Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-03
PROSPECT BRIGHT
FOR STAR VICTORY

Maryland and Virginia are always at
odds over the catching of fish in
| waters that divide the two States, and
| in both cases the Linthicum bill
would, if enacted into law, end all
and consumer would both benefit
New Jersey Needs Help.
If ever the people of New jersey
were in need of help from their rep
| resentatives at Trenton it is now. ii
the legislators fail them, the fish
trust will take it as a sure sign that
the people do not want cheaper food
fish and there will be no limit to the
prices charged before another year
passes. History has proven time and
time again that where the wishes of
the public are ignored the middlemen
assume it to be an approval of their
methods The poultry trust was a
striking example and its managers
didn't hesitate to add few pennies
a pound 10 chickens after stalling off
threatened investigation in New
York, but it was a costly move for
that octobus, as the additional
increase was complained of and the
government sent out investigators
who soon secured evidence of their
being such a trust and prosecution
followed that ended by number of
men going to Jail
Evidence Against Trust.
The Evening Star has, through its
entire campaign on this question, de-
clared that a trust exists that con-
trolls the fish caught in New Jersey
waters, and it has offered many
statements to back up that conten-
ton so that the members of the Leg
islature could see the exact situa-
ton, and not once have the state
ments been questioned.
The men in control can have no de-
Tense when confronted with the fig
ures that were presented to the con-
gressional committee at Washington
by The Star representatives. The one
instance where it was clearly shown
that in 1904 the pound net fishermen
received four cents a pound for 49,
900, 900 pounds of fish will bear re-
peating.
When that amount of fish was
caught in 1904 every pound was of
fered for sale to the highest bidder,
who was usually buyer represent
ing New Jersey dealers, and the peo-
pie purchased the fish from the re-
taller at 10 or IL cents a pound. but
between 1904 and 1914 the wholesale
dealers of New York got busy and
secured control of the entire catch
from the pounds, and not only raised
the price to the consumer, but low
cred the price to the pound net fish
ermen so that they received a profit
from both ends
Fisheries in 1912.
The New Jersey pound nets caught
&c, 800 06S pounds of fish in 1872 and
sold it to the trust for 2h cents a
pound, and the consumer had to pay
20 cents a pound for it. Plain figures
and plain facts that no one can con-
tradict and for that reason the fish
trust cannot enter a denial. The in
crease in freight rates would only
eat up a half cent a pound and that
would still leave a penny over OF the
amount saved from the fishermen,
and it should surely apply to re-
duction in the cost to the consumer,
but instead the price advanced fully
100 per cent, an increase such as no
other commodity suffered during the
same ten years.
The hope of the Evening Star is
that If hearing on the Byrne reso-
luton is requested that 1t will be Civ
en- opportunity to not only show that
such conditions exist, but also to show
that additional evidence has been
gathered that will prove the people
are being robbed of their hard earned
money in this matter.
The Evening Star will show to the
people of the State through their rep
resentatives how New Jersey per-
mitted the great hand-line fishing in
dustry to dwindle away without a
word of protest, and it will also at
tempt to show who benefits most by
having a few men in control of fish
cries that gather 34,S06,O6S pounds of
fish a wear