The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-11-16

BOSTON, MASS, Noy. lahore
fresh fish are landed every year at the
new million dollar fish pier in South
Boston than at any other point in the
world except Grimsby, England. And
this fishing industry which has become
the second largest of its kind, is plainly
at the beginning of still greater things.
The rising price of meat is teaching the
American people the value of fish as
food; varieties that were scorned not
many years ago now fetch a good price,
and the demand is constantly increas-
ing.
This growth has been accompanied
By changes in method that promise to
alter the whole aspect of the business
within few years. The passing order
is represented by the old 7 wharf, and
by the typical New England fishing who
owns his schooner, takes his catch with
seine and line, and sells it to the highest
bidder He is the picturesque figure of
the business and the man who made it
what it is. The new order has come
with the building Of the million dollar
fish pier, which is not subject for art
like the old one but a lesson in eff
cheney, and with the steam trawler.
This type of steam fishing boat is the
trawler of which you have read so much
in the war dispatches from Europe,
where it is now being used for the
perilous business of finding mines.
An enterprising Boston fish dealer
bought the American rights to the
trawler patents, and now nine of these
vessels are operating from this port de-
spite the bitter opposition of all the old
time fishermen. They claim that the
trawlers are eXterminating the fish, de-
stroying the sea pastures, and tearing
u2 their fishing gear. The quarrel led
to an investigation by the United States
Bureau OF Fisheries, which indicated
the trawlers. So they have come to
say and doubtless toincrease in number,
for they represent the great god Eff
cheney. Incidently, they require great
er capitalization, fewer men, and less
skill, which means that corporate own
ership and cheap labor are to supplant
that figure Of picture and story, the
New England fishermen That is pro-
phecy, however. Today the schooners
are still successfully competing with
the trawlers. Only two weeks ago
Captain Matheson of the Schooner Art
has James broke the worlds record by
bringing in hundred thousand mack
eral in one catch. The next day he
broke his own record by twenty thous-
and. Each of his crew received $500
for two nights work. The Arthur
James put to sea again the next night
IN fog. A steel passenger steamer
rammed her, and she went TO the bot
tom.
The fishing business of Boston is an
industry that reaches from Hudson
Bay to Cape Cod, across the continent,
and to Alaska. 1t is founded primarily
upon the existence along the North
American coast of so-called fishing
banks. These>ar plateaus in the sea.
over which the water is comparatively
warm and shoal. They support a rich
bottom growth of sponges, sea moss,
anemones, barnacles, and the tube
building sea worms. These sea forests
are inhabited by tiny animalcules upon
which feed shrimps, crabs, scalIops,
clans, star fish, and other small salt
water creatures. These in turn are the
food of the most important commercial
fish Cod, haddock, hake, cusk, pollock,
bluefish sea trout, mackeral, herring,
shad, founder and swordfsh gather
over the banks in immense numbers to
feed and spawn.
The fishing banks have long been
known and have played a large part in
history. The Basques fshed off New
foundland long before Columbus dis
covered America, and England founded
colonies here largely because of the