River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-06-26

fishing year, and financial embarrass-
ments of the government.
Each of these, along with many
other questions, have been noticeable
features in every past period Of dis
tress. Many Of the questions that
trouble Newfoundland to-day are the
outgrowth of matters, never satisfac-
torily settled, which made life almost
unbearable for the forefathers of the
present generation on the island.
For present purposes it is unneces-
sary to go back in the history of the
island much before 1913, in which year
England and France concluded the ia
nous treaty of Utrecht. Previous to
this time these two countries had
fought for the possession of New
foundland in much the same manner
as they fought for other new territory
in various parts of the globe, but the
French king, Louis XIV, finding him
self defeated in many parts of the
world willingly agreed to end the con-
troversy in Newfoundland by the
treaty of Utrecht which declared New
foundland and the adjacent islands to
be the property of Great Britain; but
which made the reservation that, al
though the French disclaimed terri
torial rights, they nevertheless re-
tanned the privilege of fishing, con-
currently with the English, along
more than half the coast and that a
strip of coast 700 miles long and half
a mile wide along this portion of the
island should be free for their use for
the clearing and drying of fish, etc. A
misunderstanding was the immediate
result. After the treaty was signed
the French took the attitude that its
provisions gave them the exclusive
use of this shore and forbade the set
Element of the region by the British
This claim was strengthened by the
fact that King George had issued a
proclamation to accompany the treaty
but which was not incorporated into
the treaty-forbidding his Newfound-
land subjects to erect structures upon
this land. The Frenchtreated this sep
arate decree as a part of the treaty
and enforced it vigorously themselves
whenever necessary;. but the people of
the island would not accept this inter
probation of the matter and the legal
point involved remained undecided for
many years. During all this period
the islanders were practically barred
from half their own island-for the
interior was not developed-and law
less squatter sovereignty was the only
ruling power. 1t was only in 1881 that
this kings decree was declared no part
of the treaty of Utrecht and the New
foundland local government received
permission to issue grants of land in
that section.
Turning again to the early history
of Newfoundland we find that the
French claims were by no means the
only matters that prevented the nor
NAL growth and development of the
place as a colony. At an early day,
when there were few inhabitants on
the island, an English tribunal decreed
that the master of the first fishing
ship entering the harbor of st. Johns
for the season was the admiral for
that season and must decide all dis
putes and questions of property. Wish
ing to preserve the shore for all time
for their own fishing business these
men invariably. upon their return
home. continued to spread the delu-
sion that the island was barren
place useful only for fishing purposes;
and they recommended that colonial