1628 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Now, am I not right in saying that the whole value of whatever fish 

 we catch in the territorial waters of these provinces, when lauded ou 

 the shores of the provinces, or lauded on the decks of our vessels, is of 

 far less pecuniary magnitude than the direct pecuniary gain resulting 

 from free importation into our markets? And that is a gain that is con- 

 stantly increasing. Twice as large a quantity has gone from Nova 

 Scotia and Prince Edward Island to Boston this year as went last year 

 up to the same date, and, making a moderate allowance for the vicissi- 

 tudes of the business, and for one year being a little worse than another, 

 there has been a continued development of the fishing business and fish- 

 ing interests of these provinces ; and what has it sprung from ? Do not 

 these gentlemen understand the sources of their own prosperity ! Do 

 they not know when they speak of the business. having developed that 

 it is the market that has developed the business? They cannot eat 

 their mackerel ; they have too good taste to desire to eat them, appar- 

 ently, atter they are salted. The only place where they are able to dis- 

 pose of them is in the United States. There is no evidence that the price 

 of the fish has been lowered to the consumer by the circumstance that 

 any more comes from the provinces than did formerly, when the duty 

 was imposed upon it. The price to the actual consumer has remained 

 the same. If it could be shown that there has been a trifling reduction 

 to the consumer, is that of any consequence compared with this direct 

 and overwhelming advantage which the provincials gain ? Why, it is 

 not only in this fish business that the control of the United States mar- 

 kets bears with such tremendous power upon the productions of the 

 Dominion. In 1850, when the subject of reciprocity was being dis- 

 cussed. Mr. Crampton, then British minister at Washington, requested 

 Hon. William Hamilton Merritt, a Canadian of distinction, to prepare 

 a memorandum on the subject, which I have here before me. He is 

 speaking of the effect of duties in the United States on Canadian pro- 

 ducts generally. He says: 



Tin? im|H>rts from Canada since 1847 have in no instance affected the market in New- 

 York. The consumer does not obtain a reduction of prices ; the duty is paid by the 

 Kfowrr, ait shown by the comparative prices on each side of the boundary, which have 

 averajjwl in proportion to the amount of duty exacted. 



The Canadians, in their fishing industry, as I have said over and over 

 again, have very great natural advantages over the fishermen of the 

 United States iu the cheapness with which they can build their vessels 

 and hire their crews, and the cheapness of all the necessaries of life. 

 Ins increased cheapness is virtually a bounty upon the Canadian fish- 

 It gives them the effect of a bounty as compared with United 

 States fishermen. While there was a duty upon imported fish in the 

 11 ted States it counteracted that indirect bounty. Xow that the duty 

 has been taken away, this immense development of the fishing interests 

 the provinces, of which they are so proud, and of which they have 

 much, has taken place, and out of this salt-mackerel business it 

 t<> me that they are quite sure eventually to drive the American 

 Everybody is going into the business, in Prince Edward 

 their witnesses say. Out of three hundred fishermen from 

 who used to be in our vessels, and who have returned, hardly 

 are going back to the United States. They are going to have a 

 this branch of the fishing industry. It has been of great 

 it will continue hereafter to be of greater value to them; 

 i value that no vicissitudes in the business are likely to take 

 m, Ix'cause there is a certain quantity of mackerel which they 

 u able to eaten near home which they can afford to sell iu the mar- 



