138 STATE LAND LAWS 



SECS. 173-174 OYSTER LAND LEASE. 



Third. Whether the land or any portion thereof having been 

 a natural oyster bed within ten years past may reasonably be 

 expected to again become such within ten years in the future. 

 (Laws '99, p. 273, sec. 3; sec. 6810 Rem.-Bal. ; 373 sec. 83 

 Pierce.) 



Natural beds to be reserved: sec. 359, post. 



SEC. 173. TERMS OF LEASE HEARING AS TO CHARACTER OF 

 LAND PREFERENCE. 



In case all of the above three questions be answered nega- 

 tively, the Commissioner of Public Lands shall immediately issue 

 to the applicant therefor a lease for the term of twenty years of 

 the lands so applied for at an annual rental of twenty-five cents 

 per acre. Should the Fish Commissioner answer one or more of 

 the above three questions affirmatively, the Commissioner of 

 Public Lands shall investigate the matter at a public hearing in 

 the county where the lands in question are situated. Due notice 

 of such hearing shall be given by the said Land Commissioner by 

 publishing a notice to that effect in some paper of general cir- 

 culation in the county, at the expense of the applicant, not less 

 than one week and not more than four weeks before the date of 

 hearing. Unless at such hearing it be conclusively shown to the 

 Commissioner of Public Lands that in the matters at issue the 

 Fish Commissioner was in error, he shall refuse to lease such 

 lands or such portion thereof as may be determined by the fore- 

 going restrictions. Application for the lease of land thus with- 

 held may not be made again within six years, except that the 

 person last making application may repeat the application dur- 

 ing the three months next preceding the expiration of the six 

 years. (Laws '99, p. 273, sec. 4; sec. 6811 Rem.-Bal.; 373 

 sec. 85 Pierce.) 



Taxation of leaseholds: sec. 327, post. 



SEC. 174. DESCRIPTION. 



All applications for the lease of oyster lands under this 

 chapter shall, in addition to the surveyor's description by metes 

 and bounds, make description in such local geography as shall 

 suffice to convey a knowledge of its location with reasonable 



