AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2011 



Q. Did the fishermen consider the Reciprocity Treaty a benefit at 

 all? A. Well, I do not know but they did at 'that time. Different 

 views are entertained of these things. 



Q. What did they say about it in Boston ? A. I do not know. We 

 didn't participate very much in the bay fishery. AH that we had under 

 the treaty was the right to fish inshore, and' then we had our market* 

 opened to the fish from the British Provinces. "We thought that the 

 fish coming in there seemed to affect us so much that the Provincelow n 

 people thought the better thing would be to have the duty on. 



Q. Is that what you went as a delegate for! A. I do not know how 

 many words I will have before I come to that. 



Q. Didn't you go down to use your influence to get it continued! A. 

 No, sir. What we went down for, now that you come to that question, 

 I will answer that. We, as fishermen in Provincetown, were more ex- 

 tensively engaged in the cod-fishery, and had but little to do with any 

 three-mile line, for we had no vessels of any consequence going in the 

 bay, and we were in favor of having just as high a tariff on cotltitth a* 

 we could possibly get. We learned that men had been and stated before 

 the committee of Congress that if they could have a right to fish inshore in 

 the Gulf of Saint Lawrence they would be willing for the codfish from the 

 provinces to be imported free of duty. Well, we as a cod fishing place 

 certainly must feel it was for our interest to have a duty on them. Then 

 they sent me to see if 1 could get any higher duty on codfish than we 

 had under the Treaty of 1818. 



Q. I understand you that these persons engaged in the mackerel flali- 

 ery were still desirous of getting the right to tish in the bay within three 

 miles of the land? A. Yes. 



Q. They were willing, if they could do so, that the codfish should go 

 in free, but your people were engaged more in cod- fishing. Those were 

 people that did not have any cod-nshing! A. Yes. 



'Q. Then the mackerelers" did want to go inside, and were willing, 

 if they could do so, that the codfish from the British Provinces Mhonlt 

 come in free? A. They asked me there about this thing before thi* 

 committee what I wanted. I said I did not go in for one set of iUher- 

 men to pay for the privileges accorded to another set. 



Q. That seems to be reasonable. A. Allow me one more word, 

 said to that committee that we take our towns take Plymouth, w 

 her 52 vessels engaged in the Bank fishery, she had not a single mark 

 erel fisher; take Well fleet with just about the same Dumber of vw 

 she was ready to rush into the gulf and fish within the three-mile 1 

 and make Plymouth pay for it. 



Q. From ^our standpoint, as a Proviucetown man, you 

 ing that the American mackerel-fishers should go in wi' 

 mile limit at the expense of your cod-fishery!- -A. We du 



Q. That is the whole story. You wanted a high duty on codfish to 

 keep the British fish out? A. Yes. 



Q. And the result was to the general consumers that they 

 to pay more for their codfish ? A. Yes, sir, more for 

 are apt to be fishermen are swayed by selfish niotn 



Q. Well, you hadn't any favorable eye on the consume* 

 we are not apt to. I don't know of anybody but want 

 has for the most he can get. 



Q. Were there no mackerel-fishers out of Provincetown r. 

 the bay. A, There might be one or two. 



Q. They were in a great minority, as regards the coi 



