Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-29
CANADIAN L0bSTERS WILL SOON
M0NOPOLIzE The U. S. MARKETS

Horatio D. erie of Rockland, dircc-
tor of the Maine Sea and Shores
Fisheries Commission, sees great
danger TO the Maine lobster industry
in the encroachments of the Canadian
lobster fishermen and in the fol-
lowing interview makes plain that
something must be done to safeguard
our own interests:
The lobster fishermen on the
Maine Coast are still feeling the eff
feet of the open season in Canada
and will continue to suffer because
spring shipments will flood our mar
kets again in April and deprive our
fishermen of their rights as American
citizens. Many of the fishermen de-
pend entirely on the catch of Holsters
in November and December to help
them through the winter, but the
price dropped SO low that they were
deprived OF any surplus which they
generally accumulate and are now in
hard sledding,' SO to speak, because
they are unable to furnish their FAM
lilies with the necessities that they
have a right to expect in a prosper
Gus country.
after all the past years of free &C.
cess to our markets, in spring time,
the Canadians had the audacity to
monopolize the markets of the United
States in the fall of 1922. When the
New England fishermen objected TO
their high handed proceedings, they
were very much surprised, saying: If
YOU will only be calm, we think in
due time, everything will work out
satisfactorily. Our fishermen did not
90 SO well as they expected, and
probably fall fishing will not occur
again in Canada
After the Canadians have driven
the New England fishermen far be-
You'd endurance and have caused hun
ger and suffering in many families.
they want to compromise, monopo-
lizing the markets OF the New Eng
land fishermen only six months in
stead of the whole year. \ very fair
example of some Canadians way of
reasoning.
Shall we forget the past or shall
we keep it constantly in our minds
and work as we never have worked
before for a protective tariff. a tariff
sufficient to repay the fishermen for
the hardships that they have re-
ceived at the hands of the Canadians
in the past? Isn't it about time we
stood up squarely in our boots and
demanded our rights?
Canada has been used so we'll nv
the United States that she now feels
that We owe her the freedom of our
markets and she is hurt terribly if we
ask her people to pay any duty what
ever. What has Canada given in re-
turn? In the past they have given
our fishermen the right to enter their
ports IN the time of distress and
spend our good money for their prod
ucts. If we wanted to buy bait or
supplies for our fishing fleets thev
gave us the right to pay an excessive
TAX for the generous privilege of ex-
pending thousands of dollars of
American money which increased in
value as soon as it crossed the Cana
dian border, and still the story is
not all told.
For the wonderful privilege lust
mentioned above the Canadians were
allowed the right to ship their lob
sters into the American markets FREQ
or DUTY and receive American dollars
"hich are worth much more in Cam
ada than they arc in the United
states. for the rate of exchange IL
generally enough to yield a good. SUBJ
stantial profit. We are paving the
canadian fishermen a bonus for the
privilege of having them flood the
markets of the United States with
lohsters of an inferior quality.
The Holsters that arrive dead and
weak are boiled and put on the mar
ket at reduced price, because they
nave to he sold very quickly if sold
at all, and often when sold are unfit
Tor food. HOLSTERS deteriorate very
rapidly and often times people have
severe attacks of ptomaine poisoning
caused ny eating Holsters that were
oead before they were cooked. This
creates exceedingly unfair competi-
80 'tiio mas ttnQenCN 10 O.
dnce the price of the high grade lob
steers that are caught and stored in
the clear and sparkling natural
waters Of the Maine Coast.
The low price has deprived many
families Of their real needs and has
caused many more violations because
man will not see his family of
children suffer very long before he
VIII take the chance of selling n few
shorts to supply the requirements of
ms dear ones. This we can Law Mt
the door of the Canadians, for If thew
had not flooded the United States
markets and knocked the price from
under the Maine fishermen it never
would have occurred.
lt is understood from good author.
ity that the Canadian government
mas paid its fishermen Il bounty from
the excessive tax received from tho
United States. It is also understood
that IL we were to ship Holsters from
Inc United States into Canada. that
we would have to pay a tax eoi,,I -