Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-01

simply means that that is the catch
of these particular fifty-eight nets.
To this must be added the catch of
the remaining licensed nets and also
the catch of the hundred Fulton
market fishing smacks that can be
seen daily during the summer months
within the three mile limit of the
shores of New Jersey catching tons
and tons of bluefish. not a pound of
which is credited to the State of New
Jersey.
A fair estimate of the bluefsh
catch of last year is Is, 100000 pounds,
and 1t is for, that very fish that we
are today paying twenty-five cents a
pound in the retail market. The
greater part of the fish was handled
by the middlemen of New York, and
much of it found its way into the
State of New Jersey after it had been
taxed the middlemans profit, which
was fully eight cents a pound. Were
this to be added to the total catch of
the State of New Jersey, it would
plainly show that at least 60, 100000
pounds of fish were harvested along
the Atlantic coast and in our bays in
1913, for which the State received in
license the 'munificent" sum of $4,000,
while the middlemen, or fish trust.
pulled down a rake-off, as the COM
the pound-net fishermen, according to
a statement made at Trenton a week
ago today, which statement is fully
believed, received but a paltry two
and One-fourth cents pound, out of
which he had to pay his labor and all
his other expenses, which have in
creased 20 per cent. since 1912, while
his income has decreased, according
to his own figures, one-fourth cent
pound.
1t doesn't seem reasonable that any
set of men being treated as shabby
as are the pound-net fishermen could
or would protest against a measure
the enactment of which would make
the State his only customer, nor does
it seem reasonable that a State
would permit such valuable asset
to go to waste as does the State of
New Jersey. If there is any political
reason why the State of New Jersey
continues to permit this asset to go to
waste, then 1t seems to be high time
that reason was laid aside for a long
enough time to give the statements
made herein a few minutes thought.
State Tax Threatened.
Threatened with q State tax in
order to prevent a possible deficit
and trying to. devise numerous other
ways to raise money for operating
purposes, and still ignoring the op-
portunity to gather in S2,500.00O by
handling the New Jersey food fisi
is something that the public cannot
comprehend
One of the campaign pledges of the
dominant party in this State was
reduction in the high cost of living,
but not one attempt has been made
to keep it, even when an opportunitg
is offered such as is embodied in the
Byrne bill.
subject out, taking 50,000,000 pounds
of fish as a basis and it won't take
much gray matter to show that a
tax of one per cent. will bring the
State an income of 100000. and not
a resident of the State but what
would be benefited.
The passage of the Seven Sisters"
assured the people of the State that
New Jersey trusts could be abolished
and the same laws drove many tax
paying companies from the State but
they cannot reach the fish trust, as
they are beyond the jurisdiction of
New Jersey and now that there is a
chance to gather in sufficient money
to pay all State expenses. it is
frowned on because it would enjoin
New York trust.
The supreme test will come in the
next few days when the public will
then know which wins, the Fish
Trust" or the people of the State of
New Jersey.