The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11

CT. JOHNS, Newfoundland, Dec. B.
~ It seems like a caprice of nature
that the soil of Newfoundland
should have been made so barren and
the surrounding sea so rich. The
wealth Of the country is i'm the nearby
water rather than upon the land. Fish
IS the legal tender of these North sea
islanders. Everything depends upon
old King Cod and his fellows of The
1iLBy tribe. If one is 10 keep within
range Of the conversation here he must
know all about the habits of herrings,
haddocks and halibut; he must be up
on market price of cod livers, as well
as how much salt it will take to cure
a Quintal of mackerel not to speak OF
divers iucideHtals concerning the kind
OF bait it takes to lure a salmon to his
doom or the proper way to approach
seal on an ice foe. On a certain day
the news of skipper Ambrose taking
nine thousand Goldfish in one haul of
his trap caused more discussion than
the cabled report that Roosevelt had
carried all the doubtfuf states.
A Bone Of Contention.
These rich fishing grounds, yielding
annually their millions of wealth. have
been bone of contention for England
France and the United States since 17l3
Treaty after treaty has been framed to
adjust the differences OF the disputants,
but il seems To be a quarrel without
end. From the earlier days the French
have held rights in these waters At
one time they operated as high as 24O
stations and sent fully $4,000 men
across the Atlantic each season. How
ever, the volume of their traffic has
dwindled until there are only sixteen
stations remaining, and less than 400
fishermen in the zone All this refers
To the west coast of Newfoundland,
which is known as the French shore,
and has nothing to do with the Grand
Banks, which is an entirely different
matter. y treaty was made in April
OF this year and ratified in November.
in which the French gave up their
rights along the west shore i'm ex-
change for some British territory IN
West Africa.
Trouble For Uncle Sam.
Having finally succeeded i'm clearing
their shore waters OF the French. the
Newfoundlanders now expect To turn
their attention TO the Americans. They
want TO make "A better bargain with
Uncle Sam. The present status is
about like this: The fishermen of sev-
cral nationalities have the right TO fish
ON the Grand Banks, but an of them
are barred from catching bait I'm the
shore waters of Newfoundland. This
bait act is a defensive measure fnau-
gUrated by the islanders and is a most
effective weapon If properly enforced
because fishermen cannot get bait any
where within a reasonable distance OF (
the banks except in the coYes Of New :
fOundland. The islanders have fur
nished bait 10 the Americans i'm the Z
hope Of securing reciprocity with the
United States. For sixteen years they I
have been waiting our pleasure in the F.
matter and all this time we have been
accepting their hospitality ia the mat {
ter Of free bait. They assert that their I
patience is becoming exhausted III We 7
do not enact favorable legislation At I,
this session of congress our fishermen /
cannot have any more bait Further
legislation against US.
This lay De one OF several FORMS T.
They may follow the lead OF Canada I
by giving English manufacturers a I
preferential duty OF 80 1-3 per cent. or :
they may construct a prohibitive tariff 4
aimed directly at American wares. 20 4
IL viii be seen that I-nole Sam had I
better look IA little out" unless he :
wants his cod hunters 60 have what in i
the psrlance of the profession is known 4
as "fisherman's luck" as well as a
closed market for Yankee products As !
the trade runs from year 10 year vc /
sell the islanders $1,000 600 worth Of +
stuff and buy from them 81 ,120 900 an
nually.