New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-09

Island. Mi@1lE 800
Meagher's Cove. Lanoine...... % 1000 so
Dog Peninsula, Poirier .--.---- 3 -- lo'
Rouge, Very ..-.----..------- o. 'F'.'''
ro-als ......................4o2 200 40s2
The catch Of cod. allowing 80 fish to a qUintlI
Of 1l2 pounds or 15625 quintas. worth 81 quintaL
including the French export bounty. equal 10 20
per cent OF the original worth of the cod when
taken from the water, reached a value Of $3.50
The Holsters packed in tins of IS 70 a case, We're
worth so case. OF so go in all The total value,
therefore. of the French operations on that coast
last year was S0717o What. If any. profit was
made upon these operations it is difficult to say,
but in. view of the fact that every year fewer
FrenChmen come to the coast it IS reasonable TO
assume that the business Is a losing one. and that
it is only the with the longest pockets who
holding In proof of this. it is only needful
point to the number Of "petits pecheurs' or
boat fishermen. comprised IN the total of French
men the Treaty Shore last year. Ten years ago
these unknown, the whole Of the annual
French invasion locating themselves at fixed sta
tons. but these were abandoned and a complete
REIMBURSEMENT Of the territory imminent. the
French government increased the bounty tor the
occupation Of the French shore 10y ii sum of 5000
granted to st. Pierre fishermen who would proceed
there. spend the summer in huts on the toreshore
and trawI with dories or small boats. their pres
ence there being sort Of continuance OF French
tenancy.
However. the experiment has not been q success.
as the French personnel is still declining. and this
year there viii be probably fewer than four hun
dred men. The establishments they maintain are
Of substantial value in the main, the treaties
forbid permanent French structures. and most of
them wooden skeletons covered with canvas.
except in the case OF some Of the larger lobster
factories which are permanent structures of cor
rugated iron with boilers set in brick foundations
The cod and lobster fishing equipment is OF very
little value and the few old briEs used for the
work there worthless. Therefore. the sum
stated in the latest dispatches that which Brit
ain proposes to pay France to buy out the Gallo
fishermen there 10000 francs. or S4oa,a-seeUls
ample for the purpose. all things considered
Still. Il will be a cheap settlement for Britain.
even ut a larger figure. FOR this question has
thrown its sinister influence over the relations Of
the two powers for generations while all efforts 70
adjust II have thus far proved futile. and 10 has
proved a crushing burden upon the colony during
all that period. The sums spent IN past ueEotia-
uons would serve TO buy the French out many
times over The maintenance Of naval siuadr0us
I'm the waters every summer by both lowers also
calls for an outlay which would work ro the same
end. The menace which the question forms o. the
relations OF the two powers and It's Fa1rEF .ulil-
euce upon the bourses would also be- cteaplv rid
of by such as Is expected 20 be paid now.
The French shore" has ceased 90 he OF any
substantial value 10 the country with whose name
10 is popularity Identified In by-aue days the
French fishermen came TO the coast I'm large NUM-
bers and their product was the Uainsta- Of the
Breton ports. But they gradually depleted the
waters. and then abandoned the coast for the more
prolific cod bearing Grand Banks. To-day their Oc-
cupancy OF Nexfoundland's western Ecaboard Is
mere hgment OF what It once was But as thel-
numbers lessened their claims increased Former
" they asked only catch and dry cod; Their they
asserted a right 70 can Holsters. In Olden times
they satisfied with any locations they could
secure; latterly they have been demanding the best
on the coast Instead OF combining themselves 10
the fisheries. they now interfere with every mod
ern industry here. and object 10 mining. farming
or railroadng. France has been insstent
that to prevent trouble the British government has
given way 20 her on almost every point. British
warships have been called upon to hunt down set
tiers schOoners and drive their boats of the shore.
destroying their nets and gear; To- remove wharves
and stores. to stop mines and sawnl-Is and
pei legitimate settlers and fsherfoIk and appropr-
ate their stations for Frenchmen-aI this in spite
OF the fact that the British crown claims
-reIgnty the whole region and asserts that
the French have merely summer fishing rights
there.
Roughly speaking the coast over which the
French have fishery rights IS 500 miles IN extent
and as only 402 Freuchmen visited there last sea
son It is fair 10 that there IS only one French
fisherman there every two miles Of seaboard At
the time the territory peoTed by 1855
Newfoundanders. or at the rate OF nearly fifty to
every two miles, and yet these settlers are not
garded Of anything like the Importance OF the
Gallo visitors and have been weighted down with
the burden OF their Indebtedness until the spirit has
been almost sapped out OF them. This is not sur
prising when It is remembered that. under the
pact made fourteen years ago by the British and
dusrry. 20 a few persons was given a monopoly Of
the business. and all other settlers obliged
frain from II. they being forbidden 20 pack with
legal authority trap Holsters for the legal pack
ers. 10 deal IN the business at all except
reputiousy. II these restrictions were ignored the
Illicit packers OF Holsters were hunted down by the
warshps. had their shantes torn part their out
fits confscated and themselves blackllsted. and
treated more shamefulIy than couvIcts who
required the strong OF the law Is exerted
to suppress them. instead OF peaceful. lawabiding
British subjects. who only sought = living IN
honest way.
British statesmen Of enlightened views have Ion.
felt that further continuance Of such lntolerable
conditions impossible. and French statesmen
of similar type have come 70 see that It is not
worth while for them 70 retain the territory For
the maintenance OF the oversee fisheries tho
French government provides elaborate system
OF bounties covering the outhtters the vessels the
crews and the equipment. This burden is coming
TO bear most heavily the French people now. n
the last fifty years keep up the fisheries these
waters the French have paid out &J0oUOjO in
bouuties-sl 900 900 year. Yet their occupation OF
the Treaty Coast is vanishing. The most melan-
choly feature Of that seaboard is the sight Of the
ruins of of once fine French fishing rooms
stations. abandoned years ago. and now falling
pieces Could the French politicians visit the
region and for themselves how petty is their
present position compared with their past. how
hopeless is the prospect FOR their coUntrymeu who
now resort there. how meagre and Improbable are
the results OF their operatious-they would be the
first 20 propose the abandonment of that se1bOard
altogether without even claim for conn eusation.
perhaps.
The explanation is Of course. partly that the
French. having convey their outfits from Brit
tany St Pierre to the coast. and their catch
back again. are una bic to prosecute the fisheries
q cheaply satisfactorily the Newfoundland
ers who are operating from their own shores. and