THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF MARYLAND. 
237 
the season at the rate of 50 cents per ton per month for the remainder of the season. 
The latter provision, however, was repealed in 1892. 
The regulations now governing the licensing of dredging vessels are as follows: 
The comptroller of the treasury shall, upon application of any person who has been a resident of 
this State for twelve consecutive months next preceding such application, issue a license to such 
resident, and to no other person, to employ such boat in taking or catching oysters with scoop, dredge, 
or similar instrument, within the waters of Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, and in Eastern Bay, 
outside of a line drawn from the southwest corner of Kent Point to Wade Point ; Provided, That noth- 
ing herein contained shall authorize the taking or catching of oysters with scoop, dredge, or similar 
instrument, on any oyster bar within one and a half miles of Talley Point, Sandy Point, Hackett 
Point, Thomas Point, Holland Island Bar, and Three Sisters, nor within one and one-half miles of 
Holland Point Bar; nor of Swan Point Bar; nor between Poplar Island and the mainland of Talbot 
County, south of a line drawn from the north point of Poplar Island to Louis Point, on the mainland; 
nor north of a line drawn from the end of the south bar of Poplar Island to Paw Paw Cave, on 
Tilghman Island ; nor within one-fourth of a mile west of Poplar Island ; nor within one-half of a 
mile of 'Plum Point; nor within the boundary lines of any county, unless herein otherwise specified; 
which licenses shall hold good for one season only, and shall only authorize the catching of oysters 
between the fifteenth day of October and the first day of April, on which day the dredging season 
shall end and the license expire. 
The owner of such boat shall make oath before the comptroller, or his clerk, or if the owner be 
a resident of Baltimore City, he may make oath before the clerk of the court of common pleas, or if 
a resident of a county, he may make oath before the clerk of the circuit court -for said county, that 
he is the bona-fide owner of such boat, to be described in the license ; that he has been a resident of the 
Sta'te for the time hereinbefore prescribed ; that there is no lien on said boat held by a non-resident, 
directly or indirectly, and that the said boat is not held or shall not knowingly be used with an 
intention to violate or evade the provisions of this law; and such applicant shall produce before the 
comptroller at the time of making such application the certificate of the taking of such oath and the 
custom-house tonnage, which tonnage the owner shall swear to. The master of such boat shall also 
make oath before the comptroller, or his clerk, or, if a resident of Baltimore City, before the clerk of 
the court of common pleas, or before the clerk of the circuit court for the county wherein he may 
reside, that he has been a resident of this State for twelve months next preceding the time of taking 
such oath. 
Before granting such license the comptroller shall receive for it from the applicant at the rate 
of $3 per ton for every ton the boat may measure, and the license shall be exhibited whenever 
called for by any officer of this State. 
The comptroller shall have painted, in black figures on white canvas, two sets of numbers corre- 
sponding to the license to catch oysters with dredge or any other similar instrument ; each figure shall 
be 22 inches in length and of proportionate width, and the figures at least 6 inches apart ; and he shall 
give to each person taking out such license two numbers thereof, one of which shall be securely sewed 
upon the starboard side and in the middle of that part of the mainsail which is above the close-reef, 
and the other number on the port side in the middle part of the jib, which is above the bonnet and 
reef; these numbers shall be placed in an upright position, and worn at all times during the dredging 
season, and returned at the end of the season, and shall not be canceled or defaced; and no other 
number shall be exposed to view or used than that which is furnished by the comptroller. 
The penalties, which are fully defined in the statutes, are ample for the satisfac- 
tory enforcement of the regulations, dredging without license or on forbidden areas 
being punished with imprisonment of the captain from three to twelve months and a 
fine of $100 to $500 on the vessel employed. 
The use of steam vessels has never been permitted on the public reefs in Mary- 
land, and while at present there is no interdiction against the use of vessels pro- 
pelled by other artificial force, as electricity, etc., such a regulation would doubtless 
be adopted as soon as practicable were the use of such vessels attempted. At no 
time has there been in Maryland a restriction on the size of the vessels or the weight 
of the dredges used in the “State waters.” 
