The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-19

ing vessels in these days generally control the matter them
selves They often the ships husbands They manage
vessel that s owned in shares young and energet
man has perhaps, accumulated few hundred dollars b,
dint OF great personal industry and prudence He nd
one, or perhaps twenty thirty of various occupa
tons who may have few hundred dollars to spare from
their business, and who willing Join with him L
buy or build vessel which he Is to command When sh
ready for sea he consul with some perhaps, and pan
her voyage lie selects his crew. Sometimes the TAXI
the vessel and sail at the quarers and sometimes thu
halves, as the common expression is II aa the halves
Two OF three men enter into agreement with the
who furnishes the vessel with barrels provisions and sal
for the voyage The who 90 aat the halves mar
the vessel and take for their labor half of the catch
paying Tor certain part of the salt consumed in re
packing on the wharf The sharesmen pay stipulated
wages to such of the do not enter into the
jointstock arrangement These few, however and
such voyages are When the sharesmen take the
sci at the quarters the furnishes the vessel and
quarter part OF tho salt consumed The sharemen supply
the provisions barrels aud all necessary articles and in
the settlement receive threeourhs of the gross amount
stocked during the the receiving balance
and settling accordingly This believe s the old estab
shed way OF fitting fishing vessels when they sail
shares and may add that it takes mathematician to
settle the accounts OF such voyage accurately.
But was telling how the skipper of vessel manages
vessel and his way is the most common now. After he
has secured his crew. he arranges with packer dryer
70 furnish all supplies to the vessel that may be needed
during the fishing This Inspector packer dryer
keeps store containing stock of shpchandey and
usually needed in the fitting of vessel He also upon the
order OF that portion OF the who have families supplies
to them limited quantity oprovsons the absence OF the
vessel and when she returns he takes the fish, if any are
caught sells them and makes up the voyage credtng the
account of each man with the amount due charging and
deducng what may be- by agreement his for services in
packing drying, and inspecting and for outfit and family
stores delivered This at present. is the common mode of
conducting the business
Fishing firms owning five, six more vessels are few
in number The business is too poor to induce men, in
these days of general prosperity conne themselves to
the business of fitting their account; and the old
fishing establishments have gradually abandoned the bus
ness and taken up an occupation more lucrative The
samaker takes one-sxteenh of vessel and makes the
sails The shipchaDder does the same and supplies the
standing and running rggngs The blacksmith supplies
the cables and anchors and holds perhaps thirty
part The painter paints the vessel and takes his propor
tion. The builder holds part The packer for the sake
OF the business takes eighth or quarter And the
skipper and his friends manage to get the balance
up, and these the rich and captains who
some gentlemen say get all the money paid annually
under the bounty laws while the fishermen get no part of
it. This impression is not correct: the fishermen do get
the bopny-or at least s equivalent and frequently be-
fore it is due
remember when boy, and in the way of hearing
family secrets talked of freely my have been tick
led with wild expression of delight which the
mouths OF old men and women, and young children too
when they had received at mdwnter the amount which
they had been for years in the habit of receiving from the
government speak the truth upon point that is vital
to many poor but respectable and honorable persons In
stead of the fishermen being out of their bounty rs
is alleged know that it is the practice In some not ALL
the fishing communities to give the bounty to who
has not made out his full time board vessel engaged
in codshing; that is his share will by strict rule of
Justice be awarded to him by the ships husband cases
where he may have been two three weeks on board
vessel and then taken off by sickness other and
another man taking the place of the disabled man for the
remaining bounty term would be compelled by the custom
OF fishing por to yield up to the former his proportion Of
the bounty received from the government.
Estimating the fishing business of the town of Gloucester
for the past year. average earned by the fishermen
was seventeen dollars per month This is small support
for family The average per man. under the bounty law
is eighteen dollars per annum This in winter will warm
and feed hs children while he makes his trips to Georges
Nyuniu in 10 L.
bread ... @s4
Mr. Chairman this charge of fraud does not lie justly at
the doors of the fishermen Not half get the bounty who
ought to receive it if the spirit of the law were looked
Many on nackere voyages exclusively. They claim moth
Ing and gesnothing But when they go for FIVE or six
months on codshing voyages and happen to catch
other than cedfs it would be poor economy for hem or
for the country to that they cannot have the allowance
OF bounty simply because they have taken cod excu
svey The government would gain nothing and the fish
would lose by the operation of throwing overheard
such other fish might be taken on their voyages Be-
cause if sea service is what pay for get it in the
sernes form Georges Shoa and there the hsbut will
insist taking the hook and the fishermen have desire
to shake them Off And II service and the wettng Of
salt of account the catching of mackere any other
fish to be cured with salt will the design Of the law
Fishermen therefore, making time of service of four
months codshing voyages and much longer fact ex
Pect the bounty, and generally get it, but not by fraud
unless your revenue officers negligent for vessel
need escape their eye and honest collector will pay the
bounty it has not been duly earned.
have been particular in detailing facts of which
have been stated before in the discussion of this subject
first to show that with the inauguration of our syst Of
government adopted measures of the
fisheries; and then in my remarks touching the manage
ment OF fishing vessels in communities where the business
largely carried on, have also been somewhat explicit
in my statements in order that might to extent
correct the impression which is generally entertained and
which does injustice to the fishermen and their employers
But upon the ground of sound national policy expect to
argument in favor of the continuance of the bounty
system We have been long at peace with the world
that in danger of Understanding the services of
seamen-American seamen, such our fish
cries make There is ALSO danger of falling into
because the fisheries mainly belonging to the New
England States trust we shall not allow sectional jea
ouses to disturb judgment In considering what for
the national good.
Gentlemen may wish to know why business SO poorly
this is represented to be is not forthwith
abandoned by fishing communities and profitable
sought for the capital employed in this branch
of industry My is that the fisheries old the
records OF the earliest settlers of the continent and each
generation finding its interests indssoubly
connected with the fishing business it is absolutely
sary that should be continued just long 1t keep
those engaged in it clear Of bankruptcy.
If the vessels run out they must be retted They are
adapted other business than fishing and cannot
be sold except for purposes for which they intended
To build them large enough for general freghting
business would render them unfit for fishing The out
lay in running them would ruin the owners The
living Accordingly he must keep his business as large as
possible, and when vessel is lost out he must
build another induce other skipper to pack and
at his station in order to supply tho place of the lost
sell The business is the best he adopt the community
where he lives and possibly taking year with another
having the benefit of the profit his outfit and stores he
may gradually become easy in his circumstances or
moderately rich IT he prudent and close calculator.
Boys in these communities they old enough
lind their way almost by instinct board these vessels