AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1941 



Q. What is the average size of the vessels which go to Fortune Hay ? 

 A. I think about 80 tons. 



Q. And so they usually pay the same price tor herring that you do f 

 A. They pay about the same. 



Q. I think yon have said something about their being a half Htarved 

 race in Newfoundland 1 A. No, I did not say that. I said tint they 

 would be starved if it was not for the Gloucester vessels which go down 

 to Fortune Bay. 



Q. If it were not for your presence there then they would bo starved ! 

 A. 1 said that one-half of the Fortune Bay people would starve if it 

 was not for the Gloucester fleet coming down there during the winter. 



Q. If it was not for you they would starve f A. One half of them 

 would. 



Q. And you pledge your oath to that ? A. Yes. 



Q. You pledge your solemn oath before this Commission that such 

 would be the case? A. If we did not go there they would be on the 

 list for St. John, which would have to send them meal. 



Q. I only ask you whether that would be the case or not ! A 1 . I 

 would not swear that they would starve to death if we did not go there. 



Q. You said so just a moment ago, and now you retract the state- 

 ment ? A. The people would go prettj" hungry if we did not go there. 



Q. Then, I suppose that when we went to nsh on the miserable mack- 

 erel fishing grounds of the Gulf of St. Lawrence you were starved too T 

 We always had plenty to eat. 



Q. Was it not a profitable business, and did you not make a very 

 handsome thing out of the mackerel-fishing business .' A. 1 made 

 enough to live on. 



Q. And you are worth money now ? A. No. You can tell that from 

 the look of me. 



, Q. Are you not comfortably off and worth money ! A. No. You 

 hardly ever find a man who goes fishing worth money. 



Q. And profitable as the mackerel business was, you thought that 

 cod-fishing would be a still more profitable operation, and BO you went 

 into it? A. I thought I would have a change, and so I went cod tbb- 

 ing. 



Q. You say that you left Gloucester in the spring of 187."i and 1876 to 

 go to Newfoundland to get your bait for the prosecution of the cod- 

 fishery? A. Yes. 



Q. And you did not bring any salt bait from Gloucester! >o, 



not this year. 



Q. Suppose that you had brought salt bait from Gloucester, 

 would you have given a barrel for it ? A. Perhaps from *-' to j 



Q. How much bait would you have taken, suppose you had take 

 sufficient bait to prosecute your whole summer backing operation* I 

 your return with the first voyage ? A. 1 could not tell you. 



Q. Would you have taken 100 barrels ! A. No. 



Q. Would you have taken LHM) ? A. I tell you what the salt-bait 

 ermen generally carry, and that is about 30 barrels. 

 told on the Banks. 



Q. You do not mean to say that 30 barrels of salt bait 

 cargo of codfish ? A. They also get bait on the Banks 



Q. Do you know anything about it yourself f- 

 than what they tell me. I know nothing about it, bee; 



1 ' 



Q. Where did you go for the herring which you pnrrha^l 

 rin h first baitin this ear I have paid 



iu the 



spring ? A. For the first baiting this year 



