750 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 539]

the State shall be one dollar per acre for each of the first two
years of said term of twenty years; two dollars per acre for the
third year; three dollars per acre for the fourth year; four
dollars per acre for the fifth year; and five dollars per acre
during the remainder of the term; on and after April 1st,
1913, the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners may lease at a
rent at price which in their judgment is a proper one and
commensurate with the value of the land so leased any land
subject to the provisions of this act which has not been applied
for or leased up to that time, provided, however, that no land
shall be leased at a less price than twenty-five cents (25c) per
acre, and the land so leased under this provision shall be sub-
ject to all other provisions of this act. If any part of the
rent reserved under such lease shall remain unpaid for more
than six months after the same becomes due, such lease or
leases may, at the option of the Board of Shell Fish Commis-
sioners, be declared void, and in that event the land shall
revert to the State, and may be leased again in accordance
with the provisions of this act. The said board may, at the
request of any lessee, if it shall appear equitable so to do,
upon cause shown in writing, cancel his lease as to the whole
or a part of the land leased. The Board of Shell Fish Com-
missioners is hereby directed to submit a plan to the next
session of the General Assembly of Maryland providing for
the assessment of rentals for leased bottoms in accordance
with the value of these bottoms for the cultivation of oysters.

SEC. 100. For a period of thirty days after the said survey
shall have been completed', or after any area shall have been
opened to leasing under the preceding sections, citizens of Mary-
land residing in any part of the State, who, at the time of the
completion of said survey, or at the respective times of the open-
ing for oyster culture of the several areas, as the case may be,
may be owners of land having a water front upon any part of
the said areas so opened to oyster culture, shall have the exclu-
sive right to rent any land opened to oyster culture under the
provisions of this act, adjacent to their lands. And for an
additional period of thirty days after the expiration of the
said period of thirty days, all boatmen, residents of this State,
who shall be engaged in the business of dredging, scraping or
tonging for oysters at the time of the completion of the said
survey, or at the respective times of the opening for oyster cul-
ture of the several areas, or if said survey shall be completed,
of the said areas shall be opened to oyster culture during the
closed season for dredging, scraping or tonging, as the case
may be, then the person so engaged at the end of the last dredg-