Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 125 
It now appears that this provision is inadequate and that 
some more effective method must be provided whereby the 
State may lease ground and collect rents. A very consider- 
able number of lots are now held and used for oyster plant- 
ing purposes by planters who pay no rent to the State. Some 
of these lots have been surveyed, records have been made of 
the surveys and leases have been issued to the holders but 
others are being held and used without any formality having 
been entered into between the holders and the State. The 
opposition to oyster culture is not sufficiently strong in cer- 
tain communities to compel planters to secure the protection 
of the State by complying with the provisions of the law. 
The State, having expended a considerable sum in perfect- 
ing the conditions under which oyster culture may be sue- 
cessfully carried on, should now take the necessary steps to 
prohibit the use of ground for oyster culture by persons who 
do not hold leases to the ground or who are delinquent in the 
payment of rent and the Commission recommends that an 
Act be passed under which compliance with all of the pro- 
visions of Section 98 may be enforced. 
PRIORITIES IN LEASING, 
In order to hasten the day when the development of an 
industry in oyster culture may be begun on all of the barren 
bottoms available and suitable for oyster culture, the Com- 
mission recommends that the lengths of the periods during 
which land owners, oystermen and boatmen have the prior 
right, under Section 100, to take out leases to barren bottoms, 
be reduced; the prior right of land owners to lease being 
made to extend over a period of thirty days instead of four 
months; that of oystermen and boatmen being made to ex- 
tend over sixty days instead of six months. 
Land owners, oystermen and boatmen are in positions to 
ascertain the location and character of barren bottoms in a 
very short time after they have been opened for lease, and 
the rights of these citizens will not be affected by shortening 
the time during which they may select such ground as they 
may desire to take up.’ . 
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