opponents have
charged, the compact actual
ly gives Maryland advantages
it does not now have"
Mr.. Byrd charged that the
compact 'has been thrown into
the political turmoil by Repub-
hcan candidates for Congress
and by a Republican United
States Senator in the hope Of
thereby attracting votes in the
coming election.
Sees Advantages
Maryland is not giving
away its birthright' but
is likely to acquire many dis
tinct and direct advantages
over conditions under which it
now is compelled to operate"
Mr.. Byrd said.
Maryland voters will ballot
November 8 on whether the
State should approve the COM
pact which would replace q
Maryland-V Virginia treaty Of
1785 which gave Virginia equal
fishing rights in the Potomac.
After several years Of fight
ing over fishing In the river,
the Maryland Legislature abro-
gated the 1785 agreement in
1857, and Virginia protested
the action before the Supreme
Court. The court case is in
allegiance pending the outcome
Of the referendum.
Mr.. Byrd's mention Of poll
tics referred to opposition by
Carlyle j. Lancaster, Repub-
lican candidate for Congress
in the 5th district, and by Sen
ator BeaIl. Senator Beall is
not running this year but has
taken a vigorous stand against
the compact.
Opponents claim that any
compact should include control
Of fishing, grabbing and OYSTER
ing in Chesapeake Bay as well
as the Potomac, since the whole
area is one marine biological
unit.
In his alrst public stand on
the eofApact, Mr.. Byrd said
Yesterday that rejecting the
compact likely will hamper eff
forts to get . broader agree
ment,
Need for Cooperation
Mr.. Byrd, former president
Of the University Of Maryland,
said that the Maryland and
Virginia Governors and the
Maryland and Virginia fisheries
agencies have talked Of broad
cooperation in all fishery areas.
'It might well be observed
here that Virginia would prob
ably not be very much inter-
ested in cooperating along
broader lines if Maryland
showed such little appreciation
of the new compact agreement
as to abrogate it in a referen-
dunn vote" Mr.. Byrd said.
Among the advantages Of
the compact listed by the COM
mission chairman were these:
/. Neither State has spent
anything developing the sea-
food resources Of the river, but
under the new compact each
would have to put up $4,000 a
year, (which means a new day
for those that make their living
out of the Potomac"
2. Enforcement of the law
on the river has fallen largely
on Maryland'S shoulders but
the new compact provides that
Virginia shall accept It's share
Of this responsibility"
3. Maryland laws will control
fishing and oystering in the
river unless they are changed
by the bi-State agency which
would be set up. and then it
would require the vote Of tive
of the three Maryland repre-
sentatives on the bi-State group
to change any law.
4. The six members Of the
bi-State regulatory agency must
be drawn from the fishery
agencies of the two States.
(which means that the same
Maryland group that is respon-
Sible for the Seafood industry
in Maryland will be responsible
for Maryland's interest in the
Potomac River. It is unthink-
able that Maryland's interest in
this case would suffer in any
respect"
S. A survey of Potomac River
oyster bars would be required
and they may be reseeded and
replanted.
6. The advantage that Vir-
ginia fishermen have in the
yardage Of seine they can use
for fishing will be eliminated.
There seems little doubt that
If the compact is defeated in the
coming referendum, the Poto-
mac will revert to the undesir-
able conditions, somewhat cha
otto, which Maryland for the
last is years has been trying to
rectify," Mr.. Byrd said. "The
compact provides for Maryland
the sound program for Potomac
River development for which it
has been striving for IS or 20
years."