429 



4. Participation in the improvements resulting from the fisheries 

 service maintained by the Government of the Dominion. 



******* 



[Under the heading " Newfoundland," title "Advantages derived by 

 United States Citizens," and sub-title " The privilege of procuring 

 bait and supplies, refitting, drying, transshipping, &c.," there is 

 the following:] 



Apart from the immense value to United States fishermen of par- 

 ticipation in the Newfoundland inshore fisheries, must be esti- 

 256 mated the important privilege of procuring bait for the prose- 

 cution of the bank and deep-sea fisheries, which are capable oi 

 unlimited expansion. With Newfoundland as a basis of operations, 

 the right of procuring bait, refitting their vessels, drying and curing 

 fish, procuring ice in abundance for the preservation of bait, liberty 

 of transshipping their cargoes, &c., an almost continuous prosecution 

 of the bank fishery is secured to them. By means of these advantages 

 United States fishermen have acquired, by the Treaty of Washington, 

 all the requisite facilities for increasing their fishing operations to 

 such an extent as to enable them to supply the demand for fish food 

 in the United States markets, and largely to furnish the other fish- 

 markets of the world, and thereby exercise a competition which must 

 inevitably prejudice Newfoundland exporters. It must be remem- 

 bered, in contrast with the foregoing, that United States fishing craft, 

 before the conclusion of the Treaty of Washington, could only avail 

 themselves of the coast of Newfoundland for obtaining a supply of 

 wood and water, for shelter, and for necessary repairs in case of acci- 

 dent, and for no other purpose whatever; they therefore prosecuted 

 the bank fishery under great disadvantages, notwithstanding which, 

 owing to the failure of the United States local fisheries, and the con- 

 sequent necessity of providing new fishing grounds, the bank fisheries 

 have developed into a lucrative source of employment to the fisher- 

 men of the United States. That this position is appreciated by those 

 actively engaged in the bank fisheries is attested by the state- 

 ments of competent witnesses, whose evidence will be laid before the 

 Commission. 



It is impossible to offer more convincing testimony as to the value 

 to the United States fishermen of securing the right to use the coast 

 of Newfoundland as a basis of operations for the bank fisheries than 

 is contained in the declaration of one who has been for six years so 

 occupied, sailing from the ports of Salem and Gloucester, in Massa- 

 chusetts, and who declares that it is of the greatest importance to 

 United States fishermen to procure from Newfoundland the bait 

 necessary for those fisheries, and that such benefits can hardly be 

 overestimated ; that there will be, during the season of 1876, upwards 

 of 200 United States vessels in Fortune Bay for bait, and that there 

 will be upwards of 300 vessels from the United States engaged in the 

 Grand Bank fishery ; that owing to the great advantage of being able 

 to run into Newfoundland for bait of different kinds, they are enabled 

 to make four trips during the season; that the capelin, which may 

 be considered as a bait peculiar to Newfoundland, is the best which 

 ran be used for this fishery, and that a vessel would probably be 

 enabled to make two trips during the capelin season, which extends 

 over a period of about six weeks. The same experienced deponent is 



