The Washington times., 1916-08-21
PEARL FISHERIES
SUFFER FROM WAR
Prices Drop in Hazardous Trade
Of Australian Adventures.
Government Aid Desired.

SYDNEY. Australia. Aug. H.-Most Of
the present yield Of Australian pearls is
going to the United States. Four-nfths
OF the worlds output of pearl-shell
comes from Australian waters, but the
war has hit the romantic business hard.
Pearlers are getting considerably less
FOR their product than three or four
years ago before the great conflict began
Notwithstanding the cost Of operation
and that Of freights is far higher.
Most OF the pearling fleet is laid up
and the few boats that are at work at
Thursday Island and Broome are in
commission only to keep the hands EN-
ployed.
Before the war shelters at Broome. on
the West Australian coast, and, there
fore. on the Indian Ocean side OF the
continent. got as much for shell as 81 10
ton on the spot but now the price hs s
dropped to $3.50. This permits Of no prof
Its.
So Broome and Thursday Isiand--the
latter of which has much the wider fame
as pearling center-are practically
awaiting the day when the world will be
prosperous enough again to indulge itself
In the gems.
Some Costly Specimens.
This IL q state of afraips far removed
from that when four specimens sold for
1000 and another was obtained which
10 valued at 26 600
Also the story runs among Australians
that one Of the Vanderbilt family paid
$1% 900 for a single stone.
eMantime a commonwealth govern
ment commission appointed some
years ago to inquire into the POSSIBLE.
ny OF introducing white labor into
Australian territorial waters has
after a long and exhaustive ipvesti-
cation. drafted report which will
shortly be submitted to Parliament.
The chairman of the commission, Mr..
tet ives. said at Melbourne, that the
report WILL recommend that matters
be left largely as they are at pres
mt. That Is to say virtually that white
men are not success as pearl-divers
Only Hope of Business.
1.-THE only hope Of keeping the pearling
business permanent and profitable" says
James Clark, the Australian pearl
king" was for the government to fix
such price for shell as to Leave flee;
owners reasonable margin for their
many risks, and to limit tho export"
If the government would follow this
course and see that the fleets were no,
In number too large for supply to out
strip demand. much would be done "a
improve Australian pearling-which was
quite worthy of announcement. Mr.
Clark pronounced against white divers.
when. with colored divers" he said
80 many pearlers fail In business when
a tine Of stress comes what chance
would they have II they were compelled
to keep white divers who would cost
them ever 80 much more and not he
half so efficient?"
"eParling," he remarked, us a pre-
carious business and many men &c
broke at It. But as with mining there
a., n macmillan fascina tiop about N Won
never know your luck. Once man en-
banks In the game he generally keeps
going In the hope of some day STRIKING.
pearl of great Irice This sometimes
comes into his possesslon-if others
don't intercept It," And he added:
1T offered 5000 in Paris just before
the war broke out for an Australian
pearl ] am glad to say that my offer
was not accepted or the pearl Nigh,
still be on my hands"