APPENDIX. 63 



"The total catch of lobsters in the State has increased from 376,994 

 pounds in 1904 to 1,471,344 pounds in 1908, an increase of 1,094,350 

 pounds. That this unparalleled increase is not spasmodic or acci- 

 dental is evidenced by the steady increase in consecutive years : 

 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 



376,994 499,300 671,914 929,423 1,471,344 



"That the increase is not referable to the introduction of statistics 

 from additional localities is shown by the statistics from Newport 

 alone, which are summarized as follows: 



1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 



226,994 301,659 353,573 581,189 665,009 



"It is known that the total number of lobster pots has very greatly 

 increased, and to this fact one might be inclined to attribute the 

 increased catch. The facts are otherwise; for, while the number of 

 pots had increased from 7,935 in 1904 to 20,011 in 1908 (more than 

 250 per cent.), the catch per pot has not shown a proportionate 

 decrease. On the contrary, despite this great multiplication of pots 

 the catch per pot not only shows no decrease, but has actually in- 

 creased approximate!}' fifty per cent. The following is the catch 

 per pot for the past five years: 



1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 



48— 54+ 59+ 76+ 74— 



" Making allowance for the usual feeling of uncertainty in depending 

 upon statistics where the issue is close, there can be no reasonable 

 doubt that the vast improvement in the condition of the lobster indus- 

 try in this State in the last decade is real. For a sharp contrast with 

 the situation here, we introduce the following quotation from the 

 'Fishing Gazette,' which needs no comment, but which recalls the 

 statements of ten years ago regarding the condition of our o^vn lobster 

 industry: 'The market for canned lobster continues somewhat de- 

 pressed not onl}^ in the American market but also abroad. Stocks 

 are fairly heavy. Newfoundland advices are that lobsters are almost 



