OCR Text |
Show oo RETURNS FROM LEASED OYSTER BEDS The latest report of the state shellfish shell-fish commission contains some revelations reve-lations of the practical working of the oyster bottoms leasing law, passed In 190G, which arc enlightening. 1 not very encouraging Under this law tho shellfish commission was created and a comprehensive survey of the oyster lands, productive and non-productive, was provided for. This survey sur-vey has now been practically completed, com-pleted, and in tho report Just issued tho commission declares that there are now 300.000 acres of bottoms available for leasing under tho law which can be made valunhlo by artificial arti-ficial development, nnd that lOO.QQD acres of tboos lands are so situated and constituted that, by the application applica-tion of modern mothodt of oyMcr culture, cul-ture, they can be made as highly BWb-tA-.-k.- ? iTr-mcssK productive as tho bottoms reserved jj as nnturnl Yielding areos This state- J raont is quite modornto and In doubt- J less well within tho bounds of truth ;x concerning tho extent nnd productive 'r possibility of the oyster lands avail- j able for 'leasing. Tho opportunity ; awaits, but tho report shows that o-stor o-stor culture under tho Haman law r has not dovelopcd; has. in fnct, retrograded retro-graded It la shown that for the year wh'lch ended with September, 1901, tho rontil receipts from leased bottoms bot-toms nmounted to $3,5G8 50, and that for tho year ending with September, 1910 tho last year covered In the re- i port the rentals had dropped to ; $1,571.51. Tho leasing system so far I has cost annually more than it h.r come to. Tho total receipts, under the new oystor law for tho fiscal year 1909, were $4,1 78.80, and tho total to-tal cost of the system was for that year $33,1S5.S2, and the total recolpt3 for 1910 wero $1,790.51, as against a total cost of maintenance of $31,140 The report upon the whole loadB to one of two conclusions. Either the stnte should abandon nil pretense of i oporntlng a leasing system or elso It ' should provide a leasing law so amended that It will encourage and not discourage tho enlistment of prlvat" enterprlso In oyster farming What the leasing results aro at the closo of the fiscal year ending with Septem bor. 1911, Is not shown, hut at the end of September, 1910. only 2,733 acres of tho 300,000 valuable bottoms offored for IcaBc wore leased. As Indicated by tho rental receipts, there was a marked decronsc In tho acreage leased In 1909. |