65 
— “<The duty in Italy is 5 frs. per 100 kilogs. Newfoundland 
ppears to have suggested the best manner of protecting its 
fishermen, viz.—that of prohibiting the sale of bait to the 
French ; and until the bounty is removed or much reduced we 
‘cannot consider this means of retaliating for the injury done 
y the French unjustifiable.” 
a We give a few extracts from the correspondence of E. H. B. 
Hartwell, Esq., the British Consul at Naples :— 
4 ‘Tn former years French cod-fish was unknown here, as the 
catch of the French was barely sufficient for the requirements 
f home consumption in France ; but with the stimulus given 
4 French shippers by additional bounties, larger numbers of 
vessels were fitted out, and the surplus in these last few years 
«y as had to be forced on Italian and other foreign markets, 
“In 1884 the French imports into Genoa were but a few small 
els ; in 1885 they rose to 5,300 qtls., or 13 per cent. of the 
import; and in 1886 the imports further increased to 
e] 19,800 qtls., as against 25,600 qtls. of English fish, or 44 per 
‘cent. of the entire quantity imported. During 1886 the 
verage price of Labrador cod-fish was 14s., cost, freight, and 
asurance, which price must have entailed a heavy loss on 
*British shippers. On the other hand, the French bounty of 
ps frs. brought French fish to 20s. 6d., or nearly 50 per cent. 
over and above that obtained by British shippers; and it is 
‘quite evident that unless some means are devised for pro- 
“te ting British shippers from the prejudicial effects of the 
*French bounty system, the extinction of the Labrador fish 
‘is only a question of time.’ ” 
E Gy ‘The British consuls in Italy and other parts of the Mediter- 
mean, of Spain and Portugal, all tell us the same -story. 
ose at Valencia and Alicante say that the cheapness of French 
ich is driving out the Newfoundland cure. We specially call 
e attention of our readers to the following :— 
| i Asa proof of the utter impossibility of competition with 
«French fish it will suffice to mention the fact that French 
f « shippers have actually offered and sold fish to Spain for 
BI : ‘ NOTHING in Bordeaux, and Spanish buyers therefore have 
‘actually obtained it merely for the cost of carriage and 
Spanish duties, while the French shippers were satisfied 
‘with the bounty which they received from their Govern- 
, 5 
es 
