1998 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION 



his vessels were unsuccessful, and he never cured a fish there. He lost 

 money in the venture, and having collected his traps, he came home. 

 This is the only instance I know of, with respect to the curing of fish oil 

 Dominion territory by any person from our part of Massachusetts, inter- 

 ested in the fisheries. 



Q. Do the cod-fishermen who go to the Banks or anywhere else, make 

 a practice ot landing to dry their fish on the rocks f A. No; our fish- 

 ermen do not. 



Q. This practice has passed away ? A. I do not know of it being 

 done by any of our American fishermen. 



Q. Was that done in the earliest days of your youth ? A. Theu those 

 that went to Labrador when done fishing, washed their fish and dried 

 them on the rocks, bringing them home in that state ; this was the case 

 during one voyage I made there, but in my other two voyages there, we 

 brought our fish home green. 



Q. Has the mackerel-fishery, say from 1870 to the present time, been 

 a prosperous and profitable business ? A. It has not been so profitable 

 as the cod-fishery, and it has declined somewhat. Two of the principal 

 firms in Provincetown fit out over one-half of the mackerel-fishing ves- 

 sels \vhich go from our place ; they fit out over 15, and there are 30 of 

 them, and they are in such a position that they cannot get out of this 

 business very well. This fishery has been very unprofitable, while our 

 neighbors who have prosecuted the Bank-fishery have done a fair busi- 

 ness. 



Q. Which has been the better during the last few years, the mackerel- 

 fishery pursued on the coasts of the United States, or the mackerel-fish- 

 ery prosecuted in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence ? A. Our vessels have 

 made only 16 voyages to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel since 

 1870, and I think, I may safely say, that their voyages were failures. 

 They made little or no money at it. During this period, almost all our 

 mackerel-fishing was done on our own coast. 



Q. Which would you prefer, and deem most beneficial, to have the 

 former duties on British fish imposed at the United States custom-houses 

 and to be excluded from fishing within the three-mile belt on the British 

 shore, or to have free admission to the inshore-fisheries in British waters, 

 and to have the fish caught by Canadians enter the American markets 

 free of duty ? A. I think that it would be more profitable to us, owing 

 to the way in which we are situated, and the manner in which we fish, 

 to have duties levied on Canadian fish, and to be ourselves excluded 

 from fishing in British waters, inside of the three-mile line. Our conduct 

 certainly shows that we believe our own fisheries to be the best, because 

 since 1873 we have had only thirteen vessels out of all our fleet go to 

 the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Still we pursued the Bank-fisheries. Our 

 mackerel fleet has diminished in number, and this year we have only 

 one vessel in the gulf. Two of our vessels went there last year, but 

 they did not do anything. I do not know what the single vessel I men- 

 tioned has done. She has not been gone a great while. 



Q. Are you aware of any place from which the mackerel fishery in 

 British waters has been pursued profitably since 1873, and the going 

 into effect of the Washington Treaty ? A. I do not know of any place 

 where our people could profitably prosecute the mackerel fishery in 

 British waters. Our people have gone to what they consider the best 

 fishing places, and I gave the result of their voyages yesterday. 

 By Mr. Thomson : 



Q. How then do you account for American vessels coming into British 

 waters at all, if they lose by their voyages here ! A. I do so in this way: 



