The Portland daily press., 1885-06-20
THE FISHERIES.

The Boston Herald of yesterday contained
long and intelligent review of the fisheries
disputes between the United States and Great
Britain and her provinces since the treaty
Of 1918 was ratified. The PRESS has already
on several occasions given the points at issue
between the two countries; but in view of
the near approach of the expiration of the fish
cry clauses of the Treaty of Washington itmay
not be amiss to revert to the subject briefly,
At present under these clauses fish are adj
mitted into this country free of duty. In 9TH
er words, the American is shorn of all protec-
lection in the markets of his own country, and
the Canadian, by virtue Of his cheaper vessels
and crews, can beat him on his own grounds.
In return for this concession and by the paw
ment Of very large, and now universally
admitted to be very unjust, bonus, the
American fisherman obtained the right to
fish inside the three mile limit from which he
was excluded by the treaty of 1918. The
fishermen say, and they prove it incontesta-
bly, by statistics, that this privilege is a mere
bagatelle in comparison with what they give
the Canadians in the surrender of their home
markets An American fisherman does not
exist who does not believe that it is
necessary to the salvation of his
business that the duty on fish be re-
stored, and any arrangement between the
United States and the Dominion which
contemplateS the continuance of the admis-
sion of fish caught by Canadians free of duty
will encounter the fishermen's united opposi-
ton. The American fisherman is perfectly
willing to abide by the treaty of 1915 provid-
cd rot fai 10,
enforced. What he complains of, and what
he asks his government to protect him from,
is the deprival of rights guaranteed to him
under that treaty, by the narrow and parti-
san rulings of Canadian courts and the dis
ordinations made against him in the appl
cation of the rules of evidence.
1t is significant fact that it is the Cana
dian and not the American fisherman who is
making most of the talk about the necessity
Of some new arrangement concerning the
fisheries. 1t is the Canadian who is doing
all Of the agitating on the subject. BY
threats of a renewal of the old outrages I'M
der the treaty of 1918, by fitting out swift
cruisers to capture luckless American YES
sells with mackerel scales upon their decks,
that accidentally get within the three mile
limit, by the appropriation Of money osten-
sibly todefend Canadian fisheries against
outrages on the part of Americans which it
processes to believe are threatened the Do
minion government is seeking to coerce the
government of the United States into renew
ing the present arrangement. The reason of
thesCanadian's anxiety is apparent to any
body acquainted with the history of the Ca
madam fishing industry since the Washing
ton treaty went into operation, Since
that time its development has been exceed
ingly rapid, and naturally enough Canadians
view the prospect of the abrogation
of treaty which has done so much for them
with alarm, and are resorting to all sorts of
devices to avert it. They cannot be blamed
They have an uncommonly good thing and
want to keep it. But an American Congress
that lets them keep it will be entitled to the
blue ribbon for stupidity.