Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 119 
using such lots as bases for dredging on natural bars ad- 
jacent to them are few and their crime is one that should not 
be difficult to detect. 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
The Commission, more firmly convinced than ever that 
changes must be made in the law before it will accomplish 
that for which it was enacted, again presents recommenda- 
tions and it respectfully insists that its recommendations 
should be accepted or that other Acts be substituted which 
will supply the needed conditions as well or better than will 
be done by the legislation recommended. 
Three of the recommendations now offered are the same, 
with a slight change in one, as three of those offered to the 
General Assembly of 1908. 
The fourth is made in response to a general demand from 
oyster planters and from prospective lessees of barren bot- 
toms, for a reduction in the rent charged by the State for 
the use of barren bottoms. This demand seems to be justified 
by the experience of other states during the developing period 
of their oyster culture industries. It will be time for an in- 
crease in the rents charged for the use of barren bottoms 
when the industry has become firmly established in Mary- 
land and when the latent possibilities of the barren bottoms 
of the State for producing oysters have been demonstrated. 
The development of the industry is being retarded at the 
present time by the gradually increasing rents. 
The fifth recommendation is for legislation quite as much 
needed for the ultimate success of the law as that contem- 
plated in the amendment referred to in the preceding para- 
graph. It is intended to provide means by which the pay- 
ment of rents for the bottoms actually used for oyster culture 
may be enforced. 
The sixth and seventh recommendations aim at shortening 
the periods during which land owners, oystermen and boat- 
men may exercise priority in leasing barren bottoms opened 
for oyster culture and to make it possible for non-residents of 
the State to lease such bottoms as may remain open for lease 
after an opportunity to lease them has been offered to all 
citizens. 
The recommendations offered to the General Assembly of 
1908 which had for their object the perfecting of the con- 
