The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-22
Progress in Newfoundland.

Retributive justice sometimes takes a
nap. For our selfish rejection Of the
treaty with Newfoundland we deserve a
punishment which has not yet come TO
us. On the contrary, from the statistics
OF our trade wi h the island it might be
inferred that we had done some favor,
conferred some blessing, for which its
people are eager to reward us by larger
purchases of our merchandise.
The commerce of the island is growing.
1t is not a whirlwind growth, but a sound
and steady development. The total OF
import and export shows an increase from
Sl7, 400, 900 in 1902 to S22 100000 in 1905,
with exports exceeding imports through
out the term. or the 1905 trade Consul
| CORNELIUS Of st. Johns says:
The most significant feature lie the remarkable
increase in the coIony's imports from the United
! States. which have grown by $3.50. o4s in q angie
! year. while those from the United Kingdom have
! remained stationary and those from the Dominion
OF Canada have declined by S6es,e ESQ in 1905 IS com
pared with 1905. The United States during the last
year has taken half a million dollars of cansda's
trade and secured In amount more than the whole
of the increased imports
The statistics of the island show pur-
| chases from the United States last year
as s $500, 1872. Purchases from England
we're 81, 1851 1876, and from Canada $751;
ssS. About 1882, 900 is shown in accounts
with other countries. This is a somewhat
onesided trade. From the United States,
England and Canada the island obtains
about e5 per cent Of her import require
ments. They take from her a little less
than 40 per cent. of her exports. Our
purchases we're only 81, 27e, 900. The ac-
count would have been larger were it not
for the fact that we obtain a considerable
supply of fish by methods that are ques-
tionable in point of both law and morals.
This applies, somewhat particularly, 10
the herring fishery on the west coast.
We had sixty-fve vessels employed in the
industry, with a catch Of 7O,349 barrels,
while the Observation-Disclosures had forty
three vessels, with a catch of 45,ss7
barrels.
Some ten years ago an important whal-
ing industry vas started. Steam vessels
with modern equipment were used and
the catch was towed TO factories estab-
lished on the shore for trying out. This
proved 80 profitable that the fleet came
to number seventeen vessels. This was
too much for the whale crop. AS many
as 1,5Oo OF the big fish were captured in
a single year, and the supply was 90
exhausted that the industry collapsed
entirely. The operating companies have
gone into liquidation. The catch of hair
seals for last year wa one Of the best
during the last thirty years. Nearly
$4,000 were taken, their value being a
little more than $500, 200.
Agriculture languishes, although it
offers important possibilities, and is little
likely to show any special activity unless
there should come settlers who love the
smell OF the soil better than the smell Of
the eea. The tiller fits the hands OF the
present race better than the hoe handle
does. The island has large forest re-
sources which are being only slowly de-
veloped, although there are signs Of
greater activity in the immediate future.
It's mineral resources, particularly iron,
copper and pyrites, are also large.
The Observation-Disclosures are good neigh
bors and worthy of more courteous and
c~onsiderate treatment than we seem ready
20 aocord them