New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-22
UUJTE SIAVERY ~ CANADA.

A ST. Johns, (New foundand), correspondent
of The Montreal Ga=ette has been calling attcn-
ton recently 20 most disgraceul state of things
connected with the Labrador fishery. 1t may
be remembered that during the late disastrous
gale on the Labrador coast Il singularly large
number of women and children were reported
as lost At the tine it was not possible TO ac
count for this, but the correspondence referred
to makes the whole matter plain. 1t has for
many year. been the custom to transport, ut the
opening of the fishing season, several thousand
women and children to Labrador. where they
remain four months, engaged i'll curing tn fish
caught by the men. They are carried to the
scene of their labors packed in the holds of
small vessels, and the horrors of this passage,
as described by those familiar with the facts,
rival those Of the..dreadful middle passage in
the old slave trade. Not only women and chill
dren but animals of several kinds, dogs, sheep,
goats, etc, are slowed in the close aud filthy
hold and as the weather is generally rough the
matches are usually kept down all the time.
The massage takes from ten days TO two
weeks. On reaching Labrador the passengers
are exhausted and half poisoned by foul air and
filth They are, however, forced to go on shore
at once and clean out the turf huts which have
been filed with Ice and snow ill the winter
In these wretched novels, which are always
damp and dirty, the poor creatures must live
throughout the season. The curing Of the fish
is n laborious aud incessan task and at the end
of the season, having meanwhile been ILL., fed
worse lodged, and worn out by hard work, the
white slaves are once more packed into the
noisome holds of the schooncrs and consigned
A. III; A eff n fro
ouent toward the close of the season, and as it
is almost impossible for the inmates of tho hold
TO get out in the event of an emergency, the
wrecks which are numerous in the fall of the
year too often include the drowning of whole
families Ill rats in a trap. This is how it came
to pass that so many women and children were
lost in the late severe gale on the coast of Lab
rador.
Perhaps the most remarkable fact is that this
system of white slavery has been in existence
for half century, and that it is only now be-
ginning to attract attention and to call forth
the strong condemnation it deserves. Meth
odist minister who went as a missionary to
Labrador and lived there several years fully
confirms all that has been said of the condition
of things, and gives some personal experiences
which are shocking in the revelations they en-
body. 1t il said that the owners of the vessels
that carry the women to Labrador make 80
great profit out of the trade by the extortion-
ate fares they charge that they are unwilling to
have any reforms introduced That is quite
credible, for the greed of gain will habituate
men to the commission of almost any iniquity.
The case, however, is one which calls for
remedial legislation, and it is minated that the
Dominion Parliament will have bill for the
purpose brought before it this winter. Ger
tainly the existence of such state of affairs is