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our own markets, that they are a bar to this great prosperity of our 

 rivals, is one of the strongest arguments in our favor. But the facts 

 and figures prove the utter worthlessness of the statement made 

 twelve years ago, and we do not hear any Canadian claim of four- 

 teen and one half millions any more. No, they would sacrifice the 

 rental of five and a half millions for another twelve } r ears of free mar- 

 kets for their fish ; in fact, the truth exists, and did exist twelve 

 years ago, that Reciprocity was the greatest of boons to them, and 

 now they acknowledge it. Why do they care for free markets if the 

 consumer pays the duty? They know better. One of their vessels 

 brings in 500 barrels of mackerel into Gloucester next July, macker- 

 el are selling at $10, the captain sells his mackerel, gets $5000 for 

 them, and taking $1000 goes to the Custom House and pays his du- 

 ties. Did the merchant who bought his mackerel pay him any more 

 because the duties were $2 per barrel? Not at all. Did the merbhant 

 ask the retailer any more for those mackerel because the captain had 

 to pay $2 per barrel duties? Not at all. Did the retailer ask the 

 consumer an}' more for the same reason? Not at all. Now suppose 

 there was no American mackerel fleet, who by their natural competi- 

 tion and success were indicating the original price of the mackerel 

 and the British vessels had the making of the price, who would pay 

 the duty? 



Assuredly having control of the market b} r the effect of no compe- 

 tition he could dictate his own price and add the duties to the price 

 of the mackerel and in that way the consumer would pay it. But the 

 American fleet maintained and increased mackerel would be sold as 

 they always have been when largely produced, at low prices. 



The Massachusetts and Maine fleet have taken together about 499,- 

 391 bbls. of mackerel the present season; of these but 21,293 were 

 taken in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Canada takes from 100,000 to 

 150,000 barrels yearly, the large preponderance of the American 

 catch regulates the price for the bulk of the fish, which forms the ac- 

 tual staple food, although the American market will pay most any price 

 for from 10,000 to 20,000 barrels of extra mess mackerel, which, like 

 fine grades of halibut, must be classed under the head of luxuries. It 

 is to the mass of the fish that goes to the laboring consumers of the 

 country and is sold by the small retailers that the rules of supply and 

 demand apply, and as four-fifths of all the mackerel taken are taken 



