The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-05-14


Fisheries to the Laboring Interests
They Pay to Wage Farmers Over
$4,000 in the Short Space of Fifty
Days.
AS very few people, save those liv-
ing in the immediate section, realize
the extent of the fishing interests as
carried on in the Albemarle Sound
and its tributaries, we give an extract
from the report of DR.. w. r. Cape
hart, of Avoca, to Labor Commissioner
Lacy on the subject:
Mr.. B. R. Lacy, Commissioner Of
Labor Statistics, Raleigh, N. C.-De-
string to give you an idea of the fishing
interests OF Albemarle Sound and its
tributaries, and its value to the labor
ing interests to this section, | beg
leave TO submit the following:
The steam-p)wer and horsepower
seines on the waters above mentioned
have invested in realty about sos, 900:
personality, about SIS, 900; requiring
a yearly outlay in keeping up realty
and personally, the latter being very
perishable, of $4,000.
Realty consists of landings, beach
property, engines, houses, etc.
Personally consists of steam fats
and machinery, selnes, rope, cord,
stands, watts, etc.
These plants give employment for
fifty days to the following wage
earners, in North Carolina, without
exceptions:
Five hundred and thirty able bodied
men, expert fishermen, who receive
wages ranging from 50 cents to $3.50
per day, aggregating 100000, and to
four hundred women, who receive
wages from $40 to s14 per month, ag-
gregating $4,000.
In rigging these seines in the month
of February, you give employment to
labor at from IS cents to $3.50 per
day, equal to S1,1oo.
TO repair these seins for next years
use, you employ experts at S1.25 to
$3.50 per day, equal to about $4,000,
now almost entirely knit by machines
in Boston and other Northern cities.
Employment is given at 40 cents
per cord to chop engine wood, equal
to about 5000.
You observe that these North Caro-
lima plants, valued at only about $780,
900, pay to North Carolina wage earn
ers over $4,000 in the short space
of fifty days. Look at the value of the
plants to per cent. going for wages.
say nothing of employment given
to Northern people, and the profit to
the manufacturers of rope, Irvine, seine,
cork, rubber boots, oil cloths, barrels,
etc., but only make an effort TO show
what North Carolinians are receiving.
The products Of these plants and
labor, iced fish, from the seines, twelve
thousand boxes, valued at $4,000.
These iced fish all 20 to Northern
markets. This necessitates the pur-
chase of eleven thousand tons of ice.
1t requires three hundred and twenty
four thousand feet Of plank for said
boxes
1t requires twenty thousand barrels
for the fish that are packed in salt,
and are valued at $4,000.
These all 60 to North Carolina and
Virginia markets. The cost of these
barrels is about $4,000, giving en-
ployment to many Northern coopers
at good wages. (Shame to u.s.
The fertilizing material from the
seines are thirty thousand tubs, valued
at $1,000.
Ten tubs are sufficient for one acre
of corn, and will increase the yield on
threethousand acres, fifteen bushels
per acre, $4,000 bushels, valued at &c
cents per bushel, average price, s37
900, and gives employment, at good
wages, to handle said fertilizer and an
increased quantity of corn.
The pound or Dutch net interest fol
Albemarle and adjacent waters is by
tar the greater quantity of material
selnes having decreased steadily in
the past twenty years, and pound net:
having increased yearly. There are
now about eleven hundred pound nets
which give employment to four hun
dred skilled fishermen, who receive
wages ranging from 50 cents to $:
per day, for an average of about 1oc
days, amounting to $4,000.
TO $50 shore hands, almost al
women, at $40 to S12 per month. $40,
900 per month.
This requires about 125 boats, val.
ued at s15,625, giving employment te
a large force of boat builders at 81 te
50 per day, $1,000.
1t requires $4,000 pine poles, IS te
IS feet long, cost US about IS to 2e
cents, or $1,000, which gives employ
ment, at good wages, to many men in
January and February.
Material used, 100000 yards of net
ting, Il to "a feet deep when hung
ready tor fishing, valued at $4,000
The Dutch-net catches about 7,5os
boxes of iced fish, requiring about 90,
900 feet of plank and $50 tons Of ice
These iced fish 60 to the Northern
markets exclusively. The herring catcl
is tabout 100000 fish, valued a
$4,000. a large proportion of thi
catch is sold to North Carolina ant
Virginia consumers, they being ship
ped in flour barrels and boxes largely
frequently selling as low at S2.5o pc
thousand. See the advantage to tn,
consumers Of our section.
| If these herrings were all cut an,
barrelled it would require $4,000 bar
rels. This catch would yield in ter
tllizlng material and increase the cor
crop, se7,5oo,
Within the past ten years there ha