Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-03
FOOD FISH FIGHT
IS ON NEXT WEEK

fishermen had been done out of their
money more frequently during the
past three weeks than had been GUS
tomary. the fisherman sent a friend
down to Fulton Market TO purchase
some of the fish for a presumed retail
dealer, and the wholesale dealer de-
manded II cents a pound for loo
pounds, the amount bargalned for
The supposed customer agreed to the
purchase price, but While haggline
over the matter saw the fish sold IL
another party, who took the entire
200 pounds at IL cents a pound, pay
ing $22 for the entire amount.
The fisherman's friend Immediately
sent word to Seabright about the
transaction and the fisherman waited
for a return to be made to him for
his catch Imagine his surprise when
he received a check for 80 cents from
the trust member. 1t nearly made
him sick, as he had use for every
penny of the amount he expected to
get and in fact he spent the money
before he received 1t.
This fisherman was one of the mum.
Der that suffered from the raVishes
of the recent storms, but that made
no difference to the midd eman, as he
has to have money to purchase gaso-
line for mis- automobile, and he never
considered the fact that the fisher
mans family had lost their home and
all Their belongings and was actually
in want.
The Evening Star can show dozens
of such cases, and still there are a
handful oil men who would rather put
up with such robbery than have the
Antx. la
is a situation that seems unreason-
able, even to some of the members of
the Legislature who are constantly
s eking light on the subject Only
last Tuesday morning, after the
Legis allure had adjourned for the
week, Assemblymen John Hunter and
Edmund b. Randall of Passaic
County, asked for further informa-
tion on the subject of the State repre-
sentative, and one of the questions
they asked was "Why is this bill
opposed to by the members of the
Legislature from the seashore coun-
ties?"
The question is easily answered by
saying that every fish bill introduced
in the New Jersey Legislature In the
last twenty years has been fought,
whether 1t was good or bad, and that
fact was announced at the hear ng in
the State House two weeks ago.
They are opposed to everything, and
frequently on the right side, but in
this one instance no other excuse can
be given except possibly, as has been
frequently stated. they are in fear of
the powerful interests of the fish
trust
At that hearing Assemblyman Con-
rad tod them how the fishermen of
Ocean County are held by the throat
and how they were always given the
wrong side of every deal,' and he is
surely in a position to know.
In explaining some of the peculiar
statements made to the Passaic
County representative by those OPP
posed to the bill about to be voted on,
it led The Star representative to
again call attention to the fact that
the State of Washington Is in the
oyster business, and that it's officials
don't feel diseraced or that they have
not disgraced the State by going into
the oyster bus. ness. especially as it
benefits the oVsterman and brings the
state a revenue.
No more would the State he dis
graced if it took over the fishing in
dustry Of New Jersey, especially when
t provided food fish for its citizens at
a rate within reason. In fact several
prominent lawyers have stated that it
is the duty of the state to Pre- tect its
citizens and that if 1t let's his OPP
portunity pass by 1t is delinquent
is duties to the people.
That it has such a duty to perform
is certain. as no State can afford to
ignore an appeal to collect at least
$500, 900 in revenue. which would help
the people Of the State to bear the
burden of taxation. This duty is plain
and is demanded by the peope of
New Jersey, who are beginning to
learn that several prominent officials
are lobbying against the bill in an eff
fort to push it to an early grave on
the Speakers desk. as they know that
he Essex County Assemblymen,
working with the Passalc County
Assemblymen, have a good chance to
mass it thr0uph the Lowot House
If the bill meets with defeat, as a
Passa'c County member stated, It
would be the greatest slap in the face
that any Leg stature has ever handed
out to the people it represents, as
these people are cry ng for relief
from the exorb tant high prices of
today. Every man in the Assembly
knows that 1t is almost impossible
Tor man Will u large IdHlUN 10
purchase pure food at the prevailing
prices unless he be receiving a sal
airy beyond the $1,000 mark, but that
man don't complain where the food
he needs is cultivated or fed or
worked over and watched month after
month until [ is harvested He don't
complain because manufacturers
have increased the cost of his COM