WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 2263

of sale. In fact, it may be intended to permit merchants
who have accepted deposits for appliances and other equipment
which they have not been able to deliver to retain such de-
posits. Such retention is not permitted under the Retail
Instalment Sales Law. Upon the recommendation of the
Commissioner of Small Loans the bill will be vetoed.

CRABS

HOUSE BILL 229

AN ACT to add a new section to Article 39 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1943 Supplement), title "Fish and Fish-
eries", sub-title "Crabs", said new section to be known as
Section HOC, and to follow immediately after Section
HOB of said Article, to legalize the use of the device known
as crab pots in Tangier Sound and Pocomoke Sound.

The General Assembly of 1943 vested in the Commission
of Tidewater Fisheries complete regulatory power with re-
spect to crab fishing, subject to the review and approval of
its regulations by the Board of Natural Resources. An
important consideration in granting these broad regulatory
powers was the desirability of placing the Maryland Commis-
sion in a position to negotiate and enter into agreements
with the Virginia Fishery authorities for the more effective
management of the Chesapeake Bay Crab population chart-
ed by the two States. To now completely curtail these
powers by the signing of this bill would handicap the Com-
mission not only in its future dealings with Virginia, but in
its efforts to better regulate crab fishing in Maryland waters.

Tangier Sound constitutes an important migratory route
for crabs moving from Virginia waters to the numerous tribu-
taries of Tangier Sound in Somerset, Wicomico and lower
Dorchester Counties 'and probably to a considerable extent
farther up the Bay. Since the crab pot is an efficient device
for catching crabs, and since the use of this device greatly
increases the catch per crabber, it is evident that a heavy
drain would be placed upon the crabs migrating through
the sound to the detriment of the crabbers in the waters of
the tributaries above mentioned. It would almost certainly
have a serious effect upon the soft crab industry, since it
would greatly increase the catch of hard crabs moving into
the grassy flats for feeding. This would apparently adversely
affect the crab feeding industry in Somerset County.

Under the regulations for the use of crab pots, promulgated
by the Commission after public hearing and after approval
by the Board of Natural Resources, their use was restricted
to the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Pocomoke