Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-11-30
aERklsa LAWS.
washiaGton Cosnty risherman Gives
Hls View,

wHshinGton County Fisherman Gives
His View.
As the herring packing season draws to
. closs, much comment IL heard In fishing
circles % to what the Legislature will do
the coming winter with the herring jaws
Of the State. The recent article in the
Waldo Cosrty Herald. the communica-
tion from E. NJ. Lawrence, Of The North
Lubec Manufacturing 4 Ginning Co.,
the opsn letter BY Representative Oliver
Bowley, Of Swans Island, and the state
ment OF commissioner Donohue, Of the -
ard shore fisheries, all on the herring
fisheries Of Maine, indicate that there il
much agitation OF the matter. Widely
different views are expressed ON the past,
present and future OF this important in
dustry.
There are great many alderman in
Washington and Hancock counties who
are opposed TO the use Of pure and drag
seines in taking herring on the coast,
and appear to give weli-found reasons
for their beliefs. Fishermen, and others
in the same line OF business with Mr..
lawrence, with the welfare OF the hsh-
ing industry 1t heart, cannot agree with
the sardine packer OF Eastern Maine On
many Of his points 1t issue.
A fisherman at Rocky bar, Machias bay,
while discussing the matter recently,
stated that this was no new idea with
Mr.. Lawrence. To go back fifteen yssrs,
he could recall Mr.. Lawrence advancing
the very same seining theory that he
advocates to- day. Tho veteran then
nodded his head and said, ''that was quite
fish story wasn't II, the Gov. Cobb
steaming through twenty miles OF herring
for six weeks, and nearly every sardine
factory on the coast closed up for want OF
fish. Why, IL Mr.. Lawrence had just
given Eastern Warrington county . tip,
there has been idle twine enough here all
summer TO surround the whole school,
steamboat and ALL"
ale can tell you about the herring Ash
cries OF Scotland, Norway and Japan just
~ long a. you have mind TO listen TO
his fish stories. am telling you the inn
proved methods OF taking Ash to-day, and
the quick facilities for transporting them
to the factories, would make Mr.. Law
rrnce's grandfather, aud even his father,
astonishcd 1t the rapid progress in this
since their day Of activity in the hsh bust
ness, and had IL not bean for this progres-
sion in the sardine business, mot . factory
in eastern waters could have run st pro-
At this year.
.sIf ii 10 not owing to the scarcity OF
herring, Why is the sardine pack reduced
herring tell you that the raw material Is
out OF the reach Of human haDdss This
fish business" the old gentleman con-
tinued. sis controlled BY . higher power
than man, and II ID . mighty good thing
that IL 10 90, for where the people OF the
shore towns did fairly well BY having .
abort season. had the ash been plenty
there would have been no business at all.
"You understand that the bad feeling 10
under the surface, and just ~ soon ~
circumstances permit and the raw mate
rial can be had in large quantities, down
will 90 the price by the large packers, and
the small fellow will be forced to the wall
or 70 close up his factory. The rsh Of the
sea In, however. . hard thing for the trusts
to control, and we should be very thank
full for that.
'sThey may have seined herring in Japan
for 500 years, but on the coast OF Maine
herring have not all gone ~ in the day OF
Mr.. lAwrence's grandfather, and We are
waiting for them to return, bot they are
growing scarcer every year, and ! will
gamble my pea-pod and three horse
Palmer engine, that il the factories con-
tinue to destroy ~ many brit - they did
in the first Of the present season, that In
eight years the herring supply Of this
country will have to be brought from
Scotland, Norway, japan, or somewhere
else. They won't be here, that IL sure
thing"
When questioned ~ to Representative
Bowiey's idea OF ali intercsts in the fab
ing industry getting together and fosmu-
lsting some law agreeable TO all, he replied;
ave have laws enough, and II y my
opinion that the democrats are going up
to Augusta this winter to make lees laws
in the place OF more. II they will see that
what laws we have pertaining to herring
ara we'll enforced, il will do very we'll"
II 10 not . matter Of speculation ~ to
whether the fish ON our coast are growing
less or not; IL IL known tact that for the
past two years herring arc unusual hard
TO find in quantities large enough to seine,
and as the herring disappear, all other
fish that feed on them become scarce like
wise. The hand fab, so called-cod. had
dock, pollock-are hard to catch without
herring for bait; the lobster fisherman
has made poor summer work, with no
herring for bait in his traps. So, % tho
herring 60, they sffect not only the sas-
dine industry, but all other fishing COM
mon to our waters must sufer - well.
Whether it be the fault OF seines, wsirs
or what not, the fishermen tell NJ thai the
herring 10 surely becoming scarcsr each
year, and that the taking OF herring for
packing purposes less than three inches
I<,vr .rr,lA k.a prc hi hsfed IL he aonf INFANT