The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-25
The Porgie War.


The menhaden question is still under
consideration at Washington In the
hearings thus far the porgie pirates have
had the most to say. They have the time
and the money to follow up matter that
if carried their way will add to their
riches. while the poor fishermen scatter
ed along our coast and on the outlying is
lands can only appeal to their representa-
tiveS in Congress to stand between them
and starvation. 1t may be said here that
the Maine delegation has not been found
wanting. At the hearing before the House
Committee on Fisheries. Feb. Il, w. I.
Brown of Philadelphia, who is largely in
terested in the menhaden fisheries, denied
that local fishermen for the markets Oh
iected to the operations of the menhaden
fishermen, but Representative Milliken,
of Maine, who was present, contradicted
this and asserted that he had letters from
points along the whole Maine coast pro-
resting against the passage of the bill. He
had seen thirteen steamers at one time
before his house fishing for menhaden and
taking 800 barrels of fish at one haul.
Surely that must diminish the fish supply.
AS to expert testimony. he would rather
have that of practical fishermen on the
coast than of the theorist.
At Wareham, Mass, the bill of Con-
gresham Lapham of Rhode Island, shorn
of all verbiage, is regarded as nothing
less than a barefaced attempt of the porgy
steamer owners and their workmen in
Rhode Island to set aside the verdict of
the Supreme Court of the United States,
which latter last year gave an llnequivocal
decision sustaining the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and its board of fish com
missionerS in maintaining that it would
be AN infringement of State rights for
Rhode Island fish fat fryers to scour
Massachusetts choicest fishing grounds
for the menhaden food fish with which to
I'LL their oil tanks at Tiverton and else
where along the distant shores Of Rhode
Island 1t is also said that it would
benefit the mackerel seiners. whom
Maine law forbids fishing in the bays and
inshore waters of that State" Thus it is
not only Massachusetts but Maine also
whose interests are aSsailed by these
porgic pirates and whose State laws it
4, proposed to nullify by national legisla-
ZION
Not many years ago mackerel and men
haden were plentiful in our waters and
had been for a long time. Indeed the
coming of the mackerel at a certain time
was regarded as assured. Then the por-
gie fleets came and swept our waters, and
when driven off by State legislation. the
fish had departed also. and returned no
more until last summer. when orr hand
line fishermen had good seasons work,
and Will no doubt have many more if the
Seiners can be kept at a proper distance.
On this matter the veteran editor of the
Brunswick Telegraph says:
These Rhode Island pirates have been
fishing along the coast of Massachusetts
and Maine for years. and. probably this
constant fishing is the cause of the diSap-
pearance of menhadcn and nackerel from
our coast. Last year, the menhaden and
mackerel, appeared in much lang mum
beers and the home fishing was exceptions
ally good. and this. too. while the porey
steamers We're cruising in our waters, but
how many fish were caught, no one can
tell. because they eluded pursuit Pirates.
Us they We're, they had the names Of the
vessels covered up, 50 ii an officer was in
sight they could put on steam and be off.
one morning last summer while at the
Chamberlain house. New Wharf. we saw
>eVen porgy steamers at early daylight.
apparently fishing off the point. not re-
manning long after we saw them, however,
As the fish probably were not plenty.