ADVISORY COMMITTEE
District No. 1:

Robert S. Harrison................................................................Sherwood, Talbot County
District No. 2:

John T. Handy.............................................................................Crisfield, Somerset County
District No. 3:

Herman A. Woodfield..............................Galesville, Anne Arundel County
The Governor appoints the Conservation Commissioner for a term of
four years from the first Monday in May (Oh. 29, 1922), and the mem-
bers of the Advisory Committee for a term of four years from June I
(Ch. 369,1927).

CONSERVATION

The Conservation Department succeeded the Conservation Commis-
sion of Maryland, which was organized in 1915, when the Legislature
consolidated the various commissions and boards which dealt with the
administration of the natural resources of the State. At that time, there
were in existence the Maryland Shell Fish Commission, the State Game
Warden, the State Fishery Force and the Board of Fish Commissioners,
each of which had some integral part of the above resources under its
supervision. The Conservation Commission, when first appointed, was
composed of three members, but in 1922 it was reduced to a one-man

The Future of the Crab Supply

The Conservation Department is very much concerned about a bill
passed by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia during
its last session, which permitted the taking of egg-bearing or sponge
crabs in the waters of Virginia during the months of April, May and
June. Through Governor Ritchie a hearing was arranged before Gov-
ernor Pollard of Virginia, and a special committee, headed by the
Maryland Conservation Commissioner, visited Richmond and strongly
protested against the signing of this bill.

Maryland's protest was backed by the United States Bureau of
Fisheries, as it was realized that the present increase in the crab supply
of the upper Bay was due to the protection afforded the sponge crab.
It was pointed out by the Commissioner of Fisheries of Virginia that
the sponge crab was so numerous during this period, that the crab-
ber could not fish his trot line without catching female crabs with
the egg sponge, and it was his opinion that with mild winters there
would be a sufficient supply of sponge crabs remaining in the waters to
supply the upper Bay. The Virginia law, it was also pointed out, gave
the Commissioner authority to prevent the taking of sponge crabs,
should conditions warrant, after giving 15 days' notice to the crabbers
and packers. The Conservation Department is carefully watching the
supply in our waters, and a special investigation is being carried on
from the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, in the region of the Capes,
to determine the migration of young crabs.

Just how important the crab industry is to Virginia and Maryland
was brought out at a hearing before the United States Tariff Commis-
sion in connection with a request made to Congress to increase the duty
on Japanese and Russian crab meat imported into the United States.