1582 OYSTERS. [ART. 72

1894, ch. 380, sec. 22. 1900, ch. 380.

23. Before granting such license the comptroller shall
receive two dollars and eighty-five cents for every gross ton
the boat shall measure, and at the time of granting said
license he shall require the applicant to make affidavit as to
the number of hands he intends to work in his boat during the
oyster season, and the comptroller shall enter the same upon
the license, and shall receive in addition to the sum of two
dollars and eighty-five cents per gross ton the sum of fifty
cents per month for three months for each hand to be employed
on said boat; and where any license is issued by authority of
any county, the clerk of the circuit court for the county shall
receive for such license from the applicant one dollar and
ninety cents per gross ton for every gross ton the boat may
measure, except boats of less than five tons gross measure-
ment, when the license shall be eight dollars for each of said
boats; said measurement to be gross tonnage of custom-house
measurement, but no allowance or deduction shall be made or
allowed by reason of dunnaging, and affidavits shall be made
before said clerk also as to the number of hands carried on
each boat, and such clerks shall receive the said sum of fifty
cents per month for the three months for each person employed
or carried on such boats; the captains of such boats may in
their own discretion collect from their hands the said fee of
fifty cents per month herein provided for, and said captains or
masters shall always have such license on board of their boats
and exhibit the same whenever it shall be demanded by any
duly authorized officer. It shall be the duty of the commander
of the State fishery force and any officer under his command
at any time that he or they shall deem it proper to inspect and
verify the measurement of any boats and their gross tonnage,
and the measurement ascertained by such officers shall be
conclusive and final and any license granted shall be corrected
and amended in accordance with such measurement and the
appropriate license fee hereinbefore named paid in accordance
with such corrected measurement, and the right granted by
any such license already issued shall be suspended until the
full payment of such license fee is made; provided, that per-
sons applying for scraping license for boats to dredge in the
Chesapeake bay after the first day of January to the fifteenth
day of March shall be required to pay only one dollar and fifty
cents gross ton for such license.