The Portland daily press., 1894-03-02
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The LOBSTER WAR.
Many Difficulties are Encountered by the
wardens-Hard Times for the Fisher

Wardens-Hard Times for the Fisher
men.
There has been a renewal of the
ashort" lobster war of late, and there is
wardens, and the alleged "smugglers"
of the short Holsters. Warden Cushman
says he can't well be everywhere, and as
a result has no doubt that many short
Holsters go from this port to the New
York market, where " a lobster is lob
ster. and where the Maine measurements
are no more accepted than the Maine
law"
Here is where the special temptation
to sell short Holsters comes in on the
part of the takers. They may find thai
they have, say SO short HOLSTERS mixed
in with those of the regulation length.
The so will bring the S., and that sum
looks big to the average lobster catcher
this year. The men are poor, and have
had hard winter, aud even the wardens
do not wonder that they are strongly
tempted at times to sell short iobstefs,
instead of liberating them. The LOBSTER
canning industry, operates during the
two "openn Maine months, and then
there is decided drop in prices. just
now the price is held well up, but then
the Gamers take all that are offered,
with no regard to length, but at very
depressing price. As matter OF Iac1
there is but very little money in the
lobster taking business in the "open"
months. The catchers know perfectly
we'll that the present market price VIII
not rule then, and they know that the
~shortn Holsters will be gathered in for
canning purposes, and SO do not see why
thew should not save what they take now
when prices rule so high. As the men
look at it, under the present system.
they are prevented from taking" short"
Holsters now when they can get gooa
price. and will be allowed to take the
same Holsters later on, but at time
when there will be no profit in the pusl-
ness.
Warden Cushman says that in his
opinion the only thing that would i'm
proye the present state of affairs. would
be the enactment of law that would
be in operation all the year. Then the
lobster takers would be sure OF market
and that at all times of the year. ana
would not go into the present danger
GUS, but he admits very allurlng, course
of working against the law.
A point of no small interest is whether
shippers of lobster smacks have the
right to liberate Holsters found to be
"shortn after they have been brought
here. Of course the men who take lob
sters must have that right after they
have ascertained that their Holsters are
not of the legal length. but Warden
Cushman holds that the shippers have
no right to bring short Holsters here,
and then claim the right TO liberate
them. after the fact has been discovered.
In his opinion the shippers who buy
Holsters from the takers should know
that their Holsters are of the proper
length, and that the fact that they .have
bought short Holsters, is proof enough
that they propose to sell them.
The great trouble with the enforce
ment of the law seems to be the dlf1l-
Guilty the wardens find in convincing the
public, officers included, that the send
ing off of shortn Holsters is crime.
When a man has barrel of short lob
sters on his "jigger" or in his wagon, he
has every possible inducement to get out
of the way of a warden, and it is diff
cult for the warden to stop him. To be
sure the warden is armed, but he is not
likely to use his revoler on man who is
ahead of him with a few barrels in his
possession, which may or may not con-
tain short Holsters, and this is well
known to the alleged smugglars, who
with the New York market in view, do
not, as rule, propose TO let their load
be captured Then it is impossible for
the wardens to find who ships the short
Holsters, or to whom they are sent.
Warden Cushman has in his pocket
book tags attached to a number of
barrels he has seized, but they indicate
nothing. -Four hundred and seven New
York; isn't much to go by. "The New
York people know who 407 u.s." said
Warden Cushman, "but we don't"
The life of fish warden isn't always
a happy one He must hang about dark
whaves nights, looking for men who are
believed to have short Holsters in their
possession. He must watch for
"smacks" that come and go by night.
He must take into consideration the fact
that he is to work against bright and
resolute men, and govern himself accord
ingly. He may get pitched into the
n-accidentally of course-and be
fished out by the knocking spirits about
him, or he may be pushed off a jlgger
going at full speed, and all this for So
a day.