BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 341 



her energies to the development of their natural resources cannot 

 be over-estimated. Your Government will observe that this advan- 

 tage has not been secured without conceding to France very valuable 

 facilities in other parts of the Empire involving some accession of 

 territory. Considerable as these sacrifices are His Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment feel that, apart from the wider considerations referred to in 

 Lord Lansdowne's despatch, they are in a large measure justified by 

 the security which they afford for the future prosperity and devel- 

 opment of the oldest British colony. 



I rely confidently on the full and ready co-operation of your gov- 

 ernment in giving effect to the provisions of the Convention. 

 I have, etc., 



ALFRED LYTTLETON, 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies. 

 CAVENDISH BOYLE, 



Governor of Newfoundland. 



Extracts from British Blue Book, Newfoundland, October, 1907. 



Extracts from The Western Star [Bay of Islands'] of October 3 and 



10, 1906. 



OCTOBER 3, 1906. 



The herring fishery season is rapidly approaching, and the atmos- 

 phere in this locality is rife with quandary. 



The local fishermen, numbering about 800, who in the past obtained 

 employment on the American vessels, are this year in doubt as to their 

 ability to provide for themselves and families on account of the pass- 

 ing 01 an Act in the last General Assembly, the provisions of which 

 are manifestly intended to prohibit American vessels from procuring 

 Newfoundland fishermen for their crews. The passing of this Act 

 will affect about 3,000 Newfoundlanders directly, and as many more 

 in an indirect way to a greater or lesser extent. 



The enactment of the Act above referred to is only another deplora- 

 ble exemplification of Robert Bond's reckless disregard for the wel- 

 fare of the inhabitants of the Colony which he so faultily represents, 

 his permitting the spirit of retaliation, which prompted the passage 

 of the Act, to override his consideration of the fishermen and their 

 families, who must necessarily suffer many privations as a conse- 

 quence, is thoroughly demonstrative of the abject selfishness in his 

 make-up. To satisfy his personal feelings he has taken the bread 

 out of the mouths of an ample percentage of his own people, they who 

 have been largely instrumental in placing him where he is, and whom 

 he has promised on oath to protect. 



A few short years ago, when our fishermen were allowed to serve 

 on foreign vessels, over 100,000 dollars were distributed among them 

 as a result of their labour, last year the amount dwindled down to 

 one-half that figure, with the prospect of this year's decline being 

 proportionated greater, owing to stupid management of our affairs 

 and mad legislation. 



