The Republican journal., 1885-10-22
The Fishing Interest.


FISH BUREAU.
To THE EDITOR OF THE Boston JOURNAL: ::
The address recently issued by the Boston Fish
Bureau and circulated throughout the country
appealing to the retail dealers and iobbers in
fish throughout the country for assistance in
securing the renewal of either the "Washing-
ton" or "Reciprocity Treaties" is SO full of
mis.tatemcnts and so pregnant with falacies
that It cannot fail to have a very marked and
damaging effect upon the public mind, unless
these fallscies and misstatements are exploded,
and the fact. as they exist put before the coun-
try and shown in their true light. The Boston
Fish Bureau, so called, last year consisted of
twenty-seven subscribers, seventeen Of whom
are doing business in Boston, two In New York,
two In ST. Louis, one in Philadelphia, one in
Albany, and four in Provncetown and Well
fleet. OF this number four of the Boston MEM
bers and ali of The Provincetown and Welfeet
subscribers are bitterly opposed to the renewal
of either of the treaties mentioned. The re-
mainder are men VINO have but very little and
the majority of them have no interest whatever
In the production of fish, and but very small
amount of money, il any. invested in fishing
circular emanates from number of what we
may term "inidde men," whose purpose it is
TO buy as cheaply as possible of the fishermen
and TO sell al as large profit 10 the retailer as
competition will allow, which, Of course, Is
perfectly legitimate.
| simply state these facts to show the public
that this addres. of the Boston Fish Bureau Is
not put forth by authority of any one connected
with the fishing interest proper. In thi. adj
dress they tell the public that there are fish for
w iph fbpv nhI ina1 tn lnnl tn Snot 10
for supply in the main, and among others
they name the large. fat herring and the large,
fat mackerel, intimating at the same time that
if this treaty is not renewed they will be de-
barred from receiving their requisite supply on
account of the small duty imposed The new
order of things has been in operation about
three months. and during the last month alone
from 5000 to 1000 barrels Of the very same large,
fat herring have been received in Boston, and
the price, which to-day is S. per barrel, Is the
exact average price that they have sold at dur
ing the last five years in September. My au-
thoriiy for this statement is the report of the
Boston Fish Bureau. This addres. proceeds to
say the catch of mackerel upon our coast for
several years past has been mostly of small size,
which is true. Last year these fish were most
ly "No. 3s.' This year they are mostly mo.
2s," and next year they will probably run about
all NO. Is" this change being occa.ioned by
successive years growth. While this is true of
fish upon the New England coast, it is equally
true of the mackerel in Canadian waters, and
to substantiate this assertion quote the follow
ing from the report of the Boston Fish Bureau,
issued January, 1885: "Nova Scotia mackerel
have been more like those taken by our own
fishermen az regards size, but rer .tat mackerel
from Hts So"ire." 1t is clearly apparent that
there is a discrepancy somewhere. and to cor
roborate this quote from the Canadian Minis
ter of Marine and Fisherie. report for the year
1854: The yield of mackerel amounts to 156,-
GOO barrels. Ihe HSh aePre generality SmaU, ho~erer,
and sold at low rates. The officers of the ''Bu-
reau" must be more careful either in making
their report or III issuing circulars or they will
be accused OF Intentionally deceiving the public.
The price of No. l mackerel, which in 1888
ranged from S11 to SIG per barrel, and in 1854
from Sll 30 to $50 per barrel Figures taken
from report of the Boston Fish Bureau). dur
ing which time fish We're entered free, are to-
day selling for 515 per barrel for September
caught fish, which are the finest quality Of the
year, 0nd the, Hashu,gtoa Treaty Is oJ1ogated aRd
tie dat4 Is impo2n} Again. they assert that the
putting of duty upon fish will result in pro
hhition of imports" One of the abest of the
Canadian states men, in speaking of the effects
of the abrogatiOn of the Washington Treaty
upon the Canadian fisheries, says: "We shall
be obliged to send our large, fat mackere to
the United States. whatever be the duty i'm
posed, 0S Il IS tie ohip mulkst IRE hufe toJ MrH "
There seems to be difference of opinion upon
this matter between the Boston Fish Bureau
ami the Canadian statesman. Every man who
Is acquainted with the fishing business knows
that the statesman is correct and it makes no
difference whether the duty is s. or 50 per
barrel, they will be sent here to sell. and the
Boston trade will pay for them what they
please, and the man who ships them will have
10 pay the duty to the Custom House before
they can be disposed of, and the consumer has
nothing whatever to do with it.
This committee % further, and assert that
they need the bard. dry Goldfish of Newfound-
1aNI aud oil, 81. .1l- alt nnp Nov