The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-01

The result of the deliberations Of the
Fisheries Commission at Washington is
waited for with good deal of interest. The
dispatches stated few days ago that the
commission had about completed its work
and would soon make a report. An Ottawa
dispatch, however, contains the lntorma
ton that the Canadian government does
not expect that there will be any settlement
of the fisheries dispute unless it is made a
part of an arrangement for much more
liberal trade relations between the two
countries than at present exists.
1t has been suspected ever since the fish
cries troubles began that Canada was aim
ing at something more than "A mere restric-
; ton of our fisheries interest. She wants
icertain OF her products admitted into this
country free Of duty. and in order to secure
the opportunity for insisting upon what she
desires, she brought about a dispute con
corning the fisheries.
American fishermen are not demanding
the right TO fish in Canadian waters. For
great many years they have been fishing
outside o. the three mile limit, which was
established by the treaty Of 1918, and
they have no desire to go inside
of it. What they do want,
however, and what the Canadians have
denied to them for the last year or two is
the right to enter Canadian ports for re
pairs shelter, wood and water. A good
many American vessels which entered Ca
madam ports for one or another of these
things have been seized, or subjected to
insulting treatment, within the last two
years There Is no treaty which permits
American fishing vessels TO enter Canadian
ports, but there is an unwrtten law, recog-
nized by all maritime nations, which per
mits vessels to enter any port for the things
above mentioned. This country was the
first to throw open its ports to vessels need
ing supplies or seeking shelter and repairs.
1t took that step mora than half Il century
ago, and i1r the course of ii few years was
followed by Great Britain. Canada did not
shut her ports to American fishing vessels
until after the termination of the treaty of
Washington
The privilege of entering Canadian ports
for the purposes indicated is an important
one, and its denial operates very seriously
against American fishing interests. Fisher
men hesitate about risklng the dangers of
the fishing grounds when they know that if
the necessity should arise they cannot enter
the ports which are comparatively near
without losing their vessels and cargoes and
running the risk of being imprisoned.
1t remains to be seen if our government
will submit to being budozed into granting
Canada the commercial privileges which
she wants 1t is not believed that the ad
ministration will consent to any settlement
which does not give this country as many
advai tages us it comedies. The temper of
the people is to insist upon their rights,
even though such insistence should result in
trouble of a serious kind.
1t has been said by public men of promi-
nence that it would be cheaper for the gov
eminent to buy the outfits of all the Ameri-
can fishermen, and to settle a pension upon
them than to waste any more time upon
their squahble about their rights NQ ex-
preston of this kind will meet with POPULAR
approval. 1t is the duty of the government
to find out just what the rights of Ameri-
can fishermen are, and to sustain them in
those rights at any cost. Even if there
were but dozen fishermen the government
should be as careful to see that their rights
are respected by other governments as if
there were hundred thousand of them.
Tn @ census of 1880 shows thai in the New
England fisheries there were employed at
that time 81 ,043 men, zoos vessels and
IA, 7S7 boats, and that the annual product
was over $l4,000,0O0. From a business
standpoint, therefore, as we'll as from that
of national honor our fisheries interest is too
valuable to permit Canada to partially de-
stroy it.