﻿250 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  \3&] 
  

  

  that 
  seemingly 
  requires 
  the 
  most 
  careful 
  consideration 
  ou 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  State 
  government 
  to 
  enact 
  such 
  laws 
  and 
  regulations 
  as 
  may 
  tend 
  

   to 
  its 
  success 
  without 
  interfering 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  prosperity 
  aud 
  free- 
  

   dom 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  more 
  directly 
  engaged 
  in 
  obtaining 
  this 
  product 
  

   of 
  the 
  seas. 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  the 
  fishermen 
  are 
  bitterly 
  opposed 
  to 
  

   the 
  introduction 
  of 
  any 
  methods 
  for 
  cultivating 
  sponges 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  

   above 
  alluded 
  to. 
  This 
  opposition 
  arises 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  they, 
  being 
  

   chiefly 
  poor 
  men, 
  naturally 
  anticipate 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  event 
  of 
  sponge 
  cult- 
  

   ure 
  being 
  adopted 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale, 
  the 
  entire 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  industry 
  

   will 
  pass 
  into 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  capitalists, 
  who, 
  should 
  they 
  succeed 
  in 
  

   securing 
  legal 
  control 
  of 
  large 
  areas 
  of 
  ground, 
  would 
  have 
  it 
  in 
  their 
  

   power 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  fishermen 
  from 
  visiting 
  localities 
  which 
  they 
  now 
  

   consider 
  as 
  their 
  own 
  — 
  an 
  inherited 
  and 
  natural 
  right, 
  of 
  which 
  no 
  one 
  

   should 
  be 
  empowered 
  to 
  dispossess 
  them. 
  They 
  also 
  fear 
  that, 
  with 
  

   extraordinary 
  privileges 
  given 
  to 
  capital, 
  they 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  encounter 
  

   a 
  competition 
  that 
  would 
  eventually 
  drive 
  them 
  all 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  business 
  

   or 
  compel 
  them 
  to 
  submit 
  to 
  any 
  terms 
  that 
  their 
  wealthy 
  competitors 
  

   may 
  dictate. 
  The 
  feeling 
  is 
  so 
  strongly 
  antagonistic 
  to 
  this 
  that 
  some 
  

   of 
  the 
  fishermen 
  do 
  not 
  hesitate 
  to 
  express 
  their 
  determination 
  of 
  pro- 
  

   ceeding 
  to 
  extreme 
  measures 
  for 
  preventing 
  its 
  accomplishment. 
  At 
  

   the 
  same 
  time 
  they 
  would 
  advocate 
  the 
  policy 
  of 
  sponge 
  culture, 
  and 
  

   believe 
  it 
  might 
  prove 
  a 
  blessing 
  to 
  them, 
  providing 
  laws 
  are 
  framed 
  

   to 
  limit 
  the 
  area 
  of 
  ground 
  which 
  any 
  single 
  individual 
  could 
  hold, 
  

   aud 
  also 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  impossible 
  to 
  dispose 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  tract 
  to 
  any 
  other 
  

   person, 
  the 
  property 
  reverting 
  to 
  the 
  State 
  whenever 
  the 
  original 
  

   owner 
  or 
  planter 
  ceased 
  to 
  use 
  it. 
  This, 
  it 
  is 
  believed, 
  would 
  effect- 
  

   ually 
  prevent 
  a 
  consolidation 
  of 
  the 
  areas 
  cultivated 
  under 
  one 
  head, 
  

   or 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  individuals 
  who 
  might 
  control 
  the 
  

   trade. 
  Whether 
  or 
  not 
  these 
  crude 
  suggestions 
  can 
  be 
  formulated 
  into 
  

   such 
  shape 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  them 
  of 
  practical 
  use 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  problems 
  

   that 
  should 
  engage 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  charged 
  with 
  the 
  

   responsible 
  duty 
  of 
  legislating 
  on 
  this 
  subject, 
  should 
  it 
  ever 
  be 
  deemed 
  

   wise 
  to 
  make 
  sponge 
  culture 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  special 
  enactment. 
  

  

  2. 
  VESSELS 
  AND 
  BOATS. 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  vessels 
  of 
  the 
  sponge 
  fleet, 
  those 
  upwards 
  of 
  35 
  tons 
  

   register, 
  have, 
  in 
  most 
  cases, 
  been 
  originally 
  designed 
  for 
  other 
  trades, 
  

   but 
  it 
  has 
  often 
  been 
  possible 
  to 
  purchase 
  them 
  much 
  cheaper 
  than 
  it 
  

   would 
  cost 
  to 
  build 
  a 
  vessel, 
  and 
  therefore 
  schooners 
  not 
  intended 
  for 
  

   the 
  business 
  have 
  been 
  put 
  to 
  work 
  in 
  it. 
  The 
  smaller 
  craft, 
  however, 
  

   particularly 
  those 
  less 
  than 
  30 
  tons, 
  have, 
  with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  been 
  

   built 
  for 
  the 
  particular 
  industry 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  employed, 
  aud 
  which 
  

   requires 
  special 
  features 
  in 
  a 
  vessel; 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  and 
  minor 
  ar- 
  

   rangements. 
  With 
  comparatively 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  vessels 
  upwards 
  

   of 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  tons 
  are 
  schooner 
  rigged. 
  They 
  carry 
  a 
  single 
  topmast, 
  and 
  

   no 
  jib-boom, 
  unless 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  an 
  adjustable 
  jib-boom 
  is 
  rigged 
  

  

  