BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 211 



Vol. V, I\o. 16. Washington, II. C. Aug. 12, 1885. 



59.-TIIE SARDINE CANNING INDUSTRY OF EASTPORT, ME. 



By rV. If. KEMP, and others. 



[A petitiou to the Secretary of the Treasury.] 



Whereas by the expiration of the Washington Treaty of 1873 on the 

 1st day of July next, an important industry, which has originated since 

 its ratification, and which is purely local to this border town of East- 

 port and the adjacent town of Lubec in the State of Maine; and where- 

 as by such termination of treaty with the Canadian Government this 

 said industry, which is the packing and canning of American sardines, 

 is threatened with utter annihilation, we, the undersigned owners of 

 factories at Eastport and Lubec, Me., respectfully beg to represent as 

 follows: 



(1) The industry of packing American sardines originated in this 

 town of Eastport ten years ago, and there is invested in it at the present 

 time capital of not less than one million of dollars, of which a large 

 proportion is in factory buildings, machinery, fixtures, tools, and im- 

 plements. 



(2) There are eighteen factories in Eastport and four in Lubec, now 

 wholly engaged in and dependent on this industry, and employing sev- 

 eral thousand operators, partly former residents of these said towns, 

 and partly people from other parts, drawn hither by the necessity of 

 the factories for help. 



(3) Many of these people have settled here and acquired real estate, 

 trusting in the permanency of the industry. 



(1) The towns of Eastport and Lubec have no resources for business 

 except fish, the canning of American sardines forming the most promi- 

 nent feature of their occupation. Of the fish used they receive fully 

 two-thirds from provincial waters, being situated^ on the border. 



(5) The fish used in this industry are smaU herring which have no 

 other commercial value. Before the era of this industry they were ap- 

 plied to fertilizing purposes only. 



(G) The provincial waters in the vicinity of these said towns abound 

 in them and furnish an inexhaustible supply of the kind required in the 

 sardine business, while, owing to local conditions, but a small proportion 

 is obtainable from American waters. 



(7) The fish are brought i:i fresh, and owing to their delicacy are of 

 such perishable nature that they must be put through the process of can- 

 ring without delay. 



(8) The fish are in best condition from July until December, and are 



Bull. U. S. F, C, 85 16 



