NEWFOUNDLAND. 



387 



year. Mr. Bond, the Colonial Secretary, says that 

 " the rigid enforcement of the regulations govern- 

 ing this industry, especially those against the 

 taking of undersized fish, seems to be the only 

 hope of saving this valuable fishery from total 

 depletion." The herring fishery also showed a 

 decrease from $245,809 in 1899 to $200,989 in 

 1900, due partly to the mildness of the weather 

 and consequent difficulty of freezing the fish. The 

 salmon catch had improved largely owing to the 

 fishing on the Labrador coast from $61,578 in 

 1898 to $73,478 in the succeeding year and $103,- 

 698 in 1900. 



Education. The expenditure upon schools in 

 the fiscal year 1900 was $158,151, the number of 

 schools open was 699, and the pupils on the rolls 

 numbered 36,591 a slight increase in each case 

 over the preceding year. The educational system 

 is on a basis of religious interest, each denomina- 

 tion receiving a Government grant in proportion 

 to its numbers. Separate boards of education 

 have charge of the elementary schools in the 

 different districts, and 4 superintendents of edu- 

 cation Roman Catholic, Church of England, 

 Methodist, and Presbyterian are appointed by 

 the Government. There is a council of higher 

 education of 23 members, with the superintend- 

 ents and head masters of colleges as members 

 ex offlcio. In 1900 the Church of England board 

 schools, private-aided schools, and colleges num- 

 bered 254, with 13,148 pupils and Government 

 contributions of $39,677 ; the Roman Catholic in- 

 stitutions numbered 228, with 12,612 pupils and 

 Government contributions of $49,843; the Meth- 

 odist institutions numbered 212, with 10,562 pu- 

 pils and Government contributions of $35,847; 

 the Presbyterians had simply 1 college, and the 

 Congregationalists 4 schools. The school fees 

 and voluntary contributions amounted only to 

 $31,000 all told. Of this total, the Methodists 

 contributed more than $14,000. 



The French-Shore Question. This problem 

 involves the peace and prosperity of Newfound- 

 land to some extent, the question of its union 

 with Canada, the welfare of its fishermen, and 

 a prominent feature in the diplomatic relations 

 of France and England. By the treaty of 

 Utrecht in 1713 certain fishing privileges were 

 given to the French upon a portion of the New- 

 foundland coast; by the treaty of Paris in 1763 

 France received St. Pierre and Miquelon islands, 

 and thereafter built up a rival fishing interest, 

 through the bounty system, to that of England; 

 the King's declaration in 1783 guaranteed the 

 non-interference of British fishermen upon the 

 French shore. Since that time continuous irrita- 

 tion and trouble have been caused by French 

 aggression on this debatable land, and the very 

 natural retaliation by British fishermen. In 1891 

 came the modus Vivendi by which the Newfound- 

 land Legislature gave the commanders of British 

 ships practically autocratic power for the pro- 

 tection of French rights on the coast. This was 

 renewed yearly, pending a settlement of the whole 

 affair with France. In 1900 the modus Vivendi 

 act was renewed without protest, because of the 

 South African War, and toward the close of the 

 year Mr. Chamberlain asked for its renewal once 

 more. Six years ago 1,200 Frenchmen were em- 

 ployed in this industry, and to-day there are only 

 500, while in connection with the lobster fisheries, 

 which are also protected under the act and there- 

 fore provisionally recognized as French, the New- 

 foundland fishermen are forbidden to set up their 

 lobster canneries. Yet " the right to catch lob- 

 sters and to establish canneries on the Newfound- 

 land coasts can not be maintained under the 



stipulations of the treaties of {'her hi nml Ver- 

 sailles," which dealt only will, food !' h. < m -Inn. 

 11, the Paris Temps, referring to tj, m 



that British Gambia, on the western <-r.-.\-\. of 

 Africa, should be exchanged for l-'teneh rights in 

 Newfoundland, quoted the words o; 

 two years before, declaring that those n-j\-\ ... w<-n: 

 "incontestable and uncontented." It t.hen p-jint- 

 ed out that the exchange was not desired ly 

 French-African merchants, and that the cod might. 

 again return to the inshore fisheries and restore 

 their value. Yet it was admitted that conditions 

 had greatly changed since the rights on New- 

 foundland were first given. 



" Only imagine what our own sentiments would 

 be if the fishing rights on the coast of Normandy 

 belonged to the English and not to our fellow 

 countrymen. Consequently, on our part, we think 

 it is right for France not to show herself intract- 

 able if she be requested to lend herself to an ar- 

 rangement to correct what the progress of time 

 has rendered abnormal. Yet there must be no 

 question of inverting the roles. On our side we 

 have no sort of need to modify the existing situ- 

 ation. We must, then, not be expected to be dis- 

 posed to bear the cost of the modification." 



When the special session of the island Legisla- 

 ture met in February in order to pass the modus 

 Vivendi act for another year, the discussion was 

 limited. The measure then passed its various 

 stages without opposition, though not without 

 a wide-spread feeling that the renewal could not 

 be continued much longer. 



Beciprocity with the United States. The 

 old question of the Bond-Blaine treaty was re- 

 viewed this year. P. P. McGrath, editor of the 

 St. Johns Herald, writing on Oct. 26, said: 

 " That instrument was framed with a view to 

 admitting the Americans to free baiting and cog- 

 nate privileges in our waters, in return for free 

 entry of our fish and crude minerals to their 

 markets, and was based upon a clear principle 

 and understanding of the relative merits of the 

 two parties to it. Canada was not included, be- 

 cause the Americans felt that to include her was 

 to destroy themselves." Practically, it was said, 

 the proposed treaty which the Dominion per- 

 suaded the Imperial Government to veto would 

 create a preference for American fishermen in 

 Newfoundland or British waters over Canadian 

 fishermen. This is better understood from the 

 fact that the maritime province fisheries employ 

 about 2,300 vessels and 46,000 persons, and yield 

 $12,000,000 worth of products, while the New 

 England competition fisheries, which would have 

 benefited under the proposed conditions and from 

 whose American market the Canadian fish were 

 excluded, employ about 1,400 vessels and 35,000 

 persons, with a yield valued at $9,600,000. Mr. 

 McGrath, however, denied that there would be 

 any preference against Canada. " Our fish would 

 be admitted to United States markets on better 

 terms than Canada's, but no more stringent regu- 

 lations would be enforced against Canada than 

 now." 



Statistics. The Newfoundland savings-banks 

 in the year ending Dec. 31, 1900, had 3,747 depos- 

 itors, a total deposit of $1,304,216, and invested 

 funds amounting to $1,256,070. 



The letters and post cards dealt with in the 

 fiscal year 1899-1900 numbered 1,700,000, the 

 newspapers, etc., 2,760,000, and the parcels 20,171. 

 The revenue of the . post-office was $57,209; the 

 expenditure, $238,499 ; the cost of the mail service 

 beyond the colony, $42,085. 



The total mineral output chiefly copper ore- 

 was $939,322, against $603,547 in the previous year. 



