128 OYSTERS. [ART. 72.

1906, ch. 711.

99. In case the survey provided for by this act shall not
have been completed within one year from April 2, 1906, then
it shall be the duty of the board of shell fish commissioners to
begin the leasing of barren bottoms in the manner and upon
the terms provided in the preceding section; provided, that
such leasing shall then commence only in those areas in which
the survey herein provided for shall have been completed.

Ibid.

100. For a period of four months after the said survey
shall have been completed, or after any area shall have been
opened to leasing under the preceding sections, citizens of
Maryland residing in any part of the State who, at the
time of the completion of said survey, or at the respective
times of the opening for oyster culture of several areas,
as the case may be, owners of land having a water front upon
any part of the said areas so opened to oyster culture
shall have the exclusive right to rent any land open to oyster
planting under these provisions adjacent to their lands. And
for an additional period of six months, after the expiration
of the said period of four months, all boatmen, residents of
this State, who shall be engaged in the business of dredg-
ing, scraping or tonging for oysters at the time of the com-
pletion of the said survey, or at the respective times of the
opening for oyster culture of several areas, or if said survey
shall be completed, or 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 persons so engaged at
the end of the last dredging, scraping or tonging season shall
have the like exclusive right in the order of their respective
applications, as the same may be received and opened by the
commissioners, to rent any adjacent lands; provided, that in no
event shall any7 such landowner, boatman, or any other person,
be permitted to rent or to acquire more than ten acres, or one
hundred acres, as the case may be, dependent upon the situa-
tion of the land which is leased or acquired; and provided,
further, that no such riparian landowner as is mentioned in
this section shall be entitled to rent the amount of ten acres, or
one hundred acres, as the case may be, unless the water front
of the land so owned by him, if fronting on water within the