204 THE 0YS7ER. 



" That seems wise and just, but most of your citi- 

 zens have other occupations and do not wish to engage 

 in oystering. How do they dispose of their common 

 rights ? " 



" We have a system of licensing, and any citizen who 

 wishes to gather oysters on our common property 

 pays to the State treasury a fee for the privilege of. 

 doing so, and in this way all the people of the State 

 get the benefit of our natural wealth." 



" I see. All your people are enriched by the sums 

 paid by a few dredgers for the monopoly of the com- 

 mon rights of the citizens, for this must be very great, 

 to judge by all you say of the value of your waters." 



" No ; that is hardly true, I am sorry to say. The 

 profits are not so great as you suppose. In fact there 

 are no profits at all. The dredgers themselves are not 

 prosperous, and they do not like to pay this tax out 

 of their hard earnings for the use of what they regard 

 as their own. Many of them would evade it if they 

 could, so the State is forced to maintain a navy to pre- 

 vent unlicensed dredging, and this costs more than the 

 total sum received for licenses." 



** How is this deficiency made up — by the taxpayers 

 of the State?" 



'* Yes." 



*' I see. But does it not seem to you that this means 

 that the people of Maryland pay taxes for the privi- 

 lege of giving up their natural rights for the benefit of 

 a monopoly ?" 



*' Yes, I suppose it does ; but then we have the satis- 

 faction of knowing that we have benefited a large 

 class of our people, and have afforded employment for 

 many worthy citizens of our State." 



