The Portland daily press., 1886-07-16
cANADA's STORY.
Statements by the Dominion Minis
ter of Fisheries and Marine.
The Treaty of 1918 to be Enforced
Vigorously in the Future as
in the Past.
Why Our Fishing Steamers Cannot
Buy Coal in Nova Scotian Ports.
Reasons for Prohibiting SEEMING in
Passamaquoddy Bay.

Hon. Mr.. Foster, Canadian Minister OF
Marine and Fisheries, is at st. Andrew, n.
b., on tour of investigation in regard to
the fisheries. On Wednesday, he was seen
by a representative of the Boston Journal,
to whom he talked very freely regarding the
questions now agitating the Canada and
American fishermen. { When asked if there
had been any change in the orders for the
enforcement of the terms of the treaty of
1878 since the seizure of the David j. Adams
at Digby, he replied that there had not, and
continued: II have noticed reports pub
lished to the effect that there have been, and
that it was the intention to hereafter enforce
only tle restriction as to fishing within the
three-mile limit Such reports had no foun-
dation, and the reported interviews with me
that have been sent out from Ottawa have
been Just as baseless. The right of Canada
to enforce an imperial treaty has been ques-
toned by some people in the United States
but those people do not understand the pow
ers possessed by the Canadian government.
In our present position we have the approval
of the Imperial Government, notwlthstand-
ing all reports to the contrary"
'Then the Imperial Government has not
recently cautioned the Canadian Government
dllu uOblucQ yOu tiltt1 ~ 0Ouiu hOo ouPPOA'
you in the course you have been pursuing
toward the American fishermen?" asked the
correspondent.
"Oh, no. We have the full support of the
Imperial government 1t has been claimed
by some persons, notably Senator Frye and
Mr. Dingley, that the treaty of 1918 has be-
come obsolete because of subsequent reclp-
rocal legislation. cannot see how that can
be. The convention was for the settlement
of the fisheries question alone, and the legis-
lation that has subsequently taken place has
been intended for the benefit of the CONNER
cial relations of England and the United
States. For this reason | cannot see how it
can affect the fisheries at all. In all customs
matters there is very distinct line drawn
between merchant vessels and fishing YES
sels Each are expected to pursue different
business, and to take out different papers
from the custom house. The business pur,
sued is totally unlike, and why, then, should
legislation for the benefit of commercial re.
lations be construed as affecting the action OF
the convention that settled the fisheries
question in 1882
fishing vessel the right to touch and trade are
of no value in Canadian ports?'
81 have noticed that some confusion. has
existed over that matter, and it has been
claimed that an American Customs Collector
could give fisherman papers allowing him
to touch and trade at Canadian ports. If
| that could be done to an American vessel,
| the Canadian government gould do IL TO one
| of our fishing vessels, and the distinction be-
| tween fishing vessel and a merchant vessel
would be destroyed. II an American
| merchant vessel comes into our ports it ex-
| periences no difficulty in obtaining anything
| it may desire so long as it obeys the customs
| law, The fishing vessels are likewise eX-
| pected to obey the laws regarding the
| fisheries, and these are based on the treaty
| of 1915"
fishing vessel could lawfully obtain bait
| would be to change its character for the
| time being; that is, to take out the papers of
| a merchantmen and clear for Digby or some
| other Canadian port After entering at the
| Custom House she could buy what bait
might be desired, but on leaving she must
clear in the same. character for Eastport or
| some other American port?"
sThat's it. A vessel doing business as a
| merchantmen could do that. No vessel
could 90 from Canadian port to fishing
| grounds without first going to an American
| port"
ssAre the orders given the Collectors or
| Customs and the captains of the cruisers
identical regarding the enforcement of the
| treaty."
ssNot quite. Each, you know, is appointed
for special purpose, and for that reason we
| have not given the Collectors of Customs so
| rigid orders as we have given the captains
| of cruisers. Many of the Collectors, while
good men for their regular work, are not ex-
| actlv the men who would be selected for the
rigid enforcement OF the nsherles treaty
| Their orders are to hold vessel believed to
have violated the treaty till the matter is re-
ported to Ottawa for advice
Are the cruisers under similar orders re-
garding first reporting cases to OttawaY
mot quite 1Thev can make seizures with
out such delay Wnen the cruisers are sent
out they are given the orders that have been