The Portland daily press., 1889-01-12
BlUENOSE FISH MUST PAY TAXES
II the Senate Tariff 8IIl Ever Be-
comes a Law.
Duty of One Half Cent a Pound on
Fresh Fish,
Fixed by an Amendment Offered by
Senator Hale.

Fixed by an Amendment Offered by
Senator Hale.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Senate today
took up its discussion Of the tariff bill, at
paragraph 557. relating to the admission of
fish, the pending question being an amend
ment offered yesterday to strike out the
words except when frozen or packed in ice,
or otherwise prepared by any process for
preservation" so as to let the paragraph read
simply ''fresh fish,"
Mr.. Plumb asked Mr.. Hoar to tell the
Senate and country why people living on the
Canadian border should have free fish and
the people Of the interior not
Mr.. Hoar said he did not think any such
distinction was made in the paragraph. He
then eulogized the character Of Scandinavian
immigrants. stating that they were inferior
to none other who ever came to this country,
not excepting the Puritans or the Cavaliers
They were industrious, thrifty, wise and
temperate, and lovers Of home, of Sunday. Of
order and Of education, and were on the
honest side Of every public question.
Mr.. Dawes explained the paragraph as it
stood, and said the operative part Of it was
the words, ''for preservation" The settled
policy OF the government was that fish pre-
served in salt should not be admitted free
and it seemed TO him very strange that any
one, while adhering to that proposition,
should object to proposition that required
fish preserved by another process, such as
Ice, to pay duty. Fish were by new appli-
cation OF an old process OF using ice frozen
so as to become like solid rock and were
kept year or longer in precisely that state.
They were then brought out as fish,
fresh, for Immediate consumption" That
was an entire subversion Of the original
idea.
Mr.. Dawes said there was not man or
interest in New England that wanted fresh
fish for Immediate consumption free OF duty.
They did not ask it. 1t had been conceded.
not asked.
Mr.. Reagan said fresh fish should be on
the free list.
Mr.. Edmunds said the country had two
long experiences on the fishery question dur
ing which fish was admitted absolutely free.
American fishing interests and proportion
ately enormous increase Of Canadian fishing
interests. He did not think this good time
to repeat the experiment.
Mr.. Hale moved to strike out the para
graph. That he said would leave all fresh
fish under duty fixed in another part OF the
bill, half a cent per pound. Then New Eng
land would fare no better In that respect
than all other parts Of the country. All the
bother which had been raised in the fisher
les negotiations had come from the desire OF
the Canadians to secure the markets OF the
United States for their fresh fish. The Ca
madam fishermen living near the coast, with
the cost OF their outlay and wages so much
less than the cost Of an American fishing
vessels. would. IL they had the benefit OF the
United States market, drive New England
fishermen from the sea.
Mr.. Aldrich added that Canadian fisher
men had the advantage of a government
bounty amounting. in 1885, to over 100000
Mr.. Gray said that the debate on the Ash
cries treaty distinctly showed that more
than half the men employed on American
fishing vessels were from Nova Scotia, or
the Provinces, and not citizens Of the United
States nor intending to become So He had
been Informed by a member of the House
committee on labor statistics that an esei-
mate OF 70 per cent would be within bounds.
So instead Of the fisheries being a nursery
for American seamen they were rather
nursery for British seamen.
Mr.. Hale said he had seen hundreds of
fishing craft fitted out and sent to the Banks,
and that he had never known twenty for
eigners among the hundred thousand that
manned those vessels. As far as Maine was
concerned. Mr.. Gray's figures were wrong.
1 Mr.. Blair objected to the distinction drawn
by Mr.. Gray between American seamen and
Canadian seamen and said policy should
be adopted looking to the prompt and inn
mediate reconstruction of the entire con-
tinent aud to the amalgamation of all physi-
cal forces on the entire area between the
Gulf and Pole.
Mr.. Spooner said the question affected not
merely the fishermen of New England but
hundred thousand fishermen on the Great
Lakes. He was surprised that the finance
committee reported such paragraph. III
there had been anything announced dis
treaty debate, 1t had been that America
ought not to grant facilities or favors that
were not reciprocal. He was not able to
understand why when Canada put duty of
a cent per pound ON fresh fish caught by
American citizens, Canadian fresh fish for
Immediate consumption should be put on
the free list. The proposition was dis
elimination pure and simple, arbitrary, with
out foundation and in favor OF Canadian
fishermen against American fishermen.
Messrs Stockbridge, Palmer and Stewart
favored Mr. Hale's amendment.
Mr.. Allison explained and defended the
action OF the finance committee in reporting
the paragraph. After hearing the debate he
thought he could say that New England
fishermen and the fishermen on the Great
Lakes had scored a point. He would vote
for Mr.. Hale's motion to strike out the para
graph, and would then move to put fresh fish
on the dutiable list at half cent per pound.
He believed that just and fair solution Of
the whole question.
Mr.. Evarts favored Mr.. Hale's amend
ment.
MI. Iiatt eulOelLeu the cuaracter OF lmml-
grants from Canda as men who would be
drawn upon in case OF war against any coun-
try but Canada, which country the United
States did not desire to fight and could not
| fight.
Mr.. Blair also euloglzed the character of
| French Canadians immigrants. There were,
| he said, no less than $4,000 in New Hamp-
| share and no less than $4,000 in his own city,
| with population Of 10000. There was no
better foreign element than the French
| Canadian.
| Mr.. Plumbs amendment was withdrawn
| and Mr.. Hale's amendment agreed to. Fresh
| fish were placed on the dutiabe list at cent
| per pound.
The end of the free list being reached, Mr..
| Allison said he proposed that the Senate fin
| ish reading the bill tomorrow the admins
| trative sections Of it) and would propose to
| spend the remaining days on the omitted
| paragraphs in the free list, after which he
| would propose to take up the paragraphs as
| to guns, cutlery and few miscellaneous
| items. Early next week he wished to pro-
ceed with the wool and woolens" schedule
which had not yet been touched. The SEN
/ a ad iouruQ1