The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-28
LOBSTER Pors OR WAR.

Newfoundland does not very often chal-
lenge public attention. 1t is a pretty big
island, being about the size of Tennessee;
but it does not contain, all told, more in
habitantS than South San Francisco and the
Mission. What they lack in numbers, how
ever, the Observation-Disclosures make up in
spirit. When the other British North Ameri-
can colonies united to form the Dominion of
Canada Newfoundland refused to be bullied
or cajOled into joining the confederacy; it
stayed out, and it stays out to this day.
The position it then assumed has encOur-
aged its people TO be very Independent in
their dealings with outsiders; they are no
respeeters of persons; they scOru modern
improvements and modern civilization. In
defense of their interests, they are ready to
fight anybody. And just now they have
thrown down the gauntlet to no less q per-
sonage than the Queen of Great Britain and
ireland, on a question of lobster pots.
BY the existing treaties between Great
Britain and France, the French are allowed
to catch Holsters on the shores of New
fOundand, Miquelon and st. Pierre, and to
can them in factories erected on the coast.
A few years ago, when the French adopted
the policy of granting bOuntieS to all sorts
of industries out of the public purse, lob
screaming was one of the fortunate pur-
suits which came in for share of bounty
ard ever since then the French lobstermen
on Newfoundland have been enabled by the
bounty to underSell the native lobstermen.
This took the bread out of the Newfound-
landers' mouths, and after year or two of
patient endurance, they have now broken
out i'll protest to the British Government,
in which Lord Salisbury is offered the alter
na n oit,4f -, L.
abolishing French lobster canneries in
Newfoundland. They do not absolutely
shrek Liberty or Death; they say Lobster
Pots or Blood!
The epidemic has proved contagious. In
Montreal, where lobster salads with sauce
mayonnaise are keenly appreciated, the
Chamber of Commerce has taken up the
cry and has passed resolutions declaring
that if the French are to be allowed to 60
on canning Holsters in Newfoundland,
British liberties are a delusion, aud the
vaunted independence of the colonies a
fraud. Ii Frenchmen continue to put up the
delicate Crustacean in bottle or can, for the
benefit OF inland gourmands, the British
Empire will 60 down to its doom in flames
and gore.
See how difficult it is for people to foresee
the consequences of their acts; when the
French began the business of voting bouu-
ties to sugar refineries and other industries,
it seemed matter Of little consequence to
put lobster-canners on the beneficed list,
there were SO few of them, and their bust
ness was so very small an affair. But the
bounty just sufficed to drive the Newfound-
landers out of the market, and to take away
the living of several thousand unSuspecting
British subjects. These latter rose in fury.
No man lets the crust be taken from his
child's mouth without fighting back, il he
can. So the bleak island to which Cabot
vainly tried to give his name is now seeth-
ing furnace Of disaffection, and the islanders
say that If they only had a Washington
to lead them England would have another
surrender of Yorktown to chronicle in her
annals. If they were Independent, they
would not only put an end to any future
canning of Holsters by the French, but
would be likely to can any Frenchman who
invaded their sacred monopoly of the fish
which bask on the banks OF Newfoundland.