The Republican journal., 1915-07-08
The Fishing Industry Injured.

WASHINGTON, July 5, 1915. 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
industry depends for his market upon
the prosperity of the workmen of other
industries. Laborers employed in a fac
tory, for example, must find buyers for
their output, and in order that those
buyers shall buy freely and at remunera-
tive prices, it is necessary that they in
turn shall have a market for what they
produce and at a compensation that af-
| fords them d profit
Although fishing is an industry of chief
interest along the Atlantic and Pacific
Coasts, and receives little attention from
residents of other sections, it neverthe-
less furnishes means of livelihood for
very large number of people, who, in
turn, are patrons of other industries.
How American fishermen may be ad-
versely affected is illustrated by report
of the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries
showing that last November Norwegian
steamer landed 1,5OO,O 900 pounds of Ice
land Goldfish in Gloucester, Mass. Had
this cargo been entered under Republican
tariff law it would have paid $11, 250 of
revenue to the Government. The Under
wood tariff law struck out the three
quarters of cent duty on fresh fish,
and this shipment came in free. Imagine
the effect on the fish market in Glouces-
ter the day that cargo of fish was entered
and sold in competition with the catch
of American fishermen.
Mr.. Fred Davis, engaged in catching
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 Atlantic coast is conduct
ed on a share basis. ''The fisherman is
a sharer in the gain or loss of the trip
WHICH he IldheS ediu NIL laws.
Therefore, if the price of his fish is to
be reduced, he suffers. If he comes into
the market with his fresh fish and that
price is down 2 cents, or that price is up
5 cents, he shares three-quarters of the
difference between the cents and the
5 cents. The vessel would take one
quarter, or one-fifth of it, on whatever
lay she is on. He has got to pay for the
expenses of that trip. If that trip comes
in debt, when the fish goes down to low
price, that fisherman will come in debt;
and he will have nothing for the trip, and
will have to wait month, perhaps with
out one cent. He has no money to take
home to his family
Let one imagine himself to be fisher
man returning from 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 expectations of
fair price and few blissful days with
his family. He swings into port to find
that cargo of fish from Iceland is just
unloading and the price gone to Davy
Jones locker. Instead of profit, he is
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 Democracy?
Not much. The Gloucester fishermen is
reputed to. have large command OF
strong language, but sturgeon may
safely be wagered against sardine that
he did not have enough to satisfactorily
express himself on the day that Icelandic
cargo hove into port.
In 1914 the free imports of fresh fish
amounted to 100000 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 fisherman is salts
fled with wage upon which the Ameri-
can fisherman cannot live.
The farmer and manufacturer and
miner may not feel much interest in the
fishing industry, but the American fisher
man is one of the buyers of their products
and the extent of his prosperity meas
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