Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-07-07

lobster fishing their sole means OF
support have the Holsters.
1.-The keepers say the salaries re-
ceived are small and that they can
not afford to stay on light stations
for what they receive from the gov
eminent alone. If this is true why
not let the older fishermen have the
easy job of tending the lights and
the young men who are strong ana
healthy enter into the fishing bust
ness for a livelihood.
Men who have employment on
shore have to work only so many
hours This gives them time morning
and evening to run string OF some
twenty-five to fifty lobster traps
which they may haul in their spare
time and thus earn a few dollars eX-
ira for Injuries. Their families are
we'll provided for from the pay they
receive and they too ought to be
willing to allow the fishermen to
have the Holsters.
Many new fishermen are entering
into the lobster business this year
which is caused by lack of other en-
ployment Shipyards that two years
ago were running on full time are
now closed, factories have shut down
and many men are out of jobs. so
they turn to the lobster business as a
means of getting by until business
starts up again.
This is another reason why the
lobster industry should be preserved
for the man who makes it his sole
means of support. There will be
approximately one third more lobster
fishermen on the Maine coast during
1921 than there were in 1920. What
would the unemployed on the Maine
! coast do were it not for the fishing
industry? Is there any other industry
that would furnish them the necessi-
ties of life through the period of re-
construction? If there is such an in
dustry, it may perhaps be farming:
this being true, are not our fisheries
and the lobster industry worth pro-
lection? This industry furnishes a
means of livelihood to approximately
two thousand persons who would be
laying idle if they could not depend
on the fisheries to support their
families through the period of BUSH
ness renovation.
Brother Fishermen, the members
of the commission are doing all in
their power for your protection and
they are trying to make it possible
for you to lay by enough to enjoy life
! in your old age. The State purchases
all the egg Holsters from you at the
market price and liberates them for
; your protection and if the Holsters
are protected and the Maine mea sure
strictly observed there is no question
about the Holsters increasing. 1t has
been demonstrated beyond a doubt in
! the past two years that they will in
crease in numbers if the law is strict
/ ly observed.
| AT the present writing there are
approximately 1000 lobster fishermen
on the coast of Maine. If each fish
erman carried home for his family IL
short Holsters per week in year he
would take home 624 and tha whole
1000 fishermen would takeV home
2,596,000 short Holsters. If these were
allowed 10 grow to legal size they
would weigh at least one and one
quarter pounds each or 3,240,000
pounds and if sold for 80 cents per
pound would net the fishermen $972,-
coo or 1868 for each fisherman. This
amount would furnish at the present
prices three barrels of -four, 200
pounds Of sugar, 100 pounds of lard,
100 pounds of pork, bag of beans
and clothes and shoes for an average
family. Brother fishermen you can
not afford to do it. The commission
ers will do everything they can but
that will be very little without your
help.
/ Now it is up to YOU fishermen. if
YOU want to improve your business.
Cooperation is the key to the whole
situation. We must work together
with just one thought in mind and
that. to build a larger, more
profitable and better industry.
Honesty and prosperity make happi-
ness, and happiness is the kew to real
life. Let us all work together for
prosperity and happiness"