The Portland daily press., 1881-01-25
THE HALIFAX AWARD.
Prof. Kinds Statement Confirmed
by Consul Jackson.
THE WORTHLEsSNEsS OF CANADIAN
STATISTICS.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-The State Depart
ment has received a report from Morti-
NOR NJ jackson. our Consul General to
Halifax, N. S., which confirms the statements
made by Prof Kinds that the fishery stat sites
upon which the Halifax award was based have
been manipulated by the Canadian authorities.
Mr.. JacksOn's report is dated Nov. II, which
is prior to the publication of Prof Kinds let
ter, and it cannot for that reason be charged to
be mere imitation of Prof. Kinds statement.
The portion of Consul Jackson's report relat-
ting to this particular subject makes the fol-
lowing points:
The value of the fisheries of the Dominion
of 1879, as reported by the Canadian statistics,
is exactly double that of 1870. The schedule of
the fishery products specifies sixty differ emit
kinds of fish, including all the river fisher ics
80 it seems that the river fisheries OF all the
Canadian provinces and Prince Edwards Is
land were included as basis of the Halifax
award. AS to the mackerel fishery, which is
of the most interest in the United States, Con-
sui Jackson says that there is a material dis
crepancy as to the entire value of the Dominion
mackerel fisheries of 1871 as set forth in the
report of the Minister OF Marine and Fisher
les, and the statement of the Fishery Commits
soner, Mr.. Whitcher. The Minister gives the
total value of the maekerel fishery for tn at
year at S., SIC, S07, while the Fishery Commits
sioner reports the total value for the same year
at 81 49,, 306, making difference in value of
$1,517, sol. In the estimates that follow the
government takes the value of the Fishery
Commissioner as the one that is correct, show
ing that the Minister'S estimates were 81 ,0OO,-
600 in excess of the product of any year be-
tween 1869 and 1879. A comparison of the
Canadian official labels shows that taking the
period from 1873 to 1879, the mackerel bears in
point OF value to the total fish product a pro-
portion of less than one-seventh. In view of
this fact MIR. jackson concludes that there
must be deal error in the estimates of the
Dominion officials as to the aggregate value
ST the fisheries of the Dominion. The
total value of the mackerel fisheries
from 1873 to 1879, the Canadian Fishery
commissioners put at $10,543,975, while the
Canadian Government, in its official returns,
reports the value of exports of mackerel to the
United States for the same period *, 559, 229
1t assumes that half of the mackerel caught in
the Dominion waters, as compared with the
quantity exported to other countries, is con-
sumed in the Dominion, yet the pal
dealers say the consumption of picked mack.
erel as compared with the amount exported is
mere fractional, and that the number of bar
rels sent from the maritime to the upper prov
inces is not one in twenty of the quantity ex.
ported. From these facts jackson concludes
that the total catch has been greatly over
estimated.
jackson produces statistics to show that, in
the year 1879, in which the largest total catcl
of fish ever made in the Dominion was report
ed, while the Americans engaged in Canadian
inshore fisheries lost money, Canada saved un.
der the operation of the treaty, by the remis
sion of duties on fish and the products of fish
exported to the United States, not less thar
| $3.50, 900.