Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-09

I
fleet of handsome fishing vessels as ever
the sun sh0ne on.
THIS class of vessels was Differed and
| manned hy our own people and ow ned by
them, The pursued the bank cod fishery
iho first psrt Of the season returning in
| July they made u trip to provincial waters
| for ina,kcr,l This kind of fishing was
carried on for Years under protective tariff
wlich male competition from Canada very
little felt Bus when the new treaty be
tween this country and Great Bnton was
nia,e, which gave to the Canadians the
free use Of our market for their fish pro-
duct, that piece of legislation marked the
downfall of our fishermen, for as soon AS
the Canadians saw that they had equal
| rights in our markets they Immediately be-
gan to build large feet of vessels, AMI es-
tablish fish concerns all along the Nova
Scotia shore, and it only took few years
to build up an industry which created such
a competition that the products of our own
| fishermen would not pay sufficient amount
of money to pay the expense of catching it,
for The Canadian could build, equip and
run his fishing craft one-third less, beside
that they received an annual bounty frcm
the government Of about $50 900.
IT'S tTOEt iEbiH uhf waters HHlhNhis
hich has beer. the nursery to the American
Nay, a class of men that has never been
founl wanting in national conflicts on sea
| or land.
The thdrawal of our government boun-
" TO fishermen helped to cripple the indus
try.
When thus class of business was anuihil-
ated by the unjust treaty regulation and the
repeal of The bounty act. large
body of men - ho used to man our vessels,
had To seek some other emf loyment and the
purse - inc business came III to ill the va
cancy. 1t il true that some of the vessels
were converted into purse seine tslicrnien,
md iishCd upon our coast with the rurS"
seine fur mackerel for many years, and it is
i fact that the only successful mackerel
fishery that was ever carried ON on our ltiI-
mediate coast, has been done by the purse
scincr. All other methods and modes sink
INTO significance when compared with the
purse :, iuc. White some are caught in u
small way by hook and traps it is easier ana
ia nper for our fishermen to get parse
/ itc than il would be TO build traps or
w,ir>, were they equally rs profitable.
But Gntirr the existing circumstances tbs
branch nf business is very much depressed.
No man feels hike taking the chances Of
putting ont his money - develop and i'm
prove his fishing establishment, neither do
the fishermen like to take the chance ana
risk liclr seasons york on our shores with
the possibility that thcsc fish whch they
come shall he driven within the limit of the
law, and then they are confronted with thi.
proposition that they must either take those
fish Illegally, or ~ without, and TO 20 with
out means suffering aud want for them
selves and families
Now Mr.. Speaker. and gentlemen. the
passage of this hill would so affect the coast
fishermen thst he would take courage, fix
mp his fishing craft and gear, land his catch
on Maine soil contribute to Maine business,
and RI main with US rs law abiding citizens.
If this prayer is refused. our coast towns
HAT dcpcId uu this business will be depop
ulated an instead of keeping up with the
prorcSsion as VIZ have done in the past, We
shall fail To the rear and soon become ex-
iinrt AMI pass into history as an industry
stich lied from the effects of unjust legis-
lttion inflicted by our own citizens.
This bill has hcen advertised in eight diff
ierent papers for nearly two weeks, and no
lass of fishermen AMI no man that repre-
-entcd any tislng industry whatever, has
vtr appeared hefure the committee to an
tagohizc this bill. Only three men--fsh
warleus-appearci in opposition to it, rep
rescnting no interest, claiming to represent
no industry, only to assert that same obi
story Vt hi. h they have echoed through this
St,tc House for every session for u quarter
of . century that they predicted great dam
.,lsr if the purse sei,-' was allowed to be
used.
Mr. Speaker We to not ask Won to take
nur view of this situation entirely. We cite
Won To The conclusions of every investigator
of Ibis AMI other nations who have made
this their lifelong sturdy from scentif
mi disiniercsted standpoint. AMI their con
clusiAns are all the same, and the progress
-ve iisherra. of today concur in the opin
ION Of such eminent men rs this century
has produced and hat do they say: as to
the habits and powers of reproduction, and
the endorsement of our position which re-
fers to these free swimming tlsh of the sea
that they are so prolific and their productive
powers so great that they can withstand all
their enemies, man with the purse seine
included. That the number taken BY man is
50 insignificant compared with the large
number that are daily Ievoured by the pre-
,laceous fish of the sea, that man with all
his appliances cannot he considered fac
tor in the ease wien YOU talk about the de-
structinu of these ,h,ee species, namely, |
the mackerel, menhaden and herring.
Jealousy existed in the mind of the hook
and lire fishermen when the purse seine
was first invented. but today the most earn |
est advocates for the modification of the |
law. are the very men sho were instrument
tai in its Enactment. Progress and SCIENCE
have developed the idea that legislation
cannot control the free sw INNING fish of
the sea, ans, that the present legislation is
against the best interests of the State and
her fishermen.
Mr.. Cook of Yarmouth; move to sub |
stitnte the minority report for the majority
report. This bill allows fishermen from
out of this State, those owning steamers, to
come here witi, th,i' large purse seines anil
take the f.h away from or fisher
mon. Oar fisher nlFn arp poor peo-
pie. They WE not r. pst>ruted be-
fore our committee to any extent. adj
NIT that the testimony there was principally
10 favor II thi> las, lss.'gt.e he promoters
of this Law are people of wealth They
have inoUey Ia bring Tia il arines.c here
and employ alb ruHas.l.. The ether <iie !
was represented hv po lawyer pai bv hut
few witat SEES bera tss tlsr leopls, pi,st later
estct are too paor tn Fs,fir here ami plead .
their cause. If this law Is nefi ell the
whole State alike | should ip more in /
favor Of II Ii os.l, sxt,n.js ~ far east ss /
Penobseut bay. The promoter. OF the bill |
knew If ;tey askc,l far free ti>fiag the |
whole lcagtit of the enast thtr 'llst could |
not get it, So they have made this agreement !
with the eastern psri OF the Stat. If they |
get this they viii b., satisiie,1--au.i |
BY lacking gu fes aalrnia,. nts here, they |
are in partition to get enough VOTES from |
the river towns in the western part :, carry /
this bill. This amrnsins ut pra ::icails gives |
them the whole OF Caseu bay for free fish |
ing. 1t gives them sill The fishing TO the |
west of Casco bay. Ii merely protects |
Royals river in York, few iniets in Free |
port and Harpsweil. and those towns are Just |
rs much opposed TO this bill a. any others. |
In the kennebee river il gives them free /
ti.hing in the bay and only prevents them |
from going up in The river. In Sheepscot /
river, understand that the snselts could /
not 70 there any way In Damasiscotta /
river-here is where the first foreign eic- |
ment comes in here for all FISH excepting /
alevives. Here they make IN exception Of /
alevives in the hopes Of getting the votes !