3..The Somerset County Delegation advocated taking off fifteen days
of the tonging season in the waters of that county, which makes the
season begin on September 15th. Tills law was enacted.

4..The Legislature appropriated $25,000 toward the building of the
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. This amount together with the
$15,000 which had been previously appropriated will be utilized in the
erection of this laboratory at Solomons island. Bids are now being sub-
mitted by contractors for the erection of this building, which is to be
completed October 15, 1931.

in addition to the amount which the Legislature appropriated, the
citizens of Calvert County have cooperated to a great extent by donating
to the State the site on which the building is to be erected. Our colleges
and universities as well as those of other States are commending the
State for the steps taken toward studying the natural history of the
resources of its waters.

The laboratory is designed to not only enlighten the public gener-
ally, but to be of material help to those engaged in the industries to
make use of the scientific researches of the oyster, fish and crab in their
business.

In connection with the laboratory, the Legislature set aside 1,000
acres of oyster ground in the upper part of Honga River to be used
exclusively for experimental purposes. The Department this year will
plant 25,000 bushels of shells on this area, which shows that the utiliza-
tion of this ground is being made at once.

3..The return of oysters and clams in the Sinepuxent and Chinco-
teague Bays section of Worcester County, is hopefully anticipated by
the citizens of that county and the State in general, due to the fact that
provisions were made through a bond issue for the cutting of an inlet
near Ocean City between the Sinepuxent Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

When these waters are properly salted, the production of oysters,
crabs and clams will be greatly augmented.

Along with this legislation, and dependent upon the cutting of the
inlet, are local laws bringing the waters of Worcester County under
the general laws of the State insofar as oystering is concerned, as here-
tofore the oyster laws pertained only to the Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries.

There was also an oyster cultural law for the waters of the Chincoteague
and Sinepuxent Bays and tributary waters to encourage private
planting. The law provides that any person in the State may acquire
as much as fifty acres of ground for the purpose of private planting
after the time limit has expired on certain priority rights.

Priority rights, for a period of thirty days, are given to any bona
fide owner or occupant of a planted area in any of the waters, who is
able Lo prove satisfactorily to the Conservation Department such owner-
ship or occupancy or right of claim invested in him prior to March 15,
1931.

For the next thirty days, priority rights are given to the residents
of Worcester County and after that any resident of the State may apply.

These applications are not subject to protest insofar as natural
oyster bars are concerned as it is conceded that there have not been
any natural oyster bars in these waters for a period of twenty years.

In connection with the inlet, there were also certain clam laws passed
covering the waters of Worcester County in which an inspection tax
was placed on all clams taken from these waters. The clam industry
is expected to jump to heights of former productivity when an inlet
was naturally opened in 1920.

The revenue received from these various activities will go toward
the expense of defraying the interest on the bonds to he sold in con-