THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                     943

(k) Inspection Tax—An inspection tax of ten cents (10c) per
bushel is hereby levied upon all soft shell clams caught within the
limits of this State unloaded from boats or rigs at the place in
Maryland where said soft shell clams are to be no further shipped
in bulk in vessel, and said inspection tax shall be paid weekly to the
Comptroller of the Treasury, or his agent, by the buyer. All monies
received by the Comptroller of the Treasury, under the provisions
of this sub-section, shall be credited to A FUND TO BE KNOWN
AS THE CLAM FUND, THE MONIES IN WHICH SHALL BE
FOR THE USE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND
EDUCATION IN THE STUDY AND RESEARCH OF CLAMMING
IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, AND ALL OTHER MONIES
RECEIVED BY THE COMPTROLLER UNDER THE OTHER
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE CREDITED TO
general funds, anything to the contrary in this Article notwith-
standing.

(1) Dealers To Be Licensed—Any person desiring to be a dealer
in the business of buying and selling, shipping or marketing soft
shell clams taken from the waters of this State shall first obtain a
license from the Department of Tidewater Fisheries. The applicant,
if a bona fide resident of this State for one year, shall pay the sum
of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for issuing the same and if a non-
resident, shall pay the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) there-
for. Such license shall be valid only for the calendar year in which
it shall be issued. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to
prohibit any owner of a licensed boat or rig for the taking of soft
shell clams or any other duly licensed person, from marketing his
own catch without a dealer's license.

(m) Revocation and Suspension of Licenses—The Commission of
Tidewater Fisheries is authorized to revoke, or suspend for periods
of not less than ten (10) days, any hydraulic or mechanical dredge
license, dealer's or other soft shell clam license, after due hearing
upon not less than ten (10) days notice to the licensee, upon the
following grounds: (1) The making of any materially false state-
ment in the application for such license; (2) the conviction of the
licensee or his agents of any violation of the provisions of this sub-
title. It shall be unlawful for any licensee to take or catch soft shell
clams with any device or rig and unlawful for any licensed dealer
to buy, sell, ship, market or deal in soft shell clams during the
period within which his license is suspended or revoked.

(n) Confiscation—It shall be the duty of the Commission of Tide-
water Fisheries and its Deputy Commanders and Inspectors to seize
any and all soft shell clams that may be caught, sold, offered for
sale, or held in possession in violation of any provisions of this
section, to be disposed of at the discretion of the Commission of
Tidewater Fisheries to the best interests of the State.

(o) Soft Shell Clam Productivity—It shall be the duty of the
Department of Tidewater Fisheries to take such measures as in its
judgment shall seem best calculated to increase the productivity of
any of the soft shell clam areas of the State.

(p) Authority to Close Soft Shell Clam Beds—The Commission
of Tidewater Fisheries is authorized to close any portion of the
natural soft shell clam beds in soft shell clam territory and to pro-
hibit the taking or catching of soft shell clams thereon, whenever