68 CONFERENCE OF GOVERNORS. 



to be directly referable to shellfish from sewage-polluted waters. 

 For these reasons, approximately 1,500 acres in Boston harbor, 

 700 acres in New Bedford harbor and 400 acres in Lynn harbor 

 have become unsuitable for the growth of shellfish; and the State 

 Board of Health, after investigation, decided that clams, oysters 

 and quahaugs found within these areas are likely to be the direct 

 cause of a dangerous epidemic of typhoid. For this reason, the 

 taking of these shellfish for any purposes was very properly pro- 

 hibited by act of the Legislature. In 1907, however, this act 

 was amended so as to permit the taking of such clams and quahaugs 

 for bait from these contaminated waters, upon securing permits 

 from the local boards of health, and providing heavy penalties for 

 both buying and selling. As a matter of fact, however, it is well- 

 nigh impracticable to properly enforce this law, for the reason 

 that it is only possible in very rare instances to keep any one lot 

 of clams known to have been dug under these polluted conditions 

 under surveillance from the time of digging until they are placed 

 upon the hook as bait. Complete interdiction of the taking of 

 such moUusks for any purpose whatever, so long as the polluted 

 conditions exist, is the only method by which the public health 

 can be properly safeguarded. Even though, in our opinion, the 

 financial loss to the public from the destruction of this public 

 fishery by the dumping of city sewage into the water is not less 

 than $400,000 annually, the public health is of greater consequence, 

 and should not be jeopardized, as is the fact under present condi- 

 tions by use of quahaugs and clams from such polluted areas. It 

 is a pleasure to state definitely that Massachusetts oysters, however, 

 are grown under sanitary conditions. Until such time as the 

 public realize that economic disposal of sewage must take place 

 on land rather than in water, laws absolutely preventing any con- 

 tact with the infected shellfish should be enforced without ex- 

 ception. Such laws as we are urging to-day will do much to 

 safeguard the public health, by stimulating and permitting per- 

 sonal enterprise to profit by maintenance of completely sanitary 

 conditions in the mollusk business, and the development of a trade 

 in " certified clams, oysters and little necks " or quahaugs. 



FOEMEE NaTDEAL ABUNDANCE. 



Though the previous generation of men scouted the idea " that 

 any human device could materially lessen the abundance of animal 

 life in the ocean," in the case of non-migratory species the effects 

 of human wastefulness are not even masked by the vastness of 



