2090 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



toratiou of the old duty oil fish ? A. They would prefer the duty being 

 reimposed. 



Q. What was the opinion of the people of Proviucetown about the 

 Treaty of Washington (its fishery clauses) at the time it was made ? 

 A. They thought it was decidedly adverse to their interests. 



Q. I believe you were one of the deputy inspectors of fish for your 

 town from 1870 to 1876 t A. Yes. 



Q. Did you give Captain Atwood some of the statistics in regard to 

 mackerel? Did he inquire of you ? A. Think he did. 



Q. There is no mackerel reinspected in your town now as having 

 come from the gulf none that is taken by British fishermen and rein- 

 spected ? A. I never knew of a barrel. 



Q. None that came from the gulf at all ? A. Very few, indeed. 



Q. Do you happen to know whether the mackerel that does come from 

 the gulf is branded or stenciled "Bayjnackerel"? A. They are branded 

 bay. Our inspector places a stencil mark on the head of the barrel, 

 " Bay." 



Q. Where they reinspect and put into new barrels mackerel which 

 has once been inspected here, do you happen to know if it is marked re- 

 inspected? A. I do not know. 



By Mr. Davies : 



Q. The mackerel fishery is not prosecuted much in Proviucetown ? 

 A. Not so much as at some other towns in the States. 



Q. Do you consider it an appreciable part of your busfhess at all ". 

 A. We do. 



Q. I have been looking over the returns. I see out of 295 American 

 vessels which took out license in 1867 only 12 were from Provinetowu ; 

 out of 61 vessels in 1868 only 2. Out of 254 reported by the inspector 

 at Port Mulgrave in 1873 only 5, were from Provincetown, and out of 

 164 reported in 1874 only 4. So, judging from the returns, your town 

 must be one of the smallest on the coast engaged in mackerel fishing in 

 the bay ? A. I think so. 



Q. Your great interest is the cod fishery ? A. Yes, more largely cod 

 than mackerel 



Q. And codfish, we all know, are taken chiefly outside of the limits ; 

 it is a deep-sea fishery as a rule ! A. Yes. 



Q. When you say your people you mean to limit it to the people of 

 Provincetowu? A. Yes. 



Q. You say advisedly that your people thought the Washington Treaty 

 was adverse to their interests ? A. Yes. 



Q. You preferred the duty which was levied on fish? A. Yes. 



Q. Why ? A. Because we thought its abolition hurt the sale of our 

 mackerel, for more mackerel were thrown into the market. 



Q. What was the consequence ? A. They lowered the price. 



Q. And naturally from your own stand-point you want to get as high 

 a price as you can ? A. Certainly. 



Q. You wanted the consumer to pay more than he wanted to pay ? 

 A. W r e are all very selfish in regard to that. 



Q. That was the motive which prompted you to oppose the treaty, I 

 suppose! A. Well, I think it was. 



Q. You spoke with regard to bait-fishing in Newfoundland and gave 

 a very strong opinion in respect to it. Over what years have you had 

 personal experience of going into Newfoundland to purchase or catch 

 bait ? Have you gone in more than once ? A. I never was in there 



