The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-23

| made is done I'M catching them Tor the New YORK
market ana other markets won we are 70 sase
during the summer TO latitude about fifty in the
British possesslons; then returning, the fishing sea-
| son ends some time in November, substantially IN
| Massachusetts Bay British fishermen are, there
lore, TO follow the fish, gong and returning.
In the waters Of the British provinces there are
! TO menhaden, which are the best fsh for mackerel
bait. i takes about one barrel 81 bst ,gr eyery
furnishes the best bait THIS the British fishermen
| have always had 10 purchase Of the United states.
Mennaden catching forms valuable branch OF our
fishing as well for the oil "a the bait. All this the
| English now bay or us, as they can get 1t nowhere
else. Under the treaty they can catch their bait
our shores for themselves. The privilege granted
them Of fishing waters Is Of Itself alone worth
more than AL they concede to us
Second IN addition the treaty opens our ports 70
ermen may contend with ours by right IN supplying
our seaports and cities with fresh f1sh. They may
take the nallbut In our waters-nOw very large
article OF consumption -and bring il into our ports
free OF duty in competition with our fishermen
That vessels are now being fitted out III Massachu-
sets TO pursue that fish on the coast OF Greenland
"a, AS ~, tne br,asn give ooun,y Oh one dollar quinla
as all French fish will be at once brought into our
ports in Canadian bottoms, our cod fishermen, VINO
get equivalent whatever ny the treaty, are to
struggle against Tits bounty-fed competition. Not
only that, but our whale fishermen ana seal oil fish
ernen are TO have British competition all over the
| world by the opening OF our ports free TO them.
1t has been declared by some that this question OF
free Importation OF fish is matter OF small conse-
quence. The !amount yearly is much greater than
| any supposed money value in the Alabama claim,
the highest estimate OF loss from which has been set
| is over seventeen millions annually. Can more in
| equitable bargain be staleds
But 1t Is said that this treaty leaves fishermen
In the same condition that they were under the Re-
cprocity Treaty, the provisions OF which, by the by
II. Not quite-because our RecIproc,fy Treaty
! regarded Canada and Canadian fishermen alone.
This treaty opens our fisheries to al British Usher
common with the subjects OF her Britannia Mo-
/ jasty.h
But that is not all. BY the twenty-second article OF
the treaty we are to pay to Great britain In addition
such sum OF money as three arDitrators shall find
that the value OF the British fishing right Is greater
than the value of ours conceded to them. But there
| Is no provision thar, II the value OF what We cede
TO us, the United States shall be paid for 1t. Why
not make the questions OF paving the in the
value OF the rights coded by eacn nation reciprocal
| Certainly, In view OF the statement have made
] above. taken with accuracy from statistics such
right to have the British pay what our concession
exceeds theirs in amount would be very valuable
one. =. 80 $780, 80"
| But the Commissioners to which this is to be re-.
leried are TO be one named by the President by
tle queen and the other, In case the President ana
Queen cannot agree upon the umpire by the Aus
trian Minister near the Court or London who Will
certainly not be exposed TO too much American In.
naence III that selection.
In my Judgment, reinforced by the opinions OF the
most Jndicious and prudent men engaged In the
visions OF this treaty Will De substantially runous to
our fishing Interests. But two answers, however,
are made 10 this statement which deserve consdera.
on:-First, that this Is not great matter because
II It's onnd injurious the treaty may be terminated
But Il It Is found, AS believe ii will be, detri-
mental to our fisheries, twelve years win entirely
gagged in 1t VIII have turned their attention to other
pursuits aud the school in which hardy seamen are
trained up for the United States Navy, and which
has had the fostering care OF our government from
the Revolution until now Will have been broken up.
Because OF the ravases OF the Alabama and her
Kindred vessels We have almost no commerce in
Which TO tram such seamen. All the mischief Will
have been done, and it will be substantially useless
then to attempt after the lapse Of twelve years, 10
renew business out OF which. hy the provisions of
ms treaty enterprise and capital have been forced
Tor That time.
ssrhe answer Is that the treaty puts our nsh.
erInen substantially in no position than they
occupied during The Reciprocity treaty from 1854 to
1860 eleven years., ana that our fishing interest
maintained Itself during that period. That Is, TO u
certain extent, true. Bat he Is superficial observer
VINO does mol mark the difference in the two cases.
Under the Reciprocity treaty our fisheries were
injured 1t Is true. but we supposed that our manu-
facturcS exported into Canada tree OF duty other
advantages. obtained through That treaty 10 the
numbering ana other interests winch were pursued
II me forests OF Canada, were an Offset to compen-
Now all is changed There arc no other matters Of
rociproely % peSi ne wrong and los done 10 the
the peBdency OF the Reciprocity treaty averaged
twelve fourteen per cent only. Now the duties
which The American fishermen have to pay upon
every article, from the nsh hook 10 the anchor in-
elusive are from thirty to forty per cent. When
Canadian lumber came In free we could build our
ships for about hty-hve to sixty dollars a ion
against forty TO f.y dollars ton the cost OF The
Canadian vessel. Now our fishing vessels cost eighty
dollars ton against forty five in Canada.
Again. the wages OF the fishermen IN Canada are
,hlr,y.three per cen, less than ours. SO that the
fishing vessels TO be manned 10y Canadian crews, so
that we shat. be training up sailors for The British
navy, TO be taken 0lt OF vessels the event OF
war either between US or neutral power, under
the British right OF search, which they have
abandoncd and about which we went to war In
1872.
The animus Of thc British Commissioners is easily
seen rom tner proposition 'tiat the most saiisac
tory Arrangement Tor the use OF the fisheries would
be reciprocal tariff arrangement and reciprocity
In the coastiug trade 10 thls the American Com.
ssiolers would not assent but they said thar in.
Itself il favor q the abolition q duties on coal and
salt, they would propose that COAL salt and fish be
reciprocaiy admitted free, together with lumber
after 1874 Ent even this cocess on the British com.
nssoners said was not with 10 their power although
the letter OIL appointment containing their powers
as interchanged, seemed to give the ample and
abundant. But after consulting with the British
government tne proposition was made that Tree
trade IN Ash should be established, business which
every commercial country has always protected by
Dountes and stimulated by special privileges and
no country more than TINS, because OF It's extra
hazardous character and It's national importance
a school FOR scanen. But our Commissioners, If
their work IL ratified by the Senate are at the sti.
CATION OF Great Britain - inaugurate tree trade
ton OF onr fishing neet Tie source from which we
drew the brave tars who whipped the British navy
n every equal naval contest In the war OF 1879.
me town OF Gloucester In the last year
lost In tue hshng business by the pers OF the sea-
twenty Vessels ana sixty-fou men, hazardous Is
the business AMI such bravery aud such risks do the
fishermen snow ana endure. And this interest Is TO
DC the subject OF the FIRST experiment OF free trade.
may say, ttust without offence that this treat
mcnt VIII not tend to make the fishermen very
ardent tarin men or protcctlOnists. They viii he
unable 10 see why their business, which comes
directly In competition with The bounty fed fisheries
OF England aud France, should be The one selected
fol- The free trade experiment. and, too the one lrst
to be yielded up 10 English greed.
Tue treaty Is az remarkable for what 1t leaves nm.
SAID as we nave found IL TO be in what 1t Includes.
IN the lace OF Tue fact ina. half dozen OF our YES
sells have been seized and brought before the Cana
dan courts for confiscation during the past year,
Tor making harDor ana shelter, anu buying bait and
provisions IN The BAYS and ports or the provinces,
there Is no provision In the treaty assuring us
Immunity from such seizures hereafter or
making any provision for reparatlon for injuries
indicted In the past. Upon this point tho
treaty Is absolutely SILENT True IL Is that under the
law of nations, as part Of the commercial marine
or friendly Power, our dshing vessels ought no. to
be seized, although they may remain more than
tWenty-iouf hours In port although they may par
u