The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-12-05
WOULD LEAVE FRANCE
Of st. Pierre in Favor Of
Annexation

Inhabitants Of st. Pierre in Favor Of
Annexation
.rst. Johns, N. f., Dec. 6-The senti.
81. annexation to the United
cletr Sh has prevailed at st.
Pierre-. lelon for some years past,
has just terystalli1ed into an active
movement In that direction. The os-
tensible cause Is the refusal Of the
Pierrais government to permit the es-
tablishment there Of q free denomina-
tional school. which the Catholic
bishop set on foot, with lay teachers
instead of the Christian brothers who
formerly were employed In that ca
pacity but who were expelled five
years ago on the adoption Of the
Combes bill for the separation of the
church and state. But, while this
school question is the principal cause,
other circumstances have been oper-
ating to the same end, noticeably the
failure of the fisheries Of late years,
the abandonment by. France Of the
French shore" Of Newfoundland, the
indifference with which the decadence
Of the little colony has been observ-
ed by the motherland and the rapid
depopulation of the Pierrais town.
United States Is Favored
i st. Pierre iss the capital and virtu-
ally the whole French colony of St.
Pierre ct Miquelon, of the south
coast Of Newfoundland, comprising
three islands with an area of ninety
square miles and a population of about
5000, of whom four-fifths are in st.
Pierre, the only decent harbor in the
group. Almost the whole population
Is Catholic and the separation law
has few friends there. Moreover as
the years pass and business with
France lessons while it grows with
Newfoundland, Canada and the Unit
ed States, the tendency toward fu-
ture linked with these countries in
tensifies and the United States is the
ifavorite.
\ The chief link between France and
Miquelon now 10 the Grand Banks
fisheries, prosecuted by fotillas Of
trawlers from both Brittany and st
Pierre. for both of which fleets the
latter Is q haven of refuge for repair
ing damages, renewing outfits and
gear, replenishing stores and replac-
Ing crews, as we'll as for landing and
drying the catch of cod; and its ship
ment to France and to southern Eu-
rope, as we'll as to the French colonies
In Africa and the West indies, where
It is chiefly marketed.
Lead q Miserable Life 4
Every year. about the middle ,of
March, the marine conscripts, who
crew the fishing vessels, assemble at
1t Mato and after being enrolled and
ilspected,, ssare herded Z. like 30 much
live ibtockaboard the transports which
convey them out to st. PieSre to be
'9fspers0d among the fishing vessels,
Ii which they. work for the summer.
During this period their lot is hard.
They observe no Sabbath and enjoy
no relaxations. From daylight till
dark and oftentimes after, they toll
without ceasing, subject to the caprice
or brutality Of drunken or heavy.
handed shippers and living amid the
most squAhd surroundings. They
sleep in foul smelling, Ill lighted
quarters, without sanitation or clean
liness. sheaves Of straw their beds
and salt bags their coverlets. Their
fare is the coarseAt,, their raiment the
scantiest, their recompense the small
est. Living as they do, amid vice and
drunkenness, their finer interests are
soon blunted and, unless they can de-
sert to Canada or Newfoundland, as
many do each year. they are soon re-
duced to the common level.
Stories Of Atrocity
To understand these one would need
to search the archives OF the French
ministry Of marine for portions Of q
report Of q commission Of inquiry into
the accomplishments of this fishery in
1897, suppressed because Of the horri-
BILE. details It set forth. Even the
parts Of the report which obtained
publicity contained such Irevolting
facts that much more stringent rules
for warship inspection Of the fishing
fleet were promulgated. In February
last revelation Of the savageries per-
petrated on board these fishing craft
was furnished by the public prosecu-
tor at st. Malo. The skipper and
mate, brothers. were charged with the
murder Of two sailors. One of these.
q writer and traveller, had Joined
the vessel for the purposing Of study
ing the life Of fishermen and exposing
horrors currently reported to be prac-
ticed among them. The skipper; learn
ing Of his purpose, persistently perse-
cuted him during the cruise and event.
uafly caused his death. Because he
protested against the fogging Of q boy
he was stripped, tied to mast and
hogged himself and left bound and
naked ON deck for hours at night In
the piercing cold. Then another OF
the crew died Of i'll treatment he re-
ro4vad Tho M ta,p i. Il soaI ~ h = NJ = q