The Republican journal., 1886-01-28
The Fishery Question.

iAo 1ohOiJ S'No"oioAAi
Especial Dispatch to The Boston Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. l3. Mr.. Babson, eN
Collector of Customs, of Gloucester has ar
rived here aS the representative Of the New
England fishermen to urge that Congress do
not give effect to the recommendations Of the
Administration on the subject of the fisheries.
lie says that the New England fishermen do
not want the commission suggested by the
Presidents message, and that there is 10 diviS-
ion upon this subject along the political line
there. The argument which he Will make TO
members of the Committees on Foreign Affairs
of the two houses is, in outline, this: The
New England fishermen ask no legislation;
they desire to prevent legislation. The ap
pointment of commission would put the fish
ng interests in jeopardy. TO defeat the pro
posed commission would give security TO the
fishing interests The proposition for the ap-
pointnent OF Il commission proceeds upon the
assumption of British Minister West and of
Sir Ambrose Shea that the fisheries OF the
United states are pursued, Ill great measure.
in British waters. That assumption is false.
The cod and haibut fisheries are deep SEA fish
cries, and are pursued on the banks outside Of
the jurisdiction both of the United States and
Of Great Britain. No commission or treaty
can have any more jurisdiction Of these deep
sea fishing grounds than it could have Of the
light and the air. The herring and squid and
capelan used for bait are purchased by our
fishermen of the Canadian local fishermen, and
if We are prevented from going into British
waters TO get the bait the Canadian fishermen
will bring the bait out beyond the line to our
fishermen TO retain their best and almost their
only market. The Canadian fishermen now
carry the bait to st. Peters, French possess
ion, to find a small market; they will be certain
to take it to the American fishermen beyond the
line upon the banks. The fishermen Of New
foundland have very ScantN resources for Il
livelihood outside of the market for their bait,
and they will 90 where the market is to be
found. The only inShore fishery that is Of amy
possible value to American fishermen is the
mackere fishery. and for the twelve years of
the existence of the Washington treaty the
value of the mackcrcl caught by American
fishermen within the Canadian limits was not
equal to the cost of catching them. Moreover,
the method of fishing within the last few years
has allnos, entirely changed, and the change
has rendered the supposed advantages which
Canada had to offer us of much less value.
There is practically now no fishing for macker-
c by the hook and line. The ocean from Hat
tcraS to the Bay of Fundy is now one immense
>eining ground and the process of SEEMING has
driven the mackcrel from their former courses.
so that in most seasons the fishing i'll the Gulf
of st. Lawrence is of little value to American
fishermen.
Our fishermen prefer to take their chances
without free salt fish from Canada to trusting
their fortunes to the hazards of a commission.
They cannot forget that they have been the
losers by every negotiation made by Il conlnl>-
SION The fishermen have never had repre-
sentative upon any commission who knew their
interests, and the concessions that have been
made have been in ignorance of the interests of
our fishermen. The system is bad enough. The
duty on salt fish imported into the United
States is one-haf cent per pound. while the
duty on American salt fish exported to Canada
under the new tariff is one cent per pound.
Fresh fish imported from Canada Is duty free,
and the Treasury department has constructed
the tariff act 50 that fish brought in in ice is
classed as fresh fish This includes halibut,
which is sometimes kept in ice eight weeks be-
fore it is brought to our markets, and salmon,
which is frozen solid and kept for months. If
commission must be authorized, the New
England fishermen wish to have il limited to
the subject of the fisheries alone, and not have
the subject complicated with any other.
Representatives Stone and Rice and senators
IIoar and Dawes, in fact all the Massachusetts
Congressman, with Senator Frye and New
England members generally, are cooperating
with Mr.. Babson to defeat the commission pro-
ject. The House Foreign Affairs Committee
has the subject before it through the Presidents
message, and it is reported that Perry Belmont,
the Chairman, will introduce a resolution
which will represent the views of the Admins
tration. Secretary Bayard is very earnest in
behalf of commission. and commission of
the nature proposed would doubtless be in
tended to consider the whole subject of recp-
| rocity.