“¢curer to send his fish to the market where the English fish 
*‘ «had taken such a firm hold. 
““<Tt seems also that the French curers have only lately 
““ ¢ become fully alive to the advantages to be reaped from a trade 
“¢thus liberally subventioned, as the imports noted above are 
“ “quite unprecedented. The whole of it is not intended for 
* “consumption. In this district a large portion goes to Genoa 
“ ‘by rail; it is landed here to take the higher bounties. 
“<¢T beg leave to add that the impulse thus given to the 
““¢ French curer is exercising a very baneful effect on our own 
‘“‘ ¢ Newfoundland trade, and I am informed by one of our prin- 
“cipal importers that during this month he has actually re- 
“ ¢ shipped to England 1,200 bales of Newfoundland cod-fish.’ ” 
“From Genoa, the British Consul forwards information from | 
“ Messrs. Garnet, Brown, & Co., as follows :— 7 
64 
“¢The French tariff accords a premium to French cod-fish, 
“ «whether imported to consuming countries direct from French 
“+ fishery stations or French ports, of 12 frs. per 100 kilogs. if 
“‘ «discharged in a port of the old Sardinian States, but of 16 
“<frs, if discharged in other European ports of the Mediter- 
“* ¢ ranean. ; | 
“¢To obtain the larger bounty, the French send their fish to 
“ ¢ Leghorn, which is not included in the old Sardinian Kingdom ; 
«from thence it goes to other ports of the Mediterranean. - 
‘«¢The premium paid by the French Government was up to — 
“‘ ¢ 1884 only upon fish imported by sea direct from fishing stations 
““¢and in French vessels, but owing to quarantine regulations 
“ ‘which prevented imports by sea from France the bounty was 
“ ‘transferred to shipments by rail. . 
‘“‘ «The great increase in French shipments is to be attributed 
“¢to the bounty, which used to be paid only on direct imports, 
“ “now refunded to establishments set up in French ports. 
“<¢The large premiums paid by French Government present 
“<¢oreat inducements to capitalists. According to the price 
“ ‘ruling in 1886 40 and 50 per cent. was added to the selling 
“‘ “price, this selling price being the lowest figure at which 
“ «English fish, its chief rival, can be imported into Europe. 
“‘ ¢ Under present circumstances, therefore, the sale of English | 
“ ¢fish is so unfavourably placed that its gradual cessation must — 
“ «be only a question of time. ) 
