302 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



knowledge that a large and productive business will mean greater prosperity 

 to themselves and their families, then a great impediment in forming a per- 

 fected system will be removed. 



Every shellfish producing State save one is in possession of one or more 

 boats for use in the economical and necessary transaction of its affairs. 

 Upon this subject I beg leave to submit the following abstract from the 

 last annual report of your superintendent: 



"A Suitable Boat is Required 



' ' It may seem singular that in a bureau which deals with marine matters 

 exclusively, whose every item of business is connected with the public 

 waters and the land under those waters, we should be entirely without the 

 means of going upon the waters. In explanation of tliis situation it may be 

 said that years ago a small naphtha launch was provided for this Depart- 

 ment, and an endeavor was made to use it but it was found to be altogether 

 inadequate for the purpose, besides being a constant source of danger to 

 the lives of those who ventured in her upon the often rough waters of our 

 coast. The boat was therefore sent up the State for use upon the inland 

 lakes and rivers, for which purpose it was better adapted. Since this, as 

 one of the Metropolitan newspapers some time ago rather flippantly put it, 

 ' fisheries officials may wade or borrow a boat.' It is true that during the 

 past year there has been an appropriation from which boat hire might be 

 paid, but this sum was small and was not altogether for use in this bureau. 

 A suitable, seaworthy boat is needed for many purposes; in fact it should 

 be used in connection with every subject with which the bureau deals. For 

 information, the following purposes are specified: 



" A boat is needed in carrying on the triangulations and basic hydro- 

 graphic surveys as well as the necessary measurements for the allotments 

 of oyster lands. 



" A boat is necessary to determine the character of the bay and sound 

 bottoms upon which may be based an accurate knowledge of the value of 

 the different localities for shellfish culture. This is now more than ever the 

 case since the law, as amended at the last legislative session, charged this 

 bureau with the duty of grading these lands in accordance with their value. 



