The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-24
CANADIANS ON AMERICAN FISHERMEN.
Congressman DIngIey Shows How
Few OF Them There Are.
How Railroad Regulations May
Teach Canada Lesson.
Canadian Sportsmen Illegally Net
ting Trout In Maine.

WASHINGTON, April 23.-"What have you
to say to the charge CT Boston paper that
three -fourths Of the fishermen employed on
New England fishing vessels are foreigners,
most of them CanaGians?" was asked of
Congressman Dingley of Maine.
81 am surprised" he replied, ''that any in
telligent person should make such state
ment, because the official returns made an
nually to the Treasury Department and COL
lected by the Commissioner of Fisheries dis
prove the assertion. There need not be any
guessing in matters of this kind. Here are
two official returns for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1887, which have been obtained at
the Office of Fish Commissioner Mcdonald;
The whole number of vessels employed in
the New England fishing industry. 1,S44;
number of men on vessels, 1900. OF these,
9,374, OF 20 per cent. were American citizens,
2,252 Canadians, and LIZA other foreign ma
tionalities, part Of them Canadians, and
most of the latter residents and intending
zens on the 500 Maine fishing vessels was 90
per cent. l have not the footings for Massa-
chusetts vessels alone for the last year, but
the census taken by Col. Wright In 1883
showed that of Il, ,435 persons employed In
all branches of the fishing industry in that
State in that year, $3.50 were American citi-
zens. and large proportion OF the 1oreign-
ers were residents. There were only $50 Ca
nadians who had not become residents"
Retaliatory Measures.
NEW YORK, April 23.-The Tribune win
print today an elaborate discussion of the
fisheries question, written by Mr.. Joseph
Nimms, Jr., formerly chief of the Bureau Of
Statistics. His conclusion is as follows:
AFTER his apparent diplomatic victory at
Washington, the fruits of which Canada
will never reap, and just before his depart
ure for England, Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain
said publicly, Canada intends to avail her
self Of her geographical advantages arising
from the nearness of her coast and harbors
to the deep sea fisheries to deny TO American
fishermen the right Of purchasing supplies,
shipping crews or transhipping their effects
in Canadian ports, unless these privileges
are paid for, either in money by the fisher
men or by the removal of your duties on salt
fish,,
"This Is not the language of diplomacy,
but of defiance. 1t breathes threat. Sir
John A. Macdonald and Sir Charles Tupper
appear to have been entirely successful in
their efforts to inculcate in the mind Of Mr..
Chamberlain the idea that diplomacy ON this
side of the water Is simply game Of bluff,
and that Canada must play her advantages
for all they are worth. But there are geo
graphical advantages ON the south side as
well as ON the north side Of the dividing line
which separates the United States from
Canada. There is also ION the south. side of
that boundary proud and powerful nation,
which, if aroused, may take such action as
will not only cut Canada off absolutely from.
our fish markets, but will dry up the chief
sources of her commercial prosperity, lay
practical embargo upon the foreign trade Of
Montreal for nearly half the year and para
lyze her political railroad system by denying
it any participation whatever in the internal
or foreign commerce of the United States;
and this may all be done, not necessarily by
hostile measures, or even by measures
which might probably be termed retaliatory,
bu. simply by responding to the ungenerous
and unjust expedients to which, during the
last thirty years, Canadian statesmen have
had recourse"
Netting Maine Trout.
BANGOR, April 2S.-Complaint has been
made to the fish and game commissioners
here by the people of Vanceboro that some
of the Canadian trout fishermen have been
encroaching on American ground, and have
been illegally netting trout which should go
them.