Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-07-09

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engaged in the cod fisheries. 1t is admit
ted that the bounties are essential to the ex
instance Of the fisheries. The cod fishery, NJ
senac says:
Furnishes more than fifth part of the nun
Der of our seamen and by far The best portion ofMe
There is no cheaper, better useful schoo
for the formation Of seamen for the navy, an
none Is moro capable Of extension and develop
ment; the doubling of the consumption and ex
portation Of the products Of the fisheries woul,
finnish our feet with twelve thousand more sea
men,"
In 1911, NJ. Rodet affirmed that
"Without tho resources which were found il
the sailors engas scd in the fisheries the expedition
to Algiers could not have taken place"
The English have already fostered then
fisheries by bountics. | might give SOM
amusing illustrations of this fact, which hav,
been collected by my intelligent and indie
fatigablc friend, Mr. Sabine, in his report or
the fisheries, published by the Secretary OF
the Treasury in 1852 He cites from a
British statute passed in 1858, which provid.
cd.
"That as well for tho maintsnancc Of shipping
the increase Of fishermen and marines, and the re
pairing of port towns, for sparing Of the fresh
vitual Of the realm it shall not be lawful for any
one to eat flesh on Wednesdays and saturdays un.
less under the forfeiture Of 50 for the ofenc. ex
ecptng in cases of sickness, and those of special
licenses to be obtained. For these licenses, peers
were required to pay about six dollars, knights
and their wives about three dollars, and other
persons one dollar and a half"
| might give frcm Mr. Sabine's report a
curious specimen of these indulgenccs to eat
on prohi ,ited days, but the clock admonishes
me that my hour is running out. | refer all
who wish to be thoroughly informed on this
subject offshing, to the admirable report of
Mr.. Sabine, who seems to be inspired with a
relish for wholesome fishing, as ardent as
that of Isaac Walton fer the more quiet and
pleasant amusements angling.
will here notice some statements and ar
guments which We're made some weeks ago
in the other wing of the Capitol. The dstin-
guishcd gentleman who introduced the prop
osition into that body for the repeal of the
fishing bountlcs, and which has passed. at
tempts to ridicule and underatc the present
Importance of the cod fisheries, compared
with their condition when the Constitu
ton was formed. He presents us with figures
or statements to show that in 1870 the ton
age employed in the cod fisheries constituted
an eighth of the total tonnage belongs to the
country at that time; while mt the present
time, the proportion is as one to lortv-elght
The Senator has been led into this error by
an error in the Treasury statement of the
total amount of tonnage. This statement
will be found at page 277 of the Financial
Report for the last fiscal year; the registered
sail tonnage for 1890 is put down at 345,-
254; the enrolled and licenced sail tonnage
in another column at 1872 l23, and by IL clcr-
ical error these two sums are added together
in the column Of totals as making only pa :
as stated by the Senator. Tho actual amour,
is 47a,l77. This is blunder number one,
ana very material one W III, argument.
He states in numbers that the present az
gre.ate tonnage Of the United States is
5000. 600, adding 90 900 to make the num-
bers round. The exact figures are 4,9i5 So
but this includes the steam tonnage, amount
ing to 705, ,7S4. The Senator from Alabama
resides some hundreds of miles from the sea-
shore, | believe, but he ought to be aware
boats. The officers of steam vessels are en-
rineers, and the duty of the ''sailors' is no;
10 climb ropes, but to heave coal or wood
into the furnace. If this class Of rars ms
are to be put upon our marine list, We may
multiply it almost indefinitely by going into
our steam factories and work.ht ps; and
see no reason why hod-earriers may not be
added with equal propriety. Deductius the
steam tonnage from the aggregate, ther1tlre
as having no more to do with the training
of seamcn than the railroad tonnage, and
instead of 5000 900, we have only / ,235 ,c59.
This is error No ,, and pretty considcra
BE one.
The Senator from Alabama assumes in his
speech, that in 1870 the tonnage employed
in the cod fisheries was 81 ,8i2. lie has not
given us his authority for this statement
find in public document already referred
to, document published by the Treasury
Department, Mr., Sabinc's report, that the
tonnage employed in the cod fisheries was
2S,34S This is error No 3, and not un-
worthy of notice.
Now, sir, with this corrected data, will
submit the results OF nv skill in arithmetic
The total sail tonnage in 1890 was, as | have
shown, 419 ,367, and, according to Mr.. Sa-
bne's report, the tonnage of the cod fisher
les at that period WAS 2S,34S. Instead
therefore, of the cod fishery tonnage being
onc-clghth of the total in 1890, it was only
one-sixteenth and six-seycnths, or, in round
numbers one seventeenth. The sail tonna.t
Of the present day, as have shown, IL
/ 30 ,oJN, and tho tonnage employed in 81,
cod fisheries is, as hc states, l04 ,513 tons -
Dividing the greater number by the lesser
and we have qGotinnt of 40, or Il proper
tion OF to 20, instead Of to Is, as stateo
by the Senator.
The Senator rounds off with the assertion
'TSinca 1890 the cod fish tonnage has ncrcaset
but three fold, while tho other tonnage o
the United States has been increased about tw ent,
fold
Let us see. The Goldfish tonnage of l79t
was % ,34s; that of 1857, l04 ,513; and tn,
proportion is as one to three and two-thirds
The total sail tonnage in 1870 was 47S.3711
the total sail tonnage in 1877 was .235 ,0jS
The proportion is as one to eight and fiv,
sixthS. These are material abatemcnts from
the sweeping assertions of the Senator. The
goldfish tonnage has increased nearly four
fold Instead OF three, rs he states it; Will,
the total sail tonnage has increased less thar
min. fold, instead OF .'about twenty"
ain 1904" saysthe Senator, "the total domes
tic exports of the United States Sll 4G7 Al
of which exported cod made 81 40 900; at thi
time, the proportion is as oae to seventeen au'
two-tenths. In 1857, however, the total dom esti
exports of the United States were S33S.9s5 06j, Q
which the value of the exported cod was but $50
3is; the proportion being about as one to 81!
hundred"
This is true; but it is also true that tn,
increase of population has in the mean TIM
been four fold, and the facilities of interna
transportation have increased ten fold; AM
from these two causes we may assume tina
the home market for fish has increased fort
fold. The Senators undertakes the impor
tance Of the cod fishery us a school for sea
mon, by saying that the number of seamer
employed in them is Insignificant, compares
with the whole number OF the Soamen of the
| United States.
| SIN 1872" he says, ''the cod fishermen compri
| cd nearly half Of the whole number of America