The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-10-16
Fishing Industry Injured

Workmen in all lines of industry
have learned by sad experience within
the past two years that in a country
of diversified resources, such as this,
no enterprise will thrive by itself
alone. The laborer in one line of in
dustry depends for his market upon
the prosperity of the workmen of
other industries. Laborers employed
in a factory, for example, must find
buyers for their output, and in order
that those buyers shall buy freely and
at remunerative prices, it is necessary
for what they produce and at a COM
pensation that affords them profit.
Although fishing is an industry of
chief interest along the Atlantic and
Pacific Coasts, and receives little at
tention from residents of other sec
tions, it nevertheless furnishes a
means of livelihood for a very large
number of people, who. in turn, are
patrons of other industries. How
American fishermen may be adversely
affected is illustrated by report of
the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries
showing that last November a Nor
wegian steamer landed 100000 lbs.
of Iceland Goldfish in Gloucester. Mass.
Had this cargo been entered under
Republican tariff law it would have
paid S11,250 of revenue to the Gov
eminent. The Underwood tariff law
struck out the quarters of cent
duty on fresh fish, and this shipment
came in free. Imagine the effect on
the fish market in Gloucester the dav
that cargo of fish was entered and
sold in competition with the catch of
American fishermen.
Mr.. Fred Davis, engaged in catch
ing and packing fish in Gloucester,
testifying before the Ways and Means
committee in vain attempt to have
the duty on fresh fish retained, said
that the fishing business on the At
antic coast is conducted on share
basis! "The fisherman is a sharer in
the gain or loss of the trip which he
makes" said Mr.. Davis. Therefore,
if the price of his fish is to be re-
duced, he suffers. If he comes into
the market with his fresh fish and
that price is down 2 cents, or that
price is up cents, he shares three
| quarters of the difference between the
. cents and the cents. The vessel
would take one-quarter. or one-ffth
Of it on whatever lay she is on. He
has got to pay for the expenses of
| that trip. If that trip comes in in
debt, when the fish goes down to
low price, that fisherman will come in
III dcbC' and he will have nothing for
the trip, aid will have to wait
month. perhaps without one cent. He
has no money to take home to his fam
i.y."
Let one imagine himself to be
fisherman returning from a long clay"
after having undergone the perils of
the sea and the rigors of November
weather on the Banks. The vessel is
we'll loaded with cod, and he has ex-
pectations of a fair price and a few
blissful days with his family. He
swings into port to find that a cargo
of fish from Iceland is just unloading
and the price gone to Davy Jones
mulcted for his share of three-quarters
the loss of the trip. Nothing left for
his family. Will his heart glow with
gratitude for the free-trade Demo-
cracy? Not much. The Gloucester
fisherman is reputed to have large
command of strong language, but a
sturgeon may Salely ne Wagefeu
against a sardine that he did not have
enough to satisfactorily express him
self on the day that lcelandic cargo
hove into port.
In 1914 the free imports of fresh
fish amounted to 55,000,000 pounds. 1t
will be astonishing to some people to
learn that some of the imports are of
fish caught by Japanese in the Pacific
Ocean and sold in the markets of
Gloucester, Mass. The Japanese fish
erman is satisfied with a wage upon
which the American fisherman cannot
live.
The farmer and manufacturer and
miner may not feel much interest in
the fishing industry but the American
fisherman is one of the buyers of their
products and the extent of his pros
perity measures his buying capacity.