New-York tribune., 1890-06-27

resort Some years ago the Provincial Govern
ment started TO build railroad from 81. Johns
directly across the island with the western Ter
minus on the French shore. Appropriations ana
surveys were made and a condition OF punllc ieel-
ing aroused not unlike that felt by an American
Territory which at last Is TO he admitted as
State. The interior. with its great forests ana
it's wide areas Of sheltered farming land, was no"
~xDr be developed. The western coast, WIN l'e
rtcoal fields about St Georges Bay, $50 square
mikes In area, its great deposits OF gypsum, OF
sniea, and Of lead and copper, was now TO anord
c work for the people and occupation for capltdi
at home and from abroad. Blh after the enter
prise was well along the Colonial Office in Lon
don sent word that the French Government had
vetoed il and it must he abandoned. 1t was IN
vain that the Newfoundlandcrs asked what was
meant by the treaty stipulation that the island
called Newfoundland shall from this time for
ward belong Of right wholly 10 Great britain
The British Governments reply even 70 this hour
has been THAT is true, but the French are sensi-
tive and must not he veNed
The railroad undertaking was entered upon nj
teen years ago. The French were then actuaIiy
engaged in using their shore privileges Their
feet of $50 vessels was engaged oil that coast
.verv season The bank fisheries were left 10
The Newfoundlanders and TO the Americans. The
Gloucester fishermen undertook 10 do nothlng
more than 70 supply their own market. Between
them and the colonists there has never been any
substantial friction. Nor did the feeling against
the French become positively hostile so long as
they confined their operations 20 the supplying
of the French market. That left to the coonls's
the great Catholic markets of Spain. Italy, Aus
tria and Brazil where the whole of their product
was consumed Now, then, if the fact be
thoroughly appreciated that these people have
absolutely nothing to live except the earnings
of their fishery, the full ground of their present
complaint will be understood. For not only
does the French occupation of their western coast
stand forbiddngly in the way of any extension
of their resources but the French bounty system
has taken from them fully half of their market
for fish Claiming that they desire 10 main
tain many men as possible III tne
fishery business, TO have large
force Of trained sailors always available for their
Navy, the French have offered b6untes OF about
S2 40 for every hundrcd-weght of fish exported
10 foreign countries, besides closing their own
ports absolutely 10 Britsh-caught fish. The
actual cost OF catching the fish is not 80 40.
so that the French fisherman's profits are about
equal to the price he obtains for his merchandise.
Against this bounty SYSTEM the Colonial fishermen
have but little chance of earning enough to keep
body and soul together. They have seen the
French fleet stimulated by the hope of these
National rewards, double and treble their former
proportions. They have come out with hetter
ships better tackle and larger forces OF men,
Their catch has increased so enormously that theS
have occupied the Mediterranean market ana nave
lately been exporting even to Brazil The natural
results of all this are cruelty apparent in New
foundland to-day. Us young men are emigratlng
TO thc nted States by the thousand. and Ill all
q. ll-a, Ia
severity IN the very hest of seasons and with
the best of prices the average fisherman earns
from 5000 to $500 Since the French bounty
system entered upon its worl, the average earn
ings have fallen below $3.50. Ii is not 10 be
wondered al that these eonine fellows have at
last concluded that they don't give dom about
them dead-an gone kings and their moss-covcrcd
bargains The wonder is that they have not long
ago prccipitated conflict
Living along the French shore are about $4,000
Colonists The French have no territorial rshVs
there and do not possess single hablta'lon eN-
cent their lobster factories and the houses III
which the factory hands live, these beng, as
their Consul admits, in violation of the treaties
The Cclonists have recently armed themselves win
nm extra supply of the finest American rifles.
They are famous Shots and have always possessed
a small arsenal of good weapons. During the last
as fifty or a hundred rifles at time, and, al
though some Of the merchants, unwilling to ana
the obvious purpose of these supplies, have re-
fused to furnish them il is quite certain that the
Colonists have obtained what they wanted, and
are now prepared 10 resent any infringement upon
what they consider their rights. THIS they are
likely to do at any time. but soon they may DE
counted upon 10 so further. The entire Colony,
with one voice, maintain that the french must go
Whatever they might have been satisfied with ten
reors since. they now 20 10 the logical end OF
tfeir position. They frankly confess that even II
their view of the proper Interpretation of the
treaties were to be conceded, they would still be
dissatisfied. The time has come when an end
must be nut 70 the twohundred- -year-old engage
,men+s they say I'VE must have our shore and
ave are going 70 have it, We might as we'll be
shot 10 death by French bullets as starved 10
death bv French bounties.' ] think they mean
all they saw They look Patrick Henry might
have looked when he suggested TO George III
that C,esar had his Brutus. Unless some act oil
aggression is attempted by the French they may
wait At least until the present Government has
had a chance to show what it can do. But IL II
fails. or if the Colonial Office III London resorts
10 its usual policy of delay and temporzaloi,
collision on the French shore is almost certain
The people are ready and willing lhey 90 ho'
believe. if the worst came TO the worst thau Ehs
land would leave them TO he destroyed Dy fIchcl
punboats They believe, too, IN thclr cause iH.S
think il appeals TO humanity, and that inc pup''
sentiment of Christendom is rapidly marshalliht
itself at their back. L. H. w.
MEADVILLES GREETING TO DELAMA1Eh