554 MISCELLANEOUS 



exports of fish from Newfoundland, it would be a matter of small 

 moment to that colony, which would readily find a profitable market 

 for the small quantities of fish which would otherwise be exported 

 in that direction. 



Again, upon an article so largely consumed as fish is in the United 

 States, a remission of duty must be admitted to be a benefit to the 

 community remitting the duty, as in reality it relieves the consumer, 

 while it affords no additional remuneration to the shipper ; and this, 

 as a matter of fact, has been particularly the case as regards New- 

 foundland fish shipments to the United States. 



The opening up of the fishing-grounds in Newfoundland, and 

 their bait-supply to United States enterprise, enables the people of 

 that country to meet the demand for fish-food in their markets; 

 already an appreciable falling off has taken place in the exports to 

 that country of Newfoundland-caught fish (which has always been 

 very limited), and which, it may not unreasonably be supposed, will 

 soon cease, owing to the extension of United States fishing enterprise. 



CONCLUSION. 



It has thus been shown that under the Treaty of Washington 

 there has been conceded to the United States 



First. The privilege of an equal participation in a fishery vast in 

 area, teeming with fish, continually increasing in productiveness, and 

 now yielding to operatives, very limited in number when considered 

 with reference to the field of labor, the large annual return of up- 

 wards of $6,000,000, of which 20 per cent, may be estimated as net 

 profit, or $1,200,000. 



It is believed that the claim on the part of Newfoundland in 

 respect of this portion of the privileges acquired by United States 

 citizens under the Treaty of Washington will be confined to the most 

 moderate dimensions when estimated at one-tenth of this amount, 

 namely, $120,000 per annum, or, for the twelve years of the operation 

 of the treaty, a total sum of $1,440,000. 



Secondly. There has also been conceded to the United States the 

 enormous privilege of the use of the Newfoundland coast as a basis 

 for the prosecution of those valuable fisheries in the deep sea on the 

 banks of that island capable of unlimited development, and which 

 development must necessarily take place to supply the demand of 

 extended and extending markets. That the United States are alive 

 to the importance of this fact, and appreciate the great value of this 

 privilege, is evidenced by the number of valuable fishing-vessels 

 already engaged in this branch of the fisheries. 



We are warranted in assuming the number at present so engaged 

 as at least 300 sail, and that each vessel will annually take, at a 

 moderate estimate, fish to the value of $10,000. The gross annual 

 catch made by United States fishermen in this branch of their opera- 

 tions cannot, therefore, be valued at less than $3,000,000, and of this 

 at least 20 per cent., or $600,000 per annum, may fairly be reckoned 

 as net profit; of this profit Newfoundland is justified in claiming 

 one-fifth as due to her for the great advantages derived by the United 

 States fishermen under the Treaty of Washington of securing New- 

 foundland as a basis of operations and a source of bait-supply in- 

 dispensable to the successful prosecution of the Bank fisheries. An 



