Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-30
WOULD PROFIT BY
STATE FISHERIES
Continued from First Pass.)

are not facing the question properly;
at least that is the opinion of the rep
resentatives of the Evening Star, who
have handled the food fish proposition
during the past three weeks. When
one of their number mentioned to an
Assemblyman, who had taken part in
the official discussion, the fact that
he could point to a way in which the
State could get away from all possible
chances of a deficit, he said SHOW
It," and here 1t is, ready to be proved
and offered for the approval of the
members of the Legislature, the
comptroller and the people of the
State of New Jersey.
S4s0e,O6S Pounds Caught.
AS has been frequently stated in
these columns during the crusade
against the fish trust of New York,
there was 34,S06,06S pounds of food
fish caught in the pound nets of the
State and landed on our coast, for
which the pound net men of New
Jersey received $77S,1S6, or two and
one-half cents pound from the fish
trust of New York and Philadelphia.
These figures have been sworn to by
the owners of the pound nets in a re-
port to the Board of Fish and Game
Commissioners, in compliance with the
law of the State.
state Received S4,24O.
In return for this vast amount of
fish the State received $4,240, paid in
license fees by the pound net owners,
the largest amount received from one
net being $50 and the smallest $40. In
stating these figures the Evening Star
does not intend to insinuate that the
fees received in this manner are not
sufficiently large, as that Is not the
object of this statement.
Now take the amount of fish caught
in these nets, 34,806,069 pounds. and
instead of permitting 1t to go into the
hands of the fish trust, let the State
purchase it direct from the pound
net fishermen and then resell 1t to the
retail dealers or direct to the con-
sumner, taking for its share of the
profit that which is now demanded
by the New York men, and signs of
deficit will Immediately be wiped out
without increasing the burdens Of the
taxpayers one penny.
Trust Made Se,088, 38e.88 Profit.
Last year the first trust represent
atives made a profit of $2,0SS, 362.S8
on the fish purchased from the pound
net men of New Jersey. and a con-
siderable amount of that was paid
out of the purses OF the people of the
State of New Jersey. The profits are
estimated at a lower figure than Is
actually the case, but the profit per
pound is only placed at cents to the
wholesale dealer. If there is a pos
sible deficit of 100000 in the funds
for the fiscal year, and the profits of
the fish trust were merely cut in half,
the amount that would be received
by the State, if it controlled the
fisheries, would be $1,044, 181.S4, or al
most half a million more than is
needed to see the State safely
through for the year.
If 1t is possible for the fish trust to
gather s2,0SS, 362.SS profit in a year
from the fish of New Jersey, why
shouldn't the State wipe the trust out
of existence and take that profit for
its own use? The cry cannot be raised
of politics, as no attempt is even
suggested to stop pound net fishing,
and it would not be fair proposition
to place a higher license on the nets,
as the fish trust will still receive the
catch, and they would place the cost
of the license on the consumer with
out even a blush arising on their
cheeks.
State Could Take Charge.
Now say, for instance, the State
authorities, through an act of the
Legislature, took control of the New
Jersey fisheries and sold the entire
catch to the consumer who cared to
buy direct or sold to the consumer
through the retail dealer, paying the
pound net fishermen 2h cents pound
for the fish, and then added but 4
cents as the State profit, it would
permit of the dealer reselling the fish
to the consumer at no higher cost
than II cents a pound, or just one
half the cost of beef.
The State, under such an arrange
ment, would receive a profit of ST.
1872, 242.72 In year, based on the catch
of last year. which was not a very
heavy one. The pound nets owner
would receive S773, 136 for his share,
the retail dealer would make a fair
profit, as we'll as having the advan-
tage of first pick of the fish; the ex-
penses of carriage from New YorI
and the freight rate to New York
would be saved to the retailer and in
the end to the consumer as well.
Now in addition to the catch of the
pound nets, there is the catch of the
hand-line fishermen, who go out in
boats and fish on the off-shore fish
ing banks. No account is kept of this
catch, as there are no records de-
mands, but fair estimate of the last
year shows that 100000 pounds of
fish caught in this manner was dis
posed of, the greater amount going
direct to the agents of the fish trust,
with established headquarters at each
fishery along the coast.
Use of Purse Net.
In addition there is another manner
of catching fish for market along the
New Jersey coast, and that by oper-
ating purse nets from fishing smaclxs.
At least hundred of these boats ply
their trade within the three-mile
limit, which is controlled by the
State, but not pound of the fish is
landed here, and not penny is re-
ceived for 1t by the State. The blue
fish supply of Fulton Market is
caught in this manner, and according
to the figures gathered over there by
Star representative, this catch is
worth at least 100000 in profit to
the men that control the fisheries of
New Jersey via New York.
Should the State gather in this
profit, instead of permitting it to go
to outsiders. and add it to the revenue
that should be derived from the pound
nets, it would give the State an an
nual income of at least SO, 000, 900 above
all expenses. An item that would wipe
out all thoughts of deficit, as well
as giving the people the best of the
argument from both ends and the
middle.
Let the members of the Legislature
think this over as it was compiled at
the solicitation of one of their num-
Der, and every figure given can be
proven to the satisfaction of the
most skeptical person.