HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 645

not be less than forty-eight hours from the date of notice.
The Commission is further authorized to reopen to dredg-
ing any reserved area whenever in the judgment of the
Commission such reopening is advisable, by notice as above
provided. Whenever, after the reopening of any such
area, the Commission deems it advisable to close said area
to dredging and again reserve the same, it may do so
without further notice than a notification to the dredgers
through the Deputy Commander in charge of said area.

The Commander of the Fishery Force shall be paid an
annual salary of thirty-five hundred dollars ($3500. 00).

160. The Conservation Commission is authorized to
close to scraping or tonging and reserve any portion of the
natural beds, bars or rocks of Chesapeake Bay or tribu-
taries, in scrapers' of tongers' area as the case may be,
but only for the purpose of planting thereon oysters.
The Commission shall give notice of such reser-
vation by advertisement to be inserted in at least
one newspaper of general circulation in the county where
the reserved area is located and by notice to the Com-
mander of the Fishery Force and the Deputy Command-
ers in charge of the reserved area or areas, in the form
and manner prescribed in Section 159; and the Commis-
sion may in like manner reopen and close the same as
hereinbefore provided.

161. Any person who shall catch, dredge, scrape or
tong for oysters upon any reserved area at any time after
the same has been closed by the Commission shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof before any
Trial Magistrate of this State most assessable or con-
venient shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than
$200 or confined in jail not less than 30 days nor more
than 6 months, or both fined and imprisoned; and the
cargo, if any, shall be returned to the reserved area, or to
such other area as the Commission may direct, under the
supervision of the deputy commander or other officer mak-
ing the arrest.

162. Oysters caught upon any reserved area where
oysters have been planted during the period
within which such area is open for dredging,
scraping or tonging, shall be subject to a special charge
or tax to be fixed by the Commission prior to the reopening
of the same, and stated in the notice aforesaid. Said spe-
cial charge or tax shall be at the rate of ten cents per
bushel, unless the Commission shall find that the expense
of planting oysters, shells of other cultch upon any such