New-York tribune., 1879-09-29
THE FISHERIES QUESTION.
HOW THE TREATY WORKS.

|
| VISIT To THE CENTRE OF THE NEw-ENGLAND
| FISHING INTEREsTs-rHE OPINIONS OF AN OLD
CAPTAIN" PUT on THE TARIFF AGAIN "-NrTr-
TUDR OF THE PRovIsCIALs.
| IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRrBUNE.l
| GLOUCESTER. Mass, Sept. 19.-The fishing inter
ests of the New-England coast have been concen-
trating for years past In Gloucester. The glory OF
Provncetown and Wellneet is departing. Marble
head, which once sent 200 sail TO the Banks. has
scarcely dozen vessels. NewburypOrt and Essex
long ago gave up the business. But within the lit
tie land-locked Bay of Gloucester it il unusual
sight TO see hundred trim little schooners unload
ing their fares or getting ready to go to sea. In
fact the town lives the fisheries. The wharves
are covered with cod drying upon frames. In the
warehouses you may men packing big white
halibut In Ice. sailing down mackere and herring,
or cutting up the long black swordfish. Nothing
Is thrown away. The heads of the cod
are made TO yield up their oil; the
swords are dried and sent to the brewers
as isin2assI the livers yield concentrated food
and medicine for cOnsumptives. and the skins and
refuse make excellent manure. In no occupation Is
the characteristic New-Engand economy
fully practsed. Nearly all the pretty, freshly
painted houses with their door-yards full of old
fashioned flowers, Of which there many in the
town, were built with the profits Of fishing or deal
ing In fish. The stores display fishing accoutroments
as the most important part of their stock The local
newspaper gives much of its space to the news oi
the movements and good or bad fortune of the fish
ing craft. To Gloucester. therefore, pondent
naturally comes to learn from the fishermen them
selves how the business is thriving. how 1t is af-
fected by the treaty with England which gives the
Canadians the free of our markets, and how
they are'treated by the PrOvincals when they at
tempt TO enjoy the privilege Of inshOTe fishing for
which our Government has paid $500, 900 in hard
cash.
| There is but one opinion here as to the treaty.
Everybody tells you that our GoyerDment has been
grossly insulted. The repeal of tariff on imported
fish was worth far more to the Canadians than the
privileges they gave MS In return. Then we wero
mulcted out of five and half millions by the Hall
| fax Commission. and now that the money is paid
and the PrOyincials are underselling our fishermen
in markets, they determined not TO
allow us to enjoy the rights We have purchased at
so dear price. They harass our fishermen with
local laws against seining for bait, although that
privilege was specified in the arguments before the
| Commission as something of great value, conceded
| by the Canadians and was literally accounted for
| In tho award. The Canadians claim that In pur-
suing the inshore fishery under the treaty our
| fishermen subject TO all the restrictions their
local legislatures may it to impose on their own
people, and they argue that the phraseoogy of the
fishing clause in the Washington Treaty Is borrowed
verbatum from the Reciprocity Treaty, and hat
Secretary Marcy conceded the obligation Of our fish
ermen under the Reciprocity Treaty to obey the
| provincial laws. On our side il is claimed that inn
munity from these laws was the very thing for
which we we're taxed the enormous sum of five and
halt millions by the commission for without such
immunity the local laws could be executed by
| ofio tha tshi 10
| of no value to us whatever. Thus the question
stauds at present with the position OF Govern
! ment sharpIv amphasig~d ~ co0-s.~-y- E~""ts's
| demand for $1O3.OO0 indemnity for the Fortune
Bay outrage.
AN Old FIsHEEMANs OPINIONS.
While | was talking with the Collector of Gus
toms this morning the captain of a fishing schooner
came ill., He had run into the harbor on bis way up to
coast to learn from the Collector whether there was
! any hope that the Government would ahrOgate the
treaty and restore the duty. Our business is GO
ing 10 rum" he said IL was at Provincctown few
days ago and saw a dozen large schOoners hauled
up The owners will not fit them out because
there is no money 10 be made, and the men who
would be glad to man them are idle on shore or
have gone away to find other employment. At Well
feet saw ten or twelve more vessels doing nothing.
In Essex, where nearly all our vessels are built
| there used always to be from twelve TO twenty
ON the stocks. Now you won't find a single fisher
man building there. New vessels are not salable
at half their cost. have fine 200-ron schooner
down at the wharf. ! had her built three years
ago. and she cost me 5000. used to sail "A small
craft, but | thought as | was getting old and
wouldn't be likely to follow the sea much longer
would have something in which | could take a
little comfort. / calculated | was worth some
money then. Now couldn't get more than $4,000
| z. IL. IN buV
Iwalked down TO the waer-side with the captain
TO see tie craft he had built to take comfort in. On
the way he talked about the treaty and the Halifax
| award " can't fluid out what we paid the money
forr he said "we have got no more privileges than
we had before. The policy of our Government Is
destroying tine fishing interest. Look at that har-
bor there In the old times I've seen il 80 ful that
Won could almost walk across on the decks of the
vessels. II resemblcd a ced ,r swamp 50 thick were
the masts Five hundred fishing craft lying there
were no great sight IN those days, bu now If there
are a hundred aud fifty in at once it is thought re-
markabe."
"What can the Government do to help matters ~
| / asked.
Put on the tariff again. replied the captain.
Rut the Proyincias would retaliate by shutting
Won ont of the inshore fisheries if should refuse
70 carry out our part of the treaty. LET them.D
said the captain, d" we would be better off than We
are now Let us take care of our fishing and let
them do what they please ; that's al we ask"
/" But why cannot you expert Massachusetts,
fishermen with yonr fine vessels and superior tackle
catch and sell fish to compete with the Canadians
! Oh even terms without tariff y
"Wen III tell you. Most of the fishing in the
Provinces is done IN small boats that represent
almost no capital. They put Out from shore, fill up
with fish. scull IN and unload and 90 out again.
We have to make long cruise to get to the fishing
| grounds ana must nave staunch vessels of consld-