Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-01-26
IoraI ann State Nems.
The Fishery Hearing.

oefore tue COMMITTEE on fishelIes in behalf Of
the petitioners. lie read letter from Gen John
NJ. Brown Of Falmouth, which detsiled the dis..-
trous operations of the porgy steamer. in Casco
bay, and which stated that many Po and remon-
strsnts had signed under Interpretation OF
facts.
Judge Goddard thought that Hon. John B.
Brown, the Generals father, was a Conspit ous in
stance lie thea spoks of the danger of ttihiug
with natural or social laws in efforts ut prog
rcSs. he advance Of civilization required the
cutting down of pant Of the primevRl forests. and
permitted reasonable pursuit of game.
put Palestine had been made desert by tue
reckless destruction of the woods while Egvtt
n"u oeen redeemed to comparative fertility nv the
IttIahuhg OF millions tf trees. Tsc present
Niceroy actually had rendered obsolete one pas
sage OF scripture which speaks of 'the land Of
Egypt where there is no rain" While the evter-
m'hst'oh Oh ln.eGivorous birds has brought the
grasshoppels Of Holy Writ upon the once fertile
States of the West.
So disregard Of social laws has disturbed tho
relations of capital and labor. and introduced in
to Pennsylvania rcbellons among the miner.
and strikes and riot, throughout wide areas of
the Middle States.
such lawless outbreaks must he repressed and
the ringleadeis punished and If necessary eSecu-
ted. But wise stttesmsnshlp will also seek to
ascertain and to remove the causes of such evils
Now The repeal in lS7. of tue protective act of
1900, has ruined our shore fisheries. Once our
fishermen recruited the finest navy in the world
and were deemed worthy of national encourage
ment. But the Jealousy Of Other Statos repesled
our bounty lsws,snd tss influence of the yorgy in
terest was able to repeal our own act of 1865.
From that time, the shore fishery has declined
and IS now on the verge of extinction.
Is may be coincidence, but IT is believed To
be case of cause and effect.
The porgy steamers destroy the fishermen,
hslt, and they irshten away the cod and the
bake, while they Incident,y slaughter and waste
untold quantities Of shsd.
The occupation of the fisherman with his boat
and bis net gone. Once he set his nets at night
IN sight OF his own house and in the morning
took hisibait. and at night return with hs fish.
Now NE is at btst dependent on the will of tho
COMMANDER OF the porgy steam feet, who,
cordinR to the testimony, gives away, sells at a
low or at high plee, or refuses to sell bait, at
his own sovereign pleasure.
When he sails At Is or IL miles an hour in pur-
suit OF fish, his time worth $40 minute, he saws
he cannot stop 10 give or sell bait; however ex-
IRENE may Dc the ii-hermsn's need.
The counsel for remon'trants expressed great
anxiety about the parent ige OF the bill. Ii was an
honest search after knowledge as sincere = case of
doubt as that Of the phsrl.eas a. to the origin of
the mission OF John the Baptist.
Inc bill emauAtsd from the Commission on the
Fisheries, created by the lat Leg stature and the
chairman, Judge Llbhv If the Suprems Cosrt,
drew AID revised t. The counsel need not trOH-
BILE themselves about It's con>ttutionallty
If the pjIEy compauic, built at Bou'hbav, and
butt under the act Of 1871 they did it at their own
isk. 1t was DO legislative pledge; If 1t was, then
tne hshel men can plead an older pledge of 1868.
Half is far, and the comp mics had had more than
haf. IL the supply OF porgics is iuexhaustible,
then It IS the he ght of sehshness by the steamers
to demand al, and to leave the shore fishermen
none. The steamers can follow tue shoals INTO
the deep sea, while the fsherman's boats are litn-
tied to sails and oars If the pOigy Embellishments
of such value to the towns of Bristol Boott-
bay, and other points IN Lincoln county. tow j. il
that according to the testimony some of those ef-
Adjustments fail to pay to tue fishermen whose
business they have ruined, and whom they have
forced into their employment, only cents on the
dollar, while Bristol people burn up their porgy
factories aud then paw the proprietor. for them.
II the buildings are the property Of citizens Of
Name. either III whole or IN part, it will not be
denied that the feet Of steamers and their para
phernala belong to men from Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut and even New York.
If so, there Is no special occasion for sacrificing
one of the great native industries of our State for
their benefit.
1t is no uAing matter to ruin the bushes. of
the fishermen Of the wide extended coast of
Maine Bristol and Boothbay may be exceptions
but know what has been the fate my own
neghbors, the fishermen of Cape Elizabeth, Fall
mouth, Cumberland ard the Fofeside of Casco
Bay.
From the piazza Of my house in Falmouth, |
have seen the osy Infected with porgy steamers
just As Gen. Brown so graphically states, and my
nearest ueighbors, the worthy fishermen Of the
lector Of Phipsburg has testified. First. they
have be en- made dependent their snwelcone
visitors for their bait; next, the fish have dlsaI-
pesred. From prosperity they have been reduced
20 poverty Then they have become unable to
pay their taxes; soon they may be driven from
the stare In their decline from comfort to per-
ury, sIne of them are driven IutO The service Of
tn, II destrIyers and then, according TO uncontta-
oIcted testimony, are liable TO be pad oil At eight
cents on the dollar
The shore fisherman, deprived of an ird.pen-
dent livelihood and reduced to serve for small
wages, finding himself at length unable to col'ec
but an insignificant portion OF his dues comes be
fore tbs honoTOhle committee to ltara that the
time of his masters sometimes be worth ten
latlous of capital and labor, such a violation cf
socd laws, such defiance of the conditions oil
general prorricty, Ought not to he pei mited to
continue. Ii is for the legislature to apply the
remedy.
An able commits .ion has patiently examined the
subject aud prepared bill which has undergone
the revision of a learned Judge of the Supreme
court Nobody asks for the destruction Of the
porey interest all that your petitioners desire is
the protection of the shore fishery from snuha-
tion. Let both nave fair chance. Tho world
not made for Caesar only, but for Cassius also.
When the people OF London, exasperated by the
expressions Of the mobiles. asked redress of the
crown, their lea Ter, Wat. Tyler, was struck dead
by the lord mayor. Young King Richard H. with
1are TACT suppressed the impending rebellion by
the exclamation, Good people. you have lost
your leader; trust me and will be your leader"
The shore fishermen of Maine nave no organiza.
ton, they msdita'e no rebellion nor violence; but
they'ssk reasonable protection for their ancient,
honorable aud useful pursuit from tnis honorable
committee and the legislature
Ia