The Portland daily press., 1886-04-10
THE FISHERIES.
MR.. Frye Calls up His Resolution in
the Senate.
His Speech in Support of the Meas
ure.

| WASHINGTON, April 9.--Mr. Frye called
up the fishery resolution in the Senate at
| o'clock this afternoon, and spoke for two
| hours. Ee was listened to with interest, and
| was seyeml times questioned by the senators
| on both SIDES of the chamber. At the con-
| clusion O. his speech, the Washington Terri
| tory bill, which had been temporarily laid
| aside, was again taken up. Mr.. Frye will
| endeavor to complete the consideration of
| the resolutions tomorrow. Senators Morgan,
Edmunds and possibly Eyarts will speak
on them. Mr.. Frye spoke as follows:
Mr.. President-The President OF the United
States in his annual message, says:
recommend that the Congress provide for the
appointment of commission in which the Gov
ernments of the United States and Great Britain
the consideration and settlement, upon just
equitable, and honorable basis, OF the entire ques
tion of thefshing rights OF the two governments
and their respective citizens on the coasts of the
United States and British North America.
And this brings Congress to the consideration OF
our fishermen but to the nation. confess that
feel profound interest in its determination, for
the state in part represent will be largely affect
ed by it for good or for ILL., By the last census the
interestsof the State of Maine in the sea fisheries
are second only TO those of Massachusetts,. .Pernit
me to give the statistics:
Persons employed yed............... 11,o71
Tennae. enIss 'tdPaeS Of same. 17es2s5
Fishing boats Observation-Disclosures. $500
dastries ie.. " ..'o : - ss,s75ss4
Pounds Of sea products as they come
from the water .......... 2O2,O4S, ,449
Value of sea products as they come
from the water Sl,79O,o49
r prepared @ for the market. ... lie, 1872 ,o49
preparation '. .... - - s1,s23, 1923
Value of sea products in marketable
30 Al
But, sir, this industry is not confined to my
State, nor to New England as is frequently assert
ed 1t extends down the whole Atlantic coast IN
to the Gulf of Mexico up the Pacific coast into the
Alaskan waters, and along the great lakes. 1t is,
too an industry susceptible of an enormous growth
Unobstructed, without bounty or subsidy, or spec.
treaties with England, there is no reason why our
fishing feet shall not in ten years number 10000
vessels, manned by 100000 of the hardest, most
skilled, and bravest sailors in the world-saiors
who, at the bugle-eall of the Republic will prompt
ly respond and make us invincible on the ocean,
And yet, Notwithstanding the marvellous increase
i'll the demand for the products OF the hSherles
we are compelled to witness phenomenal in
crease in the fishing fleet and men OF the Domln-
ion of Canada and mortifying decrease in our
own. AT the opening OF the struggle for our lnde-
pendence we had in the New England fleet alone
665 yessels-about one-third as many as now
while the consumption of fish in the country is
twenty times greater than then. Why, sir, during
sets has fallen off 27o vessels, or 90 per cent,
while Maine has lost even larger proportlon-7o
vessels i'll 1884 alone.
Why then is it that this industry seems now to
have caught on to our fast disappearing foreign
carrying trade? There is nothing occult about it,
and no alchemist is needed for its solution.
A brief review of our negotiations with Great
Britain reveals the true cause. AS her colony, we
had for our fishermen the use of the seas. In the
treaty of 1888 our rights were fully secured by
Article III.
/ call attention now, Mr.. President, to the
OF 81 e Of
cry clauses of the "treaty OF washington" In
the negotiation of this England eylnced neither
magnanimity nor sentiment and our commission
ers neither sagacity nor courage. BY Its terms
England laid the foundation for ceaseless de-
mand and nytsq an mer S0OS 70 " 9e nrages IN
their name which would disgrace any civilization
call attention to Article l. land the United
tofore enjoyed and claimed by the inhabltants ias
thereof to take, dry, or cure fish on or within
e maTs ar ss S anY a.
mnionS in America, not included WITHIN the
aforementioned limits with proy1so that our
fishermen might enter these bays, &C., for shelter
or to repair damage, to purchase wood and take
water but for no other purpose. We reserved to
ourselves only the commonest rights OF hospitality
and renounced all commercial privileges whatSo-
ever. But, to be accurate, ought not to say re
nounced all commercial privileges for up to that
time under England'S peculiar colonial policy, we
had enjoyed no such privileges. In 1919 the Eng
lsh Parliament passed an act construlng TINS az,
ticle, making it an offense If our vessels had
fshed, were then fishing or preparing to nsh;
within the shore line, and the colonial courts held
that when vessel within the shore line. was pre-
pairing to fish outside OF it she was liable to selz-
Further England claimed that this three-nile
line was to be measured outside OF line drawn
| frae that On tie br0fesstl De eb would include
subsequently nef hGt b hos as never @
renounced it, For several years we had but little
trouble under this treaty; then It came IN per
feet avalanche. England and her colony coveted
our increasing market, and as usual, WITHOUT d
scruple, went for It. c,a..,,,,,.u,o,, o.o f,,,
The records OF the Halfax commission are !i auli
of evidences of Illegal seizures; OF seizures ana
condemnations on complaints OF the most Trivial
and inconseqLential character; OF every concelya-
RIGHTS of Hospitality and friendly intercourse In
the pursuit Of these unjustihable metnoas sEng
land and her colony had but one purpose-te force
open our markets. and in 1854 their EFFORTS were
crowned with success in the rathcatlon OF tne so
called reciprocity treaty" reciprocal, however,
largely only in name dney opened Iep am cnntn.
ing myself Mr. President, strictly to the questlon
in issue, and, therefore, do not discuss the other
features of that treaty Its effects upon our nSI-
cries al indicated clearly and Enthusiastically by
the statistics of this industry. In 1884 we had
employed in this industry tonnage OF 4foUoo M ~: In
1867 when the treaty was abrogated, our ton
mage was 165 900. By reason OF change IN tne
method of measurement, this last amount should
a fair comparison. 1t must be borne in mind that
during the whole life of this treaty we were pay
ing bounty of 81 a ton to our fishermen
AttIle earliest possible moment, underltS terms,
we gave the required notice for the abrogatlon OF
this treaty, and believe there was found no man
in Congress poor enough to do it reverence. I'M
mediately following this abrogation Canada re-
sorted to the license system, imposing upon our
fishermen the first year tonnage tax OF 5o cents
a ton for the privilege of fishing in their waters;
the second year, 81; the third, 81; and our hsn-
ermen declined to avail themselves Of the dearly
purchased privilege. The eXperlment proving
failure, she promptly resorted to the old and NTH
erto successful tactics of outrage, seizure, con-
demnation, and denial of commercial rights, until
the patience of our Government was exhausted,
and Congress indicated, by its reception OF "a
memorial of the fishermen of the United States"
that retaliatory legislation was imminent, when,
unfortunately for our interests, we threw our our
selves once more beneath the triumphant wheels
Of Great Britain's diplomatic chariot and ratified
the treaty of Washington in 1871. Under it,
terms and by the finding of commission, we Sc.
cured the right to fish Within the shore line Of
Canada, the right of wood, water, and shelter,
of drying fish, under limitations. We paid for
these worthless rights and privileges $5,500O O00,
and gave Canada once more our market We re-
mitted, during the life of the treaty, IN duties
nearly $6,ooo,oo0.
Year ending values dntjes
June oo- remitted
1914 S1 687 234 O1 IS 3o2 882 21