The San Francisco call., 1913-08-16
COD STILL BOON
To Ne VT F0UNDLAND
Fisheries Revenues Greater
Than That From Sparse
Farm Land

ST. JOHNS, N. F.. Aug. 1s.-some
10000 Newfoundland fsherfolk-men.
women and chiIdren-are now engaged
IN the annual campaign against the
shoals locally known as schools of
cod along the Labrador seaboard
In Newfoundland and Labrador the
cold climate, which the polar current,
in which they are swathed. imposes
up on them. practically denies living
to the populace unless they can de-
rive 1t from the sea- 1t Is true that
Of late years the mines and the lum-
Der of Newfoundland have grown in
value, but even now the revenue de-
rived from these is unimportant COM
pared with the great fishery. Whatever
may have been said and written in
favor of agriculture In Newfoundland.
it is the sea to which her sons look
as their mainstay
Naturally, then. the Newfoundlander
is sailor from his cradle. He is born
and bred of a race OF men who have
struggled with an environment of
rough seas, dense fogs and Iimitless
ice; men who have been thrown on their
own resources for almost everything
that they make use of. It is little
wonder, then. that a race Of men has
been gradually evolved who preserve
all the best traditions of the British
race. The real sailor of today, the
nearest kin to those men who made
England great in the sixteenth century.
is to be found on the North sea and on
the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts.
During July and August the fishery is
carried on in a way peculiar to this
coast The main objects sought for are
the salmon and the cod. 1t is q great
sight on fine morning to see school
OF salmon strike the nets, for the sal
mon swim near the surface. Salmon in
the sea, contrary to the general suppo-
sition, will not infreQuently take a
hook baited with small fish, which Is
used by the poorer fishermen. who can
not afford big nets. OF course, the SAL
mon is not treated in the dignified way
that he is in a river. for on a stout
line and large hook he Is hauled in
willy nilly by brawny arms. 1t Is no good
his trying to resist. Though he adopts
the fiercest tactics, they are of no serv-
ice to him. for in two minutes at the
most he is hauled over the side of the
boat as IL he were a common Goldfish. It
seems scurvy treatment for so noble a
fish
con FILL THE SHORE WATERS
In June and July huge shoals OF cod
will run right in on the shore. sweeping
past the headlands and sometimes fill
ing the basins and bights SO full that
we say you can almost walk across
their backs. They are to be seen over
q great area OF water, their backs con-
stantly showing, and the surface alive
with those that jump out. They are
generally proceeded close In to the shore
by a small bait fish called caplin, some
what like small herrings, which come in
countless millions. and may now be seen.
on every beach in dense black masses.
some being left high and dry with
every wave.
The cod at this time are found to be
full of caplin. and so we suppose that
they follow them In to feed on them
while the caplin themselves come in to
deposit their spawn on the beach,
where it matches out in the waym gun.
land the fry are washed back again
into the sea. So from May to Septem-
Der the coastline Is a vast labyrinth
of nets, and one has to be well on
ones guard steaming into Ilarbors and
past islands that one does not run afoul
of the interminable quantity OF twine
in the water.
The cod, when caught, are taken
ashore and, like the salmon, are split
H.
the catching is over, the salted fish are
washed out and spread out on the
rocks, usually by the women and chill
dren, for whom small huts have been
built of turf and sticks and stones at
a place nearest to where the family
vessel is fishing
AT .the close of the year. when the
ice forms. the fish is sold, either to local
buyers who have brought their vessels
In uh
they have been for salt. or else 1t is
taken to st. Johns to be sold to the
merchants 1t is then shipped to the
Mediterranean markets or Brazil and to
the western Indies.
NAVAL RESERVE TRAINING
The price OF fish varies with the sup
ply in the worlds markets. and large
French and Norwegian catch means
low price for Newfoundland's catch.
Two years ago the price went so low
that fish WAS sold in st. Johns for 81
per qufntal, which Is less than the
price which IT takes to catch and dry
It. The result of this was that at the
close of the season there were scores of
Schooners with brooms at their mast
heads lying in the harbor, the emblem
signifying that they were for sale, and
that the crews were obliged to go to
the States. TO find work. Since then.
the prices have greatly improved. and
this year there are more fishermen
than for several years past.
During the last few years advantage
has been taken of the splendid sailor
personnel of Newfoundland. and royal
navy reserve has been formed. Each
winter an increasing number of young
men 5oin the navy. and winter In Ber-
muda or Halifax, or wherever the North
American squadron happens to be. 1t
xad hi .
training fghting men for the United
States, for 1t Was supposed that on the
short service system the great oppor-
tunities offered in the United States
would seduce these men from their al
legiance However, theresare no colo
nists in the empire more patriotic than
the Newfoundlanders, and there is no
danger, in the improbable event OF war
with the United States, that Newfound-
landers would fight against their own
country.
HAIR AND WHISPERS. SHORN
FROM HOBO FILL BASKET