The Portland daily press., 1886-08-25

The reports of suffering among the Provin-
| cial fishermen, which were brought by the
naval officers who visited their waters, are
confirmed by complaints which are begin
ming to appear in Provincial papers. The
hardships of the situation have made the
people very bitter towards tho Dominion
government, and the cries for separation of
the Maritime Provinces are louder even than
during the excitement of the Nova Scotia
elections. Complaints are made that the
cruisers do not protect, and that the enforce
Ment of the regulations of the treaty of 1878
are Intellectual. This is what correspon-
dent of the Halifax Chronicle sends to that
paper from Lockeport, one Of the important
fishing towns of Nova Scotia:
Fish, our staple, are coming in in the usually
large quantities. What is to be done with them?
Markets down abroad TO the lowest no tch, and no
prospect of Improvement the United States mar
ket cut Off the result Of our government following
policy as undignifed as it is weak; and what is
the most caamitous OF all is that the great Cana
dian and Northwest markets. that were to open
up to us and receive our products of the have
as yet welcomed from us nothing but the fisher
mans hardearned money. No trade there. No
exchange OF fish for their commodities. We
have tried it, and know where of we speak n
Away with the doctrine that we are benefited by
the union. Our pockets repudiate such false teach
ing. And with such a state of affairs as this, with
no immediate signs of Improvement. The great
question seems TO be, 'What are we going to do
about t?' To answer this question satisfacto-
wisdom of a Soloman. This, however,
we do know, that unless business, as it relates to
the fisheries, improves shortly there will be a
class of people in this province this winter that
Will require help other than that which their own
hands provide.
Where are the cutters? What are they doing?
are questions often heard and easily asked, but
not to easily answered. That the Ameri-
cans catch fish within the three mile limit is true.
thew q 10 fUnt
That they ship men and purchase bait in proyin-
cial ports is undoubted That no seizures for vio-
cepton of the doubtful detention of the Adams
and Doughty, the Shelburne seizures not being
made for non cenformance with the treaty, but
for some petty customs trouble, is also true.
The extent to which Americans purchase
bait and supplies is undoubtedly exaggerat-
ed, as considerable part of the business de-
preston in Nova Scotia and the neighboring
islands is said to be due to the regulations
denying commercial intercourse with our
fishermen. But that there is great gloom
among the Provincial fishing communities is
an undoubted fact. This is shown incident
ally by a letter which an inhabitant of Deer
Island, n. B., sends to the Eastport Stan
dard. The object of the letter is to show the
extortionate conduct of j. d. BONES, the
Canadian special customs officer who has
made himself so notorious by his seizure of
small fishing boats; but more interesting
than the story of Bonnes's deeds is the ref
erence to the condition of the fishermen:
1t is a well known fact that the fisheries in the
islands of Charlotte county have this year been al
most total failure and as a result, great part
of the inhabitants are forced to live very small
pittanccs. 1t is also well known that the inhabi-
tants of these islands are dependent on PASSPORT
for market, and if out of their small earnings
they are compelled to pay duty Of from 25 to
ton must ensue. Why Mr.. Editor, do you real
ilZe the fact that many of our men with families
to support are living on from 500 to $3.50 per
year? And yet, knowing such to be the case j.
ID. BONES, like savage freebooter, swoops
down on these Islands and compels many of the
inhabitants to contribute to his illgotten gains.
While it is not at all unusual for fishing
communities to suffer periods of hardship
on account of the scarcity of fish or the in
clemency of the season, there is reason to be-
lieve that the discomforts of this year are
largely attributable to the strained relations
existing between this country and the Do
minion of Canada. The complaints of our
fishermen, on the other hand, have not been
of commercial depression, but of unreasona-
able harassment by the rigid enforcement of
customs laws.
Such reports Of the misfortunes of this
neighboring people, aside from the sympa-
thy which they excite, show that Secretary
Bayard holds the winning cards in the dip
lomatic game which he has more than once
seemed anxious to give up to the British
ministry